Category Archives: Avast

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Experienced Social Media Ninja wanted!

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Take care of Avast Communities &  A-team!

social nijna

At Avast we are convinced that our Community of 5 million fans and followers deserve our full attention.

Therefore, we have a dedicated social media team that creates, monitors, and participates in conversations across social media, engaging with AVAST users, journalists, and key influencers. We blog, tweet, pin, simply do what all Social Media Ninjas should do, in order to earn the title Ninjas! One of us is leaving, to take care of a newly-arrived little Ninja, therefore we are looking for someone who can join our Social Media A-Team! ;) 

Avast Social Ninja should be :)

  • Experienced and multi-functional community manager: Monitor, prioritize, respond, and assign conversations across all of AVAST’s 20 social media touch points!
  • Able to assist our local social media community managers: Monitors trends, tools, and new techniques, so you can support and guide our local managers through the social media jungle!
  • Creative story-telling via short-form content and blogging is your weapon, and you know how to play with words!
  • Focused and capable of planning ahead.
  • Be able to manage Social Media campaigns and report results to the Master of Ninjas!

Perfect Ninja should :)

  • Prove at least 2 years experience in the Social Media ring.
  • Be flexible and focused on the users’ needs. Understanding that our American, French, Russian, German, etc. communities require different approaches is crucial! 
  • Understand that Social Media Ninjas fight together. Work closely with communications, marketing, support, and product teams.
  • Be tech savvy enough to know that the AVAST Virus Lab doesn’t create new viruses, phishing doesn’t use worms for bait, a false positive isn’t positive for Avast or our users. Basically you need a working knowledge of online and mobile security!
  • Fluent in English (written and spoken) is a MUST. Any other language is a plus (Japanese will give you extra points. :) )

What you can expect from us?

  • Great, unique experience in social media, lots of fun, space for creativity, and new ideas!
  • Fantastic team atmosphere and close cooperation within our international environment with Deborah (American, currently in Florida, USA, before living in China, Finland), Albert from Spain, Anna from Russia, Andre from Brazil, Dominika from Czech Republic, Sarah from France!
  • Working in the AVAST HQ in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
  • Plenty of benefits that all Ninjas like: Flexible working hours, lunch vouchers, 5 weeks of vacation, sick days, language courses, training, pension insurance.

What won’t happen to you:

beth

Challenge accepted? :)

Send us your CV, link to your blog, Twitter profile, Google +  and a letter explaining why you ARE THE ONE at [email protected] or [email protected]

Last, but not least, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

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Avast safeguards your teen’s smartphone

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Teenagers are responsible for their smartphones. Help them keep it safe with a few easy additions.

teens-smartphone

Seven out of ten high schoolers take a smartphone to school. Not only are these phones being used for surfing the Internet or social networking, but they help kids navigate around campus, connect with teachers and other students, and follow streaming campus news. Many parents see equipping their teenager with a mobile phone as a safety tool and a way to keep in closer contact, especially if an emergency arises.

The first thing to do after buying your teenager a smartphone

Most kids are using a device with an Android operating system and no added security protection. The first thing you should do is to download a security app to protect the phone and data on it.

The newest version of avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus is out now, with a completely re-imagined user interface, making it simpler and even more user friendly than it was before. Avast! Mobile Security is free, and it will instantly begin protecting your child from downloading bad apps, protect against spyware and block malware, and backup contacts, SMS/call logs, and photos.

Install avast! Mobile Security and Antivirus from the Google Play store.

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The second thing to do after buying your teenager a smartphone

High school students are busy people, with lots of activities, so it’s likely that your teen’s smartphone will be misplaced. Avast! Anti-theft is a stand-alone app that can be installed separately from avast! Mobile Security. You can use the phone locator features to find the lost or stolen phone, control it remotely, and lock it down.

Once you install avast! Mobile Security, you will be asked to set up the anti-theft module. You can read about that and the remote features you’ll have access to from your my.avast.com account in our avast! Mobile Security FAQs.

Install avast! Anti-Theft from the Google Play store.

Other things to do

  • Set up a password for the smartphone. This is easy to do and will serve as the first line of defense against nosy people and thieves.
  • Add important numbers to the contact list. Add your mobile number as well as a work line, grandparents, the school, and emergency contacts.
  • Know the school’s rules. If phone usage is prohibited during school hours or allowed only during breaks, that’s important information to know.
  • Talk to your kids about privacy. This includes a conversation about uploading photos and videos, sexting, and oversharing on social networks.

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

Avast

What is the Bash bug, and how do I prevent my systems from being Shellshocked?

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Shellshock is a newly discovered security flaw that has been around for 22 years, and works by exploiting the very nature of web GUI.

Shellshock

Working in the same way as SQL injection, Shellshock allows users to insert Bash (a Unix-based command processor, or shell) commands into a server via a web form or similar method, and exploits the very nature of environment variable handling, which is that after assigning a function to a variable, any trailing code in the function will be then executed.

Where the SQL injection vulnerability allows a hacker access to the database, Shellshock gives the hacker an authentication-free access to the server, which makes it much more powerful. With this type of access, one with malicious intent could create a worm that could multiply and reproduce the exploit across entire networks to collect or modify data, or open other security holes that would otherwise be closed. Though Bash does not natively run on Microsoft Windows machines, it can be ported, but it is not yet known if the vulnerability will remain present.

Ok, so I get it, it’s dangerous. Am I vulnerable?

Absolutely.

Why?

Because Unix has a much wider grip on our networks than most people can really appreciate. Due to its ubiquity, everything from routers and smartphones, TVs, cars and more could be exploited. Worse, is that many of those devices are very difficult to update. Your home router, for example, has control of all your incoming and outgoing network traffic, and if someone has that, not only do they have the potential to collect your data, but to enable ports, disable the firewall, and further their access into your network infrastructure. With that being said, if you are running any versions of Unix or Mac, and haven’t familiarized yourself with this vulnerability, you’re well overdue.

Luckily, many vendors have now patched for Shellshock by updating Bash, but at this time, Apple users should wait for an update.

I’m running Unix. What do I do now?

First, it’s best to find out if you’re affected. Specifically, are you running Redhat, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS (v5-7) CloudLinux, or Debian? If so, then run this command to find out if you’re vulnerable.

$ env x=’() { :;}; echo vulnerable’ bash -c “echo this is a test”

If you see nothing but “this is a test,” you’ve successfully run the exploit, and you’ve got some work to do.

Luckily, most Linux distributions have issued fixes, so you can simply run your update manager. For those who haven’t, you can do so manually by running the following commands:

yum update bash

OR

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install bash

Help, I have a Mac!

Are you infected? Run this command from your shell and find out.

$ env x=’() { :;}; echo vulnerable’ bash -c ‘echo hello’

If you’ve got Mac machines in your environment that can be exploited, you can disable the exploit by temporarily changing the default user shell. For IT administrators that have the know-how, get started right away – but for those that have to ask “how?,” it’s best to keep your eyes peeled and wait for an official update from Apple.

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

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How to identify the warning signs of work-from-home scams

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howto2_enHome-based jobs are attractive to people who are looking to supplement their regular or retirement income, those who want part-time employment, or those who want to save money on child care or gas. Many people have dreams of being entrepreneurs and working independently of traditional businesses. Cybercrooks take advantage of this to create fake offers for work-from-home opportunities.

Sharp-eyed avast! Facebook fan, Timothy B., shared a post that he received for a work-from-home scam.

Facebook work from home scam 1

 

The post says,

Good morning Facebook ready to start my day and start looking for 9 people that are very serious in wanting to change their live around financially who want to be there own boss?who want to work when they want ?who wanna make an extra $500-$2000 every week from home ?who serious enough to take the risk of $40 to change there life around ?yes with $40 you can how? Inbox me for more information

Work-at-home and get-rich-quick schemes have been around for a long time, first appearing in people’s real mailboxes, on TV, and in magazine advertisements. Cybercrooks have created variations of this scam to harvest email addresses and contact lists from Facebook. Social networking makes it easy to create fake profiles and identities quickly.

The grammatically-challenged swindler from Timothy B.’s newsfeed entices potential victims with the ease and flexibility of working from home whenever they want. The message promises big earnings, and all you need to do is make a $40 investment to find out how. This scammer will most likely try to get you to wire money and then collect your personal information.

Warning signs of a work-from-home scam

  • No business name or contact address – No legitimate company will advertise for jobs without stating their name, brand identity and physical contact address.
  • You’re required to pay a fee for additional information. Legitimate employers don’t charge a fee to hire you or to get you started. Don’t send money for directories or start-up kits.
  • Promises of exceptional earnings.
  • Claims that no experience is necessary or resume is required.
  • Asks for personal information like a Social Security or bank account number over the Internet.

How to report a scam

File a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center – In order to file a report, you’ll need to provide the following information:

  • Your name, mailing address, and telephone number.
  • The name, address, telephone number, and web address, if available, of the individual or organization you believe defrauded you.
  • Specific details on how, why, and when you believe you were defrauded.

Report the company to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) – If you have a company name or web address, use the BBB’s search tool to find out if there have been complaints filed. You can file your own complaint online.

Report spam on Facebook – The best way to report abusive content or spam on Facebook is by using the Report link that appears near the content itself. To report something someone posted on your Timeline:

  1. 1. In the top right of the post, click the down-pointing arrow
  2. 2. Select I don’t like this post
  3. 3. Select I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook and follow the on-screen instructions

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

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Avast! Mobile Security gets award from AV Comparatives

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AV Comparatives Aug2014AV Comparatives awarded avast! Mobile Security for its malware protection and highly developed theft-protection.

Most people would not dream of neglecting the security of their PCs or laptop, but those same folks forget that the device in their pocket is just as powerful, if not more so. You’ve heard it before –your expensive smartphone, which stores personal data, private photos, Internet banking information and even company data, is an attractive target for cybercrooks and thieves.

AV Comparatives, an independent organization which tests antivirus products and mobile security solutions, released new testing results and gave avast! Mobile Security the highest “Approved Award” for Android security products.

avast! Mobile Security has a wide range of features with innovative functionality. We particularly liked the wide range of configuration options and remote commands, which provide the user with a comprehensive remote control function,” wrote the authors of the final report.

AV Comparatives gives avast! Mobile Security it's Approved Award for mobile security and anti-theft features.

AV Comparatives gives avast! Mobile Security it’s Approved Award for mobile security and anti-theft features.

Malware protection

Mobile phones attacks are getting more and more sophisticated, and it is growing exponentially. “We now have more than 1 million malicious samples in our database, up from 100,000 in 2011,” said Avast’s CCO, Ondřej Vlček. “Mobile threats are increasing – we expect them to reach the same magnitude as PC malware by 2018.”

avast! Mobile Security scans all installed applications for malware and has various real-time protection shields which protect against

  • Malicious apps and phishing sites
  • Sites containing malware
  • Typo-squatting if an incorrect URL is entered
  • Incoming messages with phishing/malware URLs
  • Malicious behavior during read or write processes

Anti-theft protection

Avast! Anti-theft is a stand-alone app that can be installed separately from avast! Mobile Security. The app is hidden from view, and can be accessed remotely for functions such as lock, locate and wipe, redirection of calls, texts and call logs, etc.

In addition to the malware and anti-theft protection, AV Comparatives liked the standalone avast! Mobile Backup which enables personal data to be backed up to Google Drive.

The Backup, App Locker and Privacy Scan features, which were promised last year, have now been implemented and complete the program’s functionality. (avast! Mobile Security) is a very comprehensive security product with a wide range of configuration options.

Protect your Android smartphone and tablet with avast! Mobile Security and Antivirus from the Google Play store.

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

 

 

Avast

Join the Avast Beta 2015 and share your feedback

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The Avast developers invite you to participate in the Avast 2015 beta test.

2015-Avast-beta

Your participation gives the team working on the latest versions of the world’s most trusted security products a chance to hear your voice – what’s working for you and what is not, how you like the experience, if you see performance or connectivity problems, etc. There are multiple new low-level functions which impact the whole system, so we need your feedback to tune everything for the final release.

Two new features introduced in Avast Beta 2015

Avast NG

Avast NG is a hardware-based virtualization solution capable of running each Windows process in a standalone, safe, virtualized environment (VM) which is fully integrated to your desktop. Each process is executed in its own instance of VM, which means it’s totally isolated from other applications. This feature is now powering Avast DeepScreen, resulting in better detection. The technology will also power the Sandbox and SafeZone components in the final release.

GrimeFighter Free

GrimeFighter will offer free cleaning of junk files and tuning of system settings. These tasks are performed by our Zilch and Torque minions.

Changes and other new features

  • Home Network Security scans your home network for vulnerabilities like WiFi status, connected devices, and router settings.
  • HTTPS scanning is able to detect and decrypt TLS/SSL protected traffic in our Web-content filtering component. This feature will protect you against viruses coming through HTTPs traffic as well as adding compatibility for SPDY+HTTPS/ HTTP 2.0 traffic.
  • SecureDNS protects against DNS Hijack on router/client including unsecured networks, public ones, etc. This feature is active in the paid versions only.
  • Smart Scan integrates all on-demand scans into one scan with different results and recommendations. Includes Antivirus, Browser plugins, Software updates, Home Network, and GrimeFighter.

To learn more about the Avast Beta 2015 , what to test, known issues, and to leave comments, visit the avast! Community forum thread dedicated to the beta test.

Avast Beta 2015 installation links

http://files.avast.com/beta9x/avast_free_antivirus_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/beta9x/avast_pro_antivirus_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/beta9x/avast_internet_security_setup.exe
http://files.avast.com/beta9x/avast_premier_antivirus_setup.exe

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

 

 

 

 

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AVAST celebrates International talk like a Pirate day

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Ahoy, me hearties!

Today, the AVAST crew is participating in one of the goofiest events in the world: International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Did you know thtalk-like-a-pirateat there is a Pirate language and that AVAST is one of the key words of the language? You can even set up your avast! Antivirus in Pirate language and change your sound notifications to pirate language! How we are participating?

Th’ wenches ‘o Social Media ‘n HR, along wit’ a few scurvy dogs, have planned a right jolly day ‘o piratey hijinks fer th AVAST pirates. Every hour when th’ bell chimes, a new task is assigned. The treasure hunting has finished and prizes given away.

Th’ best scurvy pirates come from AVAST!

Our team received seven tasks in different categories to challenge geeky and creative minds. The response was great and we are sharing with you only a fraction of what has been happening here. :)

Jolly good idea ya social media ‘n HR wenches, garrr!

But run out of rum and you walk the plank! ~ Jan, accounting department

 

Avast who is coming next

you will need your pirate vest.

Hide your hook and say ahoy

to not scare this little boy :D ~Pavla  Marketing

 

Ya lazy bums, hurry and up,
avast! they come, our blood thirsty foes,
let’s cut their throats with our smart codes
ahoy! we’ll grab, the scavengers boats!

One more yer’old powder monkeys!

The floor is dirty and supplies are rotten,
but we keep on sailing, we won’t be forgotten,
we rockin’n’surfin’n’fixin the mast,
we are the sailors working for Avast! ~ Tomas, BI

 

Advance, ye mates! Cross your lances full before me. Let me touch the axis and drink thy rum, ye harpooneers! ~ Andre e-commerce

 

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A pirate ship named Avast,boat

Was sailing accross the sea,

The sailors organized a party and had a blast,

But the Captain was pissed as his glass was empty,

Where did all the rum go?

Where did all the rum go?

Arrrgh, the Captain was complaining over and over,

They will all be hangover! ~ Sarah e-commerce

 

Ahoj sailors developers!

I see some red,logo 6

Better when green,

Oops it’s again red,

Now code is clean,

And #TDD is great!

Code is poetry when #coding at Avast ~ Jonas BI

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Malware are #FF0000

AVAST is the #FF9900

All my rums are belong to you!

ARrrrr!

01000001 01010110 01000001 01010011 01010100 ~ Nikolas, virus lab

 

Avast! Bloody Avast! Hey,
Pirates gonna crunch the bay.
Jump, shot & sink the boats.
Down the sea of rum & dry throats. ~ Pavel BI

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

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Avast, me hearties! Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

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This day be a jolly day to be a scurvy pirate!

 

AVAST celebrates International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Celebrate all things pirate by installing a pirate-themed voice for your avast! Antivirus products. Download and install it from our Facebook avast! Voices tab and all yer antivirus alerts will henceforth be in a pirate voice. Go to avast! Voices on our Facebook page and choose Themed>1-pirate.mp3>Download Voice.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day started after syndicated columnist and author,  Dave Barry, mentioned a group of zany guys who liked to talk using pirate lingo. Years earlier, these guys decided to start their own Talk Like a Pirate Day and make it a national holiday on September 19th.  Trouble was, no one knew about it. But in 2002, when Dave Barry wrote about the fledgling holiday, it was a breakout success.

Since the name of our company, AVAST, also means stop or desist, as in “Avast, ye landlubbers!”, it made sense for us to be a part of the celebration.  Jezebel, the Webwench from the Talk Like a Pirate’s Day crew declares,

avast! Antivirus software  is the official AV protection of at least one-quarter of the Talk Like A Pirate Day crew. I installed the pirate voice and I LOVE IT SO MUCH, mate!

So join th’ ruckas this day, ‘n install th’ scurvy pirate voice on ye avast! Antivirus. Like our avast! Facebook page, click the avast! Voices tab and Talk Like a Pirate!

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.

 

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How to make a backup with avast! Mobile Backup & Restore

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howto2_enQuestion of the week: I have lots of photos on my phone from summer vacation. How do I back them up so I don’t lose them?
These days we keep everything from photographs, videos and music to messages and contacts on our mobile devices. This makes losing our phones a big headache. Unfortunately, most people don’t think of this until after their phone goes missing or fails. We asked our users if they back-up their data, and a whopping 49% said they don’t back up or don’t know if they do.

backup data

avast! Mobile Backup makes backing up your important data easy for you. In a few easy steps, you can backup all your files from the pictures of your last trip to the contacts and applications you keep in your devices.
Want to know how? Just follow the following steps:

  • Install avast! Mobile Backup & Restore from Google Play.
  • Once you have installed avast! Mobile Backup, you’ll need to configure your Google Drive. It’s as simple as clicking on the button “Set up Google Drive Account” and follow the simple steps on the screen to access your Google account. backup
  • Once you’ve set up your Google Drive, you can select items for backup. The free version lets you back up contacts, calls and SMS. The Premium version also allows you to back up all the audio and video files and also all your applications. When you finish the selection, click the “Continue” button.
  • On the next page, “Important Options”, you can select whether you want the backups to be made only through a WiFi connection in order to save mobile data, and configure the maximum size of the files which you want to perform that backup. Once you’ve configured everything, click Finish.
  • You are now ready to perform the backup. Tap the dark square at the top and avast! Mobile Backup will start backing up your files.

If you want to restore your backup when you change your phone, simply reinstall avast! Mobile Backup, click “Browse backup” and then “Restore all.”

Thank you for using avast! Antivirus and recommending us to your friends and family. For all the latest news, fun and contest information, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Business owners – check out our business products.