Panda Security has released Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta 2.9, a major revision of its popular cloud-based antivirus tool for Windows PCs.

The beta – which will become version 3.0 on its final release – includes a redesigned user interface based along Windows 8 lines as well as a new Wi-Fi Monitor module, and comes with the promise of improved protection and performance.

The new beta opens with a radical makeover – while it retains the simple user interface of the previous release where users can access different parts of the program via a series of highly visible buttons, the UI has been redesigned to sit more comfortably with the flatter, tile-based Modern UI of Windows 8.

Get a sneak peek at the next version of Panda Cloud Antivirus with this beta release.

The redesigned user interface is cleaner and easier to read, providing a simple summary of recent scan results at the top while providing clickable tiles to allow users to quickly perform scans, switch on the firewall and access the tool for vaccinating USB devices.

New to version 2.9 is a Wi-Fi Monitor module – when switched on, the module scans the currently connected wireless network to reveal which devices are currently connected. If the user then spots an unrecognised device, they can take further action.

The new build comes with the promise of using even fewer system resources than version 2.3, and claims to provide significantly improved protection and performance.  In announcing the new beta, Panda was keen to highlight the fact the current stable release – Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.3 Free  – scored a maximum six out of six for protection and ease-of-use from the AV-Test lab, putting it ahead of all other free anti-virus tools.

There’s no indication yet as to whether the Wi-Fi Monitor will remain available to free users when Panda 3.0 is released – currently the firewall, which is free to use in beta, is restricted to Pro users only in the final release.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta 2.9 is available now as a free download for PCs running Windows XP or later. Also available is Panda Cloud Antivirus 2.3 Free.