ESET is pleased to announce the availability of a new product generation for testing. A public beta of ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 is currently downloadable from the download page. Even though installation over older versions is supported, we recommend that you uninstall your current version prior to installing the beta. Since it's still a beta version, we do not recommend installing it on production systems.

The new version 4 features more than 50 improvements compared to the current version. The main changes are described below:

- integrated ESET SysInspector
- support for laptops (tasks can be postponed when the machine is running on batterry, a notification appears if a larger update is going to be downloaded, etc.)
- added a non-graphic interface (suitable for screen readers used by visually impaired persons)
- improved scanning of removable media (used maximum settings when running files from removable media, allows blocking/allowing USB ports)
- improved cleaning
- improved self-defense
- added statistic graphs and information about the currently scanned object
- added an option to use advanced heuristics on file execution
- added an option to control the level of archive scanning or maximum scan time of objects
- added option to supress notifications when applications are run in fullscreen mode
- scanning of encrypted HTTPs/POP3s protocols
- website management allowing to block/allow access to user-defined sites
- new Document protection module for scanning MS Office files
- added an option to connect to 2 ERA servers
- customizable context menu
- UAC support
- password protected uninstallation
- notification about missing operating system updates
- management of hidden dialog windows
- Thunderbird plugin
- Antispam now uses a user and global address books
- potentially unwanted/unsafe applications are now reported in a yellow alert window which requires a user interaction.
SysInspector Integration
In version 4.0 SysInspector will be included as a powerful diagnostic tool allowing in depth analysis of various aspects of the operating system, including running processes, registry content, startup items and network connections. Making the dealings of the operating system completely transparent, SysInspector is very useful for home and business users as well as for IT experts and analysts. The Anti-Stealth Technology discovers hidden objects (rootkits) in MBR, registry entries, drivers, services and processes. SysInspector Logs are standardized and can be submitted to IT experts for further analysis. Including is also the possibility of comparing two existing logs to find a set of items not common to both logs.
ESET SysRescue
ESET developed an entirely new wizard for creating a Bootable CD and USB key. After installing the Microsoft Windows Automated Installation Kit v1.1, the wizard creates an ISO image Live CD with installed Anti-virus and allows burning it on CD or copying it on a mass storage device. Users can boot the computer from this recovery medium, scan as well as clean the infected system and afterwards reboot a clean system.
Improved Cleaning
Now cleaning of problematic files is possible through using an own driver. This ensures reliable cleaning of malware which is activated immediately after startup of the computer. The context menu after the scan was extended by the possibility of cleaning of infected files.
Portable Computer Support
This feature enhances the usability on portable computers (notebooks, laptops, etc.). Version 4.0 is able to identify, whether the computer is running on battery or not and automatically postpones some scheduled tasks and alerts the user before downloading a large update.
Enhanced E-mail Clients Support
Besides POP3, support for IMAP has been added. Furthermore, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail clients are now supported too. So now, users have their E-mails checked for viruses and malware even if using the abovementioned e-mail clients. ESET Smart Security has additionally integrated anti-spam.
Removable Media Access Control
Viruses and malware are often spread via exchangeable media. A virus hidden on a USB key can easily infect various computers when plugged-in and used. Even computers without internet access can be affected! Therefore, it is crucial to control the access to exchangeable media. Especially in companies, where a lot of data is transported physically via exchangeable media this is a real security concern. Version 4.0 offers a solution – the access to exchangeable media (USB devices, floppy disk and CD) can be refused by the administrator. This feature can be set also via ESET Remote Administrator console. Furthermore, automatic scanning of files executed from the exchangeable media is included, the use of Advanced Heuristic can be chosen in the settings.
Informative Graphs and Statistics
Graphs of network communication (uploads/downloads), disc operations (writing on and reading from disc) as well as virus and anti-spam statistics are included and easy accessible from the GUI.
Advanced Categorization of Infiltrations
ESET introduced three categories of infiltrations – malware, potentially unwanted applications (adware, toolbars, etc.) and potentially unsafe applications (conform applications which, when used, may represent a certain security risk to the user). In version 4.0 the categorization was improved to ensure better distinction between the three risk-categories. Now, potentially unwanted and potentially unsafe applications are represented by the yellow alert/status of ESET Smart Security/ESET NOD32 Antivirus. The user can easily discover the level of risk and intuitively distinguish between various types of infiltrations. Furthermore, the user will be provided with the opportunity of excluding potentially unwanted/unsafe applications from the scanning procedure.
Other Improvements
Version 4.0 includes more than 50 improvements compared to the previous version, among them also a pasword protected uninstallation, easy access to the last on-demand log, Self-Defense, advanced scanner settings and others.