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Tuning in to Cybercrime

The BBC has begun airing a six-part series, presented by British technologist, writer and “futurist” Ben Hammersley.

Called “Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley,” the series was produced in partnership with The Open University. It looks at the range of cybercrime – from the scam emails that fill up our inboxes to drugs and guns that can be bought anonymously on what is called the shadowy business of “darknet,” and even governments spying on their own citizens.

Hammersley emphasizes that 2013 was a very bad year for cybercrime in businesses. He notes: “In February, $45 million was stolen from ATMs around the world after cyber criminals hacked credit cards and gave them unlimited withdrawal limits. Then, in November, 40 million credit card numbers were removed from the point-of-sale terminals of US retailer Target.”

Video

Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley

We’ve chronicled other recent major breeches here. The fact is, major data breaches are occurring at a regular pace now, and are having an impact on our most standard, or reliable, institutions.

The global annual cost of cybercrime has been estimated at several hundred billion dollars. PwC’s 2014 Global Economic Crime Survey found that 7% of US organizations lost $1 million or more due to cybercrime incidents in 2013; furthermore, 19% of US entities reported financial losses of $50,000 to $1 million.

As Hammersly points out, ” Cybercrime affects each and every one of us. Every aspect of our lives is vulnerable to the criminal abuse of our networked world…”

It’s good to see the issue of cybercrime getting more in-depth attention in mainstream venues such as the BBC… I’m hoping there will be a large audience tuning in for what promises to be a very interesting and educational series.  The more educated people are, the better equipped we all will be to protect ourselves online.

Of course, cybercrime is a major issue to us at AVG: Our mission is to secure devices, data and people – and we are always working to give people and businesses the tools and information they need to better protect themselves online.  We haven’t talked about it a lot, but AVG Innovations Lab monitors current trends and develops software and apps to meet the needs of today’s consumer – as well as looks to future vulnerabilities to meet those needs too. In fact, we will be showcasing some of the work of our labs –including solutions to growing threats in mobile and the Internet of Things– during a press-only event we are calling “AVG Experiential Lab,” in San Francisco on Sept. 18.

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The secret life of apps revealed

Have you ever noticed that your smartphone has surprisingly little storage space left for things like photos or even the latest updates? Or that battery life and reliability have begun to deteriorate over time? Or perhaps that your monthly data usage is growing inexplicably? Over time, the apps we love and use day in and day out affect our tablets or phones and impact their performance – sometimes while you’re using them, and sometimes completely invisible in the background.

 

The study

We decided to investigate to see if we could better understand how apps influence devices over time in our first Android App Performance Report.

When it comes to the performance of our phones, we noticed that users care about three things above all else:

  • Storage consumption – how much space do you have left for the files you love?
  • Battery consumption – is your phone making it to the end of the day or not?
  • Data plan consumption – are you constantly hitting your mobile data limit?

 

We felt that in order for the report to reflect what is happening to people’s phones out there in the real world, we needed to use data from real devices. Unlike other tests that might conduct benchmarking in a lab environment it was important to us that these results applied to everyday smartphone users.

 

Methodology

 

So with that in mind, we analyzed anonymized data from over one million AVG Android app users, so that we could better understand which apps they are using and how those apps affect their devices.

Some of the results were quite surprising.

 

Key Findings

 

Pre-installed apps

One of the most interesting learnings we made in the first report is that many devices are still carrying around a lot of apps that were installed by the manufacturer. These can take up a lot of storage space but more importantly can drain battery life – something that is already under strain with the constant use of most smartphones.

 

Apps with background activity

Another thing that became clear was that as we add more apps to our devices, we seldom remove the ones we no longer want or need. Over time this means that the limited resources of our devices are divided over an ever growing number of apps, affecting performance.

The reason for this is simple: the “always on” nature of apps means that they often-times continue to run in the background to check for notifications, updates or download data which uses valuable battery and data.

 

Social and News apps

It will come as little surprise that with its constant background notification checks, which run even when the app is not open, the social networking app from Facebook emerged as having the biggest impact on your mobile device when it comes to overall performance. The constant demand and transmission of data makes the app a real drain on both battery life and data use.

 

 

App growth

As we ran the report over several months, we observed some interesting behavior amongst apps that are automatically updated. Over time, their storage footprint and battery drain both increased. This is mostly due to downloaded content (songs for Spotify, items in games etc.), but is also in part thanks to automatic updates. With automatic updates enabled, developers can push out new versions and features that take up more space and are more resource heavy without having to ask the users permission. Combine this with the steadily growing number of apps we have on our devices (including those that we’ve downloaded and no longer use) and very soon you begin to observe a noticeable dip in performance.

 

What can you do to improve your device performance?

One of the most fundamental issues that the report has raised is that keeping your smartphone running in top condition is quite a labor intensive task. Keeping check of which apps are running in the background and removing apps that you don’t use is more than enough for most of us to commit to.

There are products that are designed to make your life easier though like AVG Cleaner for Android which can show you how much data, storage and battery life each of your apps is consuming to help you take the right actions to tackle any issues.

 

Our full report doesn’t just detail what apps are the most consuming of them all, it also details best practices and helps you get rid of performance hogs on your Android smartphone or tablet.

 

Full Report

Androidâ„¢ is a trademark of Google Inc. in the US and other countries.

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Protection for your family, plain and simple

Sadly, the hassle of managing the family technology is only going to get greater. The number of connected devices in our homes is growing rapidly. In 2013, the average home already had more than five connected devices. Homes like mine, with more than 20 devices, are driving this average up with every passing day.

As we start to realize that our families are spending so much time online, it is our responsibility as parents to ensure that they are doing so safely. Then the long to-do list of Internet safety comes into focus.

Our tablet has run out of space? Has my son set his privacy setting correctly on social media accounts? Is the security software on my own phone updated? What can I do to speed up my wife’s laptop?

As our list of devices continues to grow, so too does the to-do list of the family tech wiz.

There must be a simpler way to manage my family’s devices without having to actually track down each device every time I want to do something.

That’s why for 2015, AVG is launching AVG Protection: the one-stop solution to help me keep my family protected across all our devices—no matter how many—wherever we are.

Video

Welcome To AVG Protection

AVG Protection brings together our best security products for all platforms: AVG Internet Security for Windows desktop, laptops and tablets; AVG AntiVirus for Android smartphones and tablets; and AVG AntiVirus for Mac under a single subscription. Add to this AVG PrivacyFix and AVG Cleaner for Mac and Android, which are free, to complete my protection, performance and privacy needs — the solution is a compelling one.

But most importantly, AVG Protection has AVG Zen to tie them all together. AVG Zen allows me to manage all of our devices from one screen, fix issues, scan machines, and enable protection remotely from my PC or my Android device when mobile. And the alerting system lets me know when something needs my attention so I can rest assured my family is safe online. The days of checking up on each of my direct family or my extended family devices one by one are over.

It couldn’t be easier to start protecting your family using AVG Protection, click here to get started.

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How many devices do you have in your home?

It’s probably more than you think. There are the obvious ones such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. But did you think of your smart TV, games console or even your refrigerator? Our homes are very quickly becoming digital environments with dozens of connected devices making up what is known as The Internet of Things.

You may have already heard of devices such as Nest that offer smart solutions to everyday functions like heating your home, but while it may sound futuristic, it is very much part of reality.  As an industry, the Internet of Things was already worth well over $30 billion in 2013 and is set to surpass $70 billion by 2018.

The transition to a digitally connected world has well and truly begun. Whether you track your daily activity using a fitness wearable, have your home alarm system linked to your phone or simply stream movies to your television, that’s all part of living in an increasingly connected world.

In an ideal world, this connectivity would be seamless and integrated. In reality though, each of these connected devices are being developed in isolation across dozens of different verticals. The end result is a fractured market that can make it confusing and difficult for you to keep track of all your devices.

There must be an easier way. A simple product that can help you control your personal Internet of Things without the hassle of managing each one individually.

And that’s the idea behind AVG Zen™. We want to make managing your digital world as simple as possible. We want to avoid the culture of countless notifications, constantly prompting you and pulling you back to manage your devices. The idea behind AVG Zen is to offer peace of mind.

The vision is that someday, AVG Zen will help you track all of the devices on your personal Internet of Things.  Today, AVG Zen is already a powerful tool that can take much of the hassle out of managing your many devices (and those of your family).

Video

Welcome to AVG Zen

As a central dashboard, AVG Zen allows you to monitor and manage the security and performance of your devices by adding them to your AVG Zen network. It’s an incredibly easy and powerful way to ensure that your PCs, Mac and Android devices are locked down and running smoothly.

That’s AVG Zen – and we are working to ensure it will continue to bring peace of mind to  your connected world as that world continues to grow.

 

AVG

Are You Too Social For Your Smartphone?

AMSTERDAM and SAN FRANCISCO – November 4, 2014 – Aside from the usual suspects like games and social media, streaming and even pre-installed apps are the most likely to chew your smartphone or tablet battery and storage, according to the latest Android App Performance Report by AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for 182 million active users.

The Q3 report, based on AVG’s analysis of anonymous data from over one million AVG Android app users, charts the top apps worldwide that affect smartphone and tablet performance in terms of data plan consumption, storage capacity and battery life. With its constant background notification checks, which run even when the app is not open, the social networking app from Facebook emerged as having the biggest impact on your mobile device when it comes to overall performance.

Performance Impact Rank App Name Category Developer
1 Facebook Social Facebook
2 Path Social Path Inc.
3 9GAG – Funny pics and videos Entertainment 9GAG
4 Instagram Social Instagram
5 Spotify Music Music & Audio Spotify Ltd.

 

Social apps were well-represented in the Report with two other social apps, Path and Instagram, making the top five most performance drains. With phone and tablet space at more of a premium than ever, the report also found that real-time news apps featured prominently in the charts. Amongst the list of storage eating apps, the New York Times Breaking News app, which caches the articles accessed through it, was most likely to chew up a device’s storage, ranking higher than Facebook and Spotify. People’s data plans were also likely to be affected by CNN’s Breaking US & World News app and the UK’s Daily Mail app.

“The goal of the Android App Performance Report is to analyze anonymized data to give users the important information they need to make informed choices about what they can do to continue to enjoy their favorite apps while reducing their impact on their device,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer, AVG Technologies. “It might not be obvious what Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, 8 Ball Pool and Farm Heroes Saga have in common. But in our tech-centric world, running out of battery or storage space at the moment you need it most is hugely frustrating, and that’s why this degree is insight is vital.”

Some other key findings:

  • Some handset makers are draining their own devices. For example, AVG identified three pre-installed Samsung apps (AllShare Cast Dongle, ChatON, WatchON) in the top 10 list of battery draining apps, excluding games. The Samsung WatchON for video also topped the list for auto-starting battery eating apps due to the visual content the app delivers.
  • Three of the most resource-hungry day-to-day tool apps came from Google, with Google Now/Search, Google Text-to-Speech and Google Translate ranking within the top five. The Chrome Browser for mobile also made the list of top 10 storage eaters.
  • Games significantly reduce battery life. Four of the top 10 battery-chewing games came from game producer King, the company behind the ‘Saga’ series.

 

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About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)

AVG is the online security company providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people.  AVG has over 182 million active users, as of June 30, 2014, using AVG’s products and services including Internet security, performance optimization, and personal privacy and identity protection. By choosing AVG’s products, users become part of a trusted global community that engages directly with AVG to provide feedback and offer mutual support to other customers.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

www.avg.com

 

 

Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CTO, AVG Technologies

 

Contacts:

US

Katie Han

Waggener Edstrom for AVG

[email protected]

+ 1 (212) 551 4807

UK

Samantha Woodman

Waggener Edstrom for AVG

[email protected]

+ 44 (0)20 7632 3840

 

Keep in touch with AVG

AVG

AVG Technologies Launches 2015 Products

AMSTERDAM and SAN FRANCISCO – November 4, 2014 – AVG® Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for 182 million active users, today announced the availability of its 2015 portfolio of protection, performance and privacy products. This includes the new all-in-one AVG Protection and AVG Performance suites for PCs, Android devices and Apple devices, and AVG Ultimate, which includes both protection and performance suites in a single package. These come with the latest version of AVG Zen®, the app for Windows PCs and Android smartphones and tablets that makes it simple for consumers to look after their own and their family’s devices.

 

What’s new in AVG Zen

AVG Zen can be downloaded from the Google Play store or when installing AVG Protection, AVG Performance, or AVG Ultimate. It shows at a glance the full status of the Protection or Performance settings customers have on the PCs, Android devices, and Mac computers they have added to the AVG Zen network.

AVG Zen’s refreshed look and feel for the 2015 products means users can easily:

  • Add an unlimited number of their family’s devices.
  • Run a scan remotely from their mobile device to their PC (and vice versa), other mobile device or Mac computer.
  • Run Automatic Maintenance on Windows PCs and laptops remotely or check up on Android devices and Mac computers.
  • Easily access individual products, such as AVG AntiVirus or AVG PC TuneUp®, directly from AVG Zen.

 

Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer, AVG Technologies said, “AVG Zen is designed to make it easy to manage the necessary maintenance and updating that keeps people’s favorite online devices working at their best simple. In the last few months, we have added some key features to AVG Zen, including being able to scan and fix issues on a device remotely, and offering all-in-one packages for full device protection and performance improvement. The Internet of Things is exploding with smart home revenues expected to reach a global market value of $71 billion by 2018. We see great potential for AVG Zen to become a household fixture that simplifies and makes this online experience more meaningful.”

 

AVG Protection: includes AVG AntiVirus or AVG Internet Security, AVG AntiVirus for Mac®, AVG PrivacyFix™ and more, all-in-one package

AVG Protection delivers the latest versions and full range of AVG’s Protection products for desktop and mobile in a single suite, without the customer having to purchase the individual products. With AVG Zen, all PCs and mobile devices running AVG Protection products can be monitored for security issues. The new Remote Actions feature also helps users fix security problems, such as remotely enabling security features that have been disabled on one from another device, such as a PC or Android smartphone.

AVG Protection includes:

  • AVG Internet Security: now delivers even earlier detection methods with our new outbreak detection and priority updates.
  • AVG AntiVirus for Android: customers get the same great experience on their Android tablets as on their mobile devices. This includes locate, lock and remote wipe a smartphone using the Anti-Theft feature if it has been stolen. It also features app lock and backup, privacy settings for social media, call and message blocker and wipe device for improved online privacy.

Customers purchasing the AVG Protection subscription will receive the PRO products including AVG Internet Security. They can also add the devices of family members to their AVG Zen Network to share all the PRO benefits at no extra cost. The PRO subscription for unlimited PCs and mobile devices is $59.99 for one year, with the individual products also available. AVG Protection is also available as a 30-day trial from www.avg.com/protection.

 

AVG Performance: includes new AVG PC TuneUp®, AVG Cleaner, AVG Cleaner for Mac, AVG Cleaner™ for iOS® and more, all-in-one package

AVG Performance brings together all of AVG’s hero performance products in one single place, AVG Zen, for ease of use. It includes software and mobile apps to keep PCs or laptops running Windows, smartphones and tablets running Android, Mac computers and now even iPhones and iPads in top shape, an all-in-one performance suite that covers all popular platforms on the market. AVG Zen makes it simple to check the status of all the devices in the home and clean PCs remotely from a smartphone or a secondary PC.

AVG Performance includes:

  • AVG PC TuneUp: AVG’s award-winning version includes 39 tools to speed up, fix up, clean up, and enhance battery life of all Windows® PCs and laptops with features like Automatic Maintenance, Program Deactivator and Economy Mode. The all-new AVG Cleaner for iOS feature safely removes leftover files from iPhone and iPads once plugged into any Windows PC and laptop. It also removes redundant files, such as corrupt downloads, temporary files, or invisible crash reports, helping free up space for their personal data or to install the new iOS updates. The Disk Cleaner feature has also been significantly enhanced support has been added to clean up leftover files from popular gaming platforms Steam and Origin, Skype, nVidia/Intel/AMD drivers as well as iTunes and Quicktime.
  • AVG Cleaner for Android: with the new ‘large file scanner’, users can scan their Android phones for storage hogs, such as old downloads or videos in addition to enhancing battery life with ‘Battery Profiles’ and thorough cache cleaning. AVG Cleaner for Mac scans disks and looks for leftover files from Mac OS X and programs as well as duplicates that users may have forgotten about.

 

AVG Performance is available as a 30-day trial from www.avg.com/performance. The PRO subscription for unlimited PCs and mobile devices is $39.99 for one year, with the individual products also available.

AVG Ultimate is available as a 30-day trial from www.avg.com/ultimate. The PRO subscription for unlimited PCs and mobile devices comes in at $89.99 for one year. The individual products are also available.

AVG Zen with AVG Protection, AVG Performance and AVG Ultimate are available to customers in Canada, Germany, Ireland, Spain, UK, US.

 

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About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)

AVG is the online security company providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people.  AVG has over 182 million active users, as of June 30, 2014, using AVG’s products and services including Internet security, performance optimization, and personal privacy and identity protection. By choosing AVG’s products, users become part of a trusted global community that engages directly with AVG to provide feedback and offer mutual support to other customers.

All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. AVG does not claim any affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement by such third parties of AVG products.

www.avg.com

 

Yuval Ben-Itzhak

Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CTO, AVG Technologies

 

Contacts:

US

Katie Han

Waggener Edstrom for AVG

[email protected]

+ 1 (212) 551 4807

UK

Samantha Woodman

Waggener Edstrom for AVG

[email protected]

+ 44 (0)20 7632 3840

 

Keep in touch with AVG