Surfshark boosts its antivirus offering with a revamped interface and full ARM support

Surfshark has restyled its antivirus software with a new, improved interface
The antivirus will also run directly on ARM hardware, ensuring wider adoption across different architectures
The update seeks to improve the accessibility and transparency

Surfshark has revamped its antivirus software with a refreshed interface and full support for ARM devices, as it seeks to improve the accessibility and transparency of its premium bundle.

Building upon its core product as one of the best VPNs on the market, Surfshark offers its antivirus software as part of its all-in-one cybersecurity suite, Surfshark One. The bundle combines its VPN, AV, private search engine Search, and data breach monitoring service Alert into a single subscription.

With the latest update, Surfshark antivirus promises to be even easier to use across all devices. Subscribers can now install the new version by updating their Surfshark app to the latest version and then clicking on the Antivirus icon.

“A major glow-up”

Surfshark Antvirus interface — (Image credit: Surfshark)

An overhaul of Surfshark Antivirus’ interface puts a greater emphasis on visibility, allowing users to stay informed about what’s happening in the engine room of their digital threat defenses.

Full protection history, including the number of threats detected, and quick access to extra features or manual scans at any time are key additions, as well as an improved repair option for when problems such as software conflicts occur.

That said, the core software features remain unchanged. This means the cybersecurity tool still provides webcam protection, fully customisable security settings, spyware and malware shielding, and the CloudProtect feature for real-time file scanning.

With the antivirus using the respected Avira SDK as its engine, the updated GUI represents a continued focus on user experience, in line with Surfshark’s identity as a one-stop, reliable, universal solution.

ARMed and ready

Want to get your hands on this shiny new interface, but running Windows on ARM? Surfshark now has you covered on that front, too.

While the company has been leading the pack on ARM support for VPN (already topping our list of the best VPNs for Windows ARM), the antivirus component previously lagged behind, forcing users to resort to browser extensions or standalone OpenVPN/WireGuard clients as workarounds.

Product Manager at Surfshark, Nedas Kazlauskas, tells TechRadar: “The standard version of our application could not fully run and protect users’ devices since it was based on x86/x64 architecture.”

Now, the updated antivirus runs directly on ARM hardware without translation layers. A move that’s expected to enable fast loading times, a smooth user interface, and responsiveness, particularly on Windows laptops with Snapdragon processors.

Surfshark Antivirus gets a sleek new interface + ARM device support from r/surfshark

As Surfshark hints in its announcement, the move comes as a direct response to users’ requests.

“It’s true, mostly our AV was made to support ARM devices based on user demand, which is steadily growing,” Kazlauskas explains. “We also support Microsoft’s efforts to make the Windows operating system safer from the ground up and would like to be part of the journey of doing so.”

Of course, not everyone will be attracted to the solution. Many believe that with such well-established antivirus companies in the market, VPNs with antivirus are poor competitors.

Others still will tell of the risks of handing over much information to one single provider. Or even that choosing an antivirus company could effectively provide a ‘backdoor’ for governments and software companies to ‘snoop’ on you. Perhaps Linux is the way forward, where options for security seem endless.

Only users can decide whether a one-stop solution is right for them. Surfshark certainly thinks it is. And while some people will not want to put all their eggs in one basket, if you have a snazzy Windows Snapdragon laptop that you want to just work, Surfshark’s announcement might well have just made your day.