Category Archives: AVG

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Glideslope drives growth from a niche customer base

Many of our channel partners are driving successful businesses by building their reputations from a niche customer base – by proving their understanding of those clients’ special needs they grow a portfolio of very happy, referenceable sites. Here’s how one partner is using our AVG Business AntiVirus and Internet Security solutions to ensure its not-for-profit customers can operate virus and spam free and focus on their valuable work.

Glideslope Software Ltd, in Manchester, England, has developed highly specialized expertise in delivering quality IT support to charitable organizations. Now, with those services underpinned by the right security solutions, Glideslope is leveraging customer satisfaction to get a foot in the door at other businesses.

To give you an idea of the security issues, some of Glideslope’s charity customers have as many as 12 administrative sites and hostels, with staff travelling between locations and who introduce data to the network from a risky mix of devices and memory sticks. The problem is how best to secure and manage the data of geographically dispersed sites, as well as staff who are operating on disparate and often ageing hardware. Data security is further complicated by UK’s strict laws covering end client privacy and the use of cloud-based services. And, of course, every proposal has to deliver the greatest value for the money.

Glideslope’s answer to bringing a consistent level of service to all its client organizations has been to install AVG Internet Security Business Edition and AVG AntiVirus Business Edition. As its clients’ current policies expire, Glideslope is migrating all 35 of its regular clients – with 1,000 end users – to AVG Internet Security Business Edition or AVG CloudCare, depending on the best fit.

John Miller, Glideslope Software’s Director, describes his approach: “We see efficient IT support as the key to our clients’ growth, agility and happy employees. For our charity sector customers in particular, AVG Business solutions are essential in ensuring they can operate virus and spam free so they can seamlessly and effortlessly continue their valuable work.”

He’s also pretty pleased with how the AVG suite is helping his operations: “AVG works brilliantly in the background, so no calls from clients checking on pop ups. The admin console shows us which machines have problems. The Anti-Spam plug-in removes over 2500 spam emails before they reach end user machines. And I can’t remember the last time a client called to say they’d found a virus that AVG had missed. Everyone saves time and money.”

So, while areas of specialization can create differentiators for you in the marketplace, what every channel partner needs to do is back that expertise with quality services, at an affordable price, and a trusted, knowledgeable team.

AVG

Why Can’t Apple Just Give the FBI What it Wants?

Recently the FBI obtained a court order that compels Apple to create and install a backdoor into its iPhone software to intentionally disable certain security measures. Although benign on the surface, this raises serious and pressing questions about the relationship between the government and technology companies, public safety, and user security. These concerns are so pressing that the tech industry, device manufacturers, and civil rights groups have nearly unanimously registered their opposition to the FBI’s actions to force Apple to weaken and alter its software for the FBI’s criminal investigation.

Given the importance of this issue and the high stakes, we, like others have articulated our opposition in publications and through media channels. Today, we took an extraordinary step of filing an amicus brief, prepared by Andrew Bridges and Tyler Newby, leading tech attorneys at the firm of Fenwick & West. The brief is intended to further educate the court on the adverse consequences of the order and the proper application of the relevant laws to the facts in this specific case.

At issue is how much authority we, as citizens, are truly willing to cede to the government in the name of national security and public safety. We think this order goes too far. Strong technical security fosters strong public safety. In a world where everyone’s digital footprint is a potential point of physical vulnerability, strong public safety in fact isn’t even possible without strong technical security.

This case won’t change that, regardless of who wins. A secure product, digital network, and device ecosystem improves safety by making it harder for criminals and those with malicious intent to compromise users’ security and privacy. We understand this may make it harder for law enforcement at times, but we made that decision when we signed the Bill of Rights 225 years ago this December.

The Vice Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James A. Winnefeld, agrees, having recently remarked, “I think we would all win if our networks are more secure. And I think I would rather live on the side of secure networks and a harder problem … on the intelligence side than very vulnerable networks and an easy problem [for our intelligence agencies].” The benefits of strong security outweigh the costs.

This debate is not new; it has been going on with the tech industry since at least the 70s, in various forms. The tech industry has also largely cooperated with law enforcement in the past, as did Apple in this case. But to cooperate here asks too much. To do so would be to take an action most companies would never willingly take—one that is antithetical to their very business.

Regardless of what happens in this case, we foresee that the tech industry response will be to adopt even more rigorous security measures, including ones they themselves cannot even exploit, balanced only by the business need to provide users data-based services. We are committed to continuing these vital conversations with fellow tech companies, legal experts, consumer advocates, and anyone else affected by this issue, one whose importance we cannot overstate and whose ramifications we likely cannot even yet conceive.

By Harvey Anderson, Chief Legal Officer and Justin Olsson, Product Counsel

AVG

Protecting business against the new “Locky” ransomware threat

Ransomware attacks are on the rise and it is quickly becoming all too real for many businesses and organizations who aren’t prepared.  As new threats continue to emerge, our AVG channel partners play a critical role in helping their clients avoid the negative business impact from security threats like ransomware.

For several years now, ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts files and demands a ransom for the decryption key (usually in the form of a Bitcoin payment), has been on the steady increase. And in recent news, IT pros have just identified an even deadlier ransomware, dubbed “Locky.”

Incidents of recent ransomware attacks in the UK and U.S. have also sparked a media cycle, which in itself may drive further attacks.  One of these latest ransomware victims has reportedly been a U.S. medical center, which paid $17,000 to gain back control of its computer systems.

With smaller companies becoming attractive targets to cybercriminals due to their perceived lower levels of protection, no one is immune to the danger of ransomware or the latest Locky malware.

This also means that your end customers will require an increased level of service and expect your immediate response to their security needs. If your business is focused on security protection for SMB customers, isn’t it time you refreshed your antivirus and Internet security offering?

AVG has been working in the security space for over 25 years and our award-winning AVG AntiVirus and AVG Internet Security business solutions continue to benefit from the full force of this expertise.

Offering cloud-based, real-time Outbreak Detection and proactive AI Detection, the solutions deliver robust protection. Real-time Outbreak Detection is AVG’s new crowd intelligence that’s designed to identify even the newest malware variants and outbreaks in real-time. AVG’s Artificial Intelligence detection proactively identifies malware 24 hours a day 7 days a week – even before samples have been analyzed by AVG’s Virus Lab team. For example, our technology is also already detecting known variants of Locky.

These are just a few of the advanced features that help our partners respond to these new security demands and we are continuing to receive positive feedback.

John Miller, Director of Glideslope Software, is one AVG partner putting our AVG AntiVirus and AVG Internet Security business solutions to great work for its client base. As John shared with us recently, “We see efficient IT support as the key to our clients’ growth, agility and happy employees. For our charity sector customers in particular, AVG is essential in ensuring they can operate virus and spam free so they can continue their valuable work. I can’t remember the last time a client called to say they’d found a virus that AVG had missed.”

Help us put the best security defense in place for today’s businesses. We will continue to share updates on new AVG Business product features and services.

AVG

From Cars to Toothbrushes and Everything in Between – MWC 2016

Mobile World Congress is the largest gathering of the mobile industry and takes place at the end of February every year. According to the latest attendance numbers, it was bigger and more attended than any previous congress.  Every possible brand associated with smartphones you can think of was there and even some of the brands you may not know but they provide the stuff to make it all work behind the scenes.

There is a dramatic change afoot in this industry and it’s clear to see at MWC.  The focus of this year’s show is very much about the Internet of Things (IoT). Most of us consider this to mean fitness trackers, a few connected fridges, and maybe for the select few, a car.

IoT is going to affect all of us in ways that we can’t yet imagine — everything will be connected and adding data to a world that will operate based on the analysis of everything around us. This may sound like a science-fiction movie, it’s not. There’s technology on its way that really does mean that there are very few things that won’t be connected.

What was hot at this year’s MWC 2016?

There is a device for tracking everything from fitness to air quality. While they’re exciting toys and gadgets for us to own and play with, the bigger story is how these stepping stones are being placed for a far more connected world. We continually hear about self-driving cars and other cool innovations, but for many of us these are still news stories rather than reality. One such company is Seat’s connected car tech that allows drivers to check the availability of parking spaces, access breakdown services and connect to household appliances.

Seat’s connected car

Do you ever leave home in the morning having missed a tooth when brushing? With Oral-B’s smart toothbrush it will be a thing of the past! A smartphone app connects to the toothbrush and detects which teeth are still dirty.

Visa announced their new payment system, the Visa Ready program, which will allow transactions to be made from any suitable connected device. For anyone traveling through London recently, they may have seen people waving their phones on the tube payment terminals to pay for their trip. With the new service from Visa, this facility will be extended to other devices and use tokens rather than card details. This means that personal data is never transmitted in a similar way that Apple Pay and Android Pay work and should be considered a security enhancement over the current process.

Honda has already signed up to the program to use an in-car fuel app that will be integrated into their vehicles dashboards. Once the car is running low on fuel the driver will be automatically be directed to the nearest gas station. The app will know the exact amount of fuel needed and pay for the fuel and calculate the cost. Of course, this does mean the pump needs to accept wireless payments and you will still need to get out and actually put the fuel hose into the car.

Virtual reality

A technology that has been heard about for years is about to become both affordable and usable, and will soon establish itself as a normal part of our lives. I was lucky enough to get a full hands-on demo of Intel’s RealSense™ virtual reality technology that is being made available to developers in the next few months.

of Intel’s RealSense virtual reality technology

Put the headset on and be immersed in a virtual world where you can actually interact using your hands. Yes, they actually appear in the virtual world allowing you to move objects and to be part of what you are seeing. Or allow the headset to map, in real-time, the environment you are in and to add things to it — you can mix our physical world with a virtual one.  For example using the demo headset I scanned a table and then a cat jumped up onto it. I moved away and the cat jumped off the table. The possibilities for this technology in our normal lives, especially if you are a gamer, are really exciting  and I can’t wait to see them realized.

There is a common concern with all the new IoT devices and cool services that they deliver, that is one of security. With every connected device a new opportunity is created for hackers to attempt to breach the device and access your personal data. While many device manufacturers may create their products using a ‘secure by design’ approach, this may not be the case with the small innovative companies that have the hottest technology.

The concern should not stop with hackers. Devices are collecting data that we may not realize. This raises questions about who has access to our data and what is it being used for — did you read the privacy policy of every connected device you already own, and will you read the privacy policy of all the new ones? Unfortunately, the answer is most likely no. Besides presenting us with new and impressive connected devices, Mobile World Congress has also highlighted the need for us to be aware of the “what” and “who” is holding our data and for what intent.

AVG

Privacy Took Center Stage at Mobile World Congress

Privacy has been part of the Mobile Security discussion for some time now. In fact, privacy and security were both highlighted as one of the top five themes at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this year.

We and many other security providers have been offering privacy tools (like our HMA Pro VPN) for a while, however the focus and discussion around privacy was heightened this week.  It was partially spurred by the Apple/FBI iPhone security discussion but was more robust than just that single (albeit interesting) data point.

There was a great turnout to both the Putting Privacy at the Core of Digital panel and to our partner event focused on Mobile Security Threats.  At the panel there was a consensus that the “war on privacy” was reaching a boiling point.  More and more users are becoming aware of the trade-offs and looking to take action.  We can see this in the uptake of Ad Blockers, which is partly motivated by privacy, and also from numerous studies showing increased awareness.

It is well known that people will share their data in exchange for services.  The issue is that not all of the sharing is known, transparent, or controllable. Services from Meeco are working to make the tradeoffs more accessible to users; Telefonica labs have some interesting tools under development, and Facebook continues to build their products around core privacy principles.  Given AVG’s position in the ecosystem, we often see the less desirable sides of unintended sharing. While our VPN and privacy tools are a great start, we have more work to do, both in educating users and with giving them more control.

Whether or not a “personal data economy” will evolve is still an open question, but the experimentation around the idea is very healthy. I emphasized that we need to make solutions much easier for consumers and that providers need to embrace a federated and distributed structure – basically, the ability for end users to move their data and their “trust provider” at will, without a lot of friction.

At our event titled, “Mobile Threats: Fact or Fiction”, Telefonica, Verizon, TCL, and Sony presented their views of mobile security and privacy, and then we participated in a panel discussion.  Network providers are in an interesting position in that they see a lot of data and also have regulatory checks and balances in place.  With the balance between those two, they have the opportunity to become “trust brokers” for their user bases.

Todd Simpson at Mobile World Congress

Consumer product development companies are looking to build privacy controls deeper into their products, and ensure that permissions and data flows make sense for users.  Of course, with the Internet of Things (IoT) we end up with a plethora of operating systems, connectivity options, data flows, and business models.  With no standardization in sight, security companies will have to develop comprehensive solutions that can address issues across many different technologies.  In order to act on all of this IoT data, security solutions need to be in the data flow. AVG’s relationships with carriers, combined with our VPN and our work in router solutions, puts us in that prime position.

There is a general consensus that users will not adopt IoT as quickly if security and privacy are not addressed, and rightly so. It is a complicated problem, spanning identity, authentication, malware, permissions, and data usage. We do not yet have a good framework for looking at all of these, but there are encouraging signs within each specific area, so that better protection is in sight.

AVG

The Fight for Privacy– Apple vs. the Federal Government

AVG’s Chief Legal Officer, Harvey Anderson recently sat down with Marty Gonzalez from San Francisco’s Kron 4 Morning News Weekend to discuss why Apple is fighting back against privacy disclosure.

Over the last few weeks the entire country has been discussing the court order enforcing Apple to unlock data security from the iOS device used by one of the alleged terrorists in the San Bernardino shooting.  Whether talks of support were in favor of the Federal government or for the tech giant, the larger issue that continues to rise to the surface is how this could jeopardize the privacy of millions of iOS users.

Recently, AVG’s Chief Legal Officer, Harvey Anderson sat down with San Francisco’s own Marty Gonzalez from Kron 4 Morning News Weekend, to discuss the severity of Apple complying with the ruling and unlocking the door to privacy.

VIDEO: Chief Legal Officer discusses Apple vs Federal Government

Gonzalez: ….So far it’s been a stalemate between the FBI and Apple. What would be the long term range impact of Apple refusing this court order to crack the code?

Anderson: I think it’s dangerous what’s happening right now…You’re essentially asking a company to introduce a vulnerability, a bug, a security flaw into its system. Once that happens, there’s not a lot of confidence that this bug will only be used for this case. Suppose an authoritarian government gets it, suppose a malicious hacker gets it. Will it also be used the next time you want to get data….?

Gonzalez: Let’s say people are, people are thinking, wait a minute, why doesn’t Apple just give the FBI the phone, Apple cracks the code and gives it back to the FBI and it’s just a one-time deal. Is that not plausible?

Anderson: Not really. Actually, what happened in this case is that Apple was working very closely with the FBI and right after the phone was taken into custody it appears that we just learned is that the Apple ID password was reset. So Apple has a very easy way to do an iCloud backup of this phone. The phone could have been brought to a trusted network, the network would have recognized the data, and then the government could have gotten the data from Apple’s Cloud which it has access to. But someone within the San Bernardino county officials recently tweeted that the FBI asked them to reset the passwords, which prevented this easy method to get the data.

Gonzalez: Apple and the Federal government have been arguing the whole topic about encryption for years. This is just the latest step. Where do you think this issue goes from here?

Anderson: It’s so unknown. It’s such a dangerous precedent. If this order is upheld. As you know this order was actually an ex parte order. Apple has not had a chance to oppose it legally but I think it’s such a dangerous to force a company to introduce a security flaw. The problem is that there is no privacy without security. That’s the underlining paradigm that exists here. Once you start to take away security, it starts to compromise people’s privacy. It’s not privacy against the proper judicial use of disclosure and discover it’s against others.

Gonzalez: Apple is arguing that once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Anderson: Exactly.

AVG

Breathing fresh air into the Internet of Things, to keep you alive

Here at AVG we have an innovation team (AVG Innovation Labs) that looks at future security risks and how technology can be deployed to manage it.

And when it comes to new IoT devices, special consideration is needed to ensure data is kept personal and private. AVG Innovation Labs undertakes research to allow us to understand how best to provide these services going forward.

The AVG team have been innovating their own IoT devices and applications to get a first-hand experience of the challenges that vendors go through when creating a device for the home.

One of those projects has been looking at air quality and how it can be an issue for many people, whether they suffer from allergies or maybe asthma. Breathing clean and acceptable air can improve our day to day experience, and by extension our personal security.

The device starts with measuring the Air Quality Index (AQI) which provides an overall rating of air quality.  This is obtained by analyzing multiple sensor readings such as relative humidity, temperature, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and many more.

In conjunction with our vision of the future for AVG Zen and Family Graph, we’re demonstrating the importance of location as an impact on the safety of everyday family life.

Now imagine a scenario where we combine some of that future AVG Zen functionality with Air Quality monitoring and other connected devices in the home.

Through location sharing our devices know if we are home, travelling, or even en route from work or school. As we start our travel toward home, our smart connected device that we all carry could automatically connect with the home network to inspect the status of air quality and temperature remotely.

With that information at hand, and making decisions based on our preferences, the technology could automatically open vents or start de-humidification or air-conditioning units to change the air quality, or switch on the heating so that we have a warm house to welcome us home.

The potential for technology to improve our everyday lives and ensure that our environment is the best it could be is remarkable. There is also the life-saving benefit of avoiding toxic conditions caused when a gas powered heating system malfunctions, for example.

When IoT devices bring real value such as this, it’s important that they are not interfered with by hackers, and that the data analyzed remains private and secure. Imagine getting home to find the air quality has been made worse not better, or that the house is too cold or even too hot and you have a large energy bill coming your way.

Through innovation like this, AVG is able to understand the complex challenges of securing devices and services that will one day provide us all with truly connected homes and lives.

AVG

Ransomware on the rise – how to protect your devices and data

Dozens of active ransomware variants such as TeslaCrypt, Locky and Crypt0L0cker continue to extort victims daily. And Ransomware-as-a-Service threatens to make matters worse.

Ransomware – you will not find a more frequently used word in the antivirus industry in these past few months. AVG’s viruslab have analysed dozens of different ransomware “families” in that time.

Based on the number of new unique samples per day, it seems that the ransomware trend is steadily increasing.

Some ransomware families appear to have been created by amateur programmers eager to earn easy money (Radamant, LeChiffre, or Hidden-Tear derivatives, just to name a few), while others are developed by professionals and operated by cyber gangs (e.g. CryptoWall).

At present, the most active families are TeslaCrypt, CryptoWall, and Crypt0L0cker (aka TorrentLocker) with each of these families spreading in multiple ways. The most common infection methods are via exploit kits and phishing emails (as links or attachments).

We’ve noticed many different approaches to creating ransomware, such as the programming language used. While C, C++, C#, and Delphi are very popular among malware authors in general, we have seen ransomware created in JavaScript, Java, and even purely in Windows .bat files.

More worryingly, we have identified “Ransomware-as-a-Service” offerings that are threatening to make things much worse. These often Tor-hosted (anonymous) websites make it possible to generate custom ransomware with just a few clicks – in return for a share (5-20%) of future earnings, i.e. ransom revenue.

But it’s also the brazen attitude and apparent confidence of some ransomware authors that is disturbing. We have found the Nanlocker ransomware contains a now famous (and very unfortunate) statement that was made by a member of the FBI at a security conference.

How to protect your computers and networks against ransomware.

  1. Don’t trust any links or attachments in email – this remains the most common way that ransomware takes hold. If you weren’t expecting the email, do not open it. If unsure, always seek a second opinion from a tech savvy friend – or just delete the email.
  2. Keep your software and operating system updated. Ransomware is targeting not only Windows, but also Linux (e.g. Linux.Encoder) and even Mac.
  3. Uninstall unused or notoriously vulnerable applications – for example, if you don’t need Adobe Flash Player, remove it and any other applications you’re not using. Stick to the minimum.
  4. Use the latest protection software. AVG Internet Security is great choice because it offers multiple layers of protection – we take the ransomware threat very seriously, and our software is capable of detecting the ransomware families mentioned earlier, plus more.
  5. Backup your files regularly and don’t forget to keep your backup media disconnected from your PC. Otherwise, your backups might get encrypted as well. This also applies to cloud storage and network drives (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive).

What if it’s too late, and your files are already being held to ransom?

  1. If your files have already been encrypted by ransomware, the most important thing is to stay calm.
  2. You should immediately contact technical support (e.g. your IT department, your AV vendor) for further assistance, if available to you.  You need to seek expert advice as early as possible.
  3. We strongly advise against paying the ransom. You’ve got no guarantee from the criminals that your files will be restored. And, if every ransomware victim refused to pay the ransom, this type of crime would quickly reduce in occurrence.
  4. It is quite possible that the decryption key is still located in the computer. Many ransomware families contain weaknesses in their encryption algorithm, which may lead to decrypting your files even without paying the ransom! It may take some time to spot and exploit such weaknesses, but in the meantime don’t delete your encrypted files, there may still be hope. (so call tech support). 

AVG

AVG and The Scouts challenge UK children to ‘Take Six’ before posting online

LONDON – February 9, 2016 – AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people, and The Scout Association, announced today the start of a new initiative aimed at encouraging young people to think before posting or sharing their pictures, videos or texts. Today’s launch of Take 6, or #tk6 is focused on helping people make more informed decisions online with a small, but significant, behaviour change.

In a society where communication via mobile and social media is immediate, many people do not give much thought to ramifications of sending that text or that image. #tk6 is built on the idea that people should stop to think before posting or sending, essentially encouraging them to “take six seconds” before making that decision.

There are three options for the #tk6 community to tackle their very own ‘six-second challenge’:

  • Six Seconds of Silence: With the help of their friends and fellow Scouts, we challenge children to record a video showing the action of counting to six in silence, to symbolise the six seconds of thinking before you post.
  • The Lemon Challenge: Accepting the nomination, brave the bitterness to bite into a lemon for six seconds, then nominate six more people to take the challenge.
  • Be Prepared: Create six-second videos illustrating The Scouts’ “Be Prepared” motto to represent the time needed to stop and think about a decision in the digital world.

Challenges will be accepted via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, when posted with #tk6.

The AVG Technologies and The Scout Association partnership sees the development of the #tk6 platform, supported by social media, designed to offer three, key interactions:

  1. Connect– building a community
  2. Discover– embed #tk6 into behavioural consciousness
  3. Engage– source and share relevant and entertaining content

Introducing this programme with The Scout Association and its extensive network, the “take six seconds” challenge empowers digitally savvy young people to make real change to their online behaviour. The programme creates a forum, where they can openly share some of the key issues in their world, learn from each other, and make better decisions for the future. When surveying the landscape of online content today, the vast majority of it is targeted to the parents or is talking down to kids. We want to create a place online where youth can positively influence each other, rather than listening to (or more likely ignoring) lectures from adults. With the right tools, and just a little bit of time to think before they act (say, six seconds), young people can be more responsible than we give them credit for.

“AVG is proud to be adding the #tk6 campaign to our #smartuser initiative,” said Tony Anscombe, Senior Security Evangelist at AVG Technologies. “The #smartuser initiative aims to educate and empower people, helping ensure they receive information about online responsibilities with the right content at the right time. Partnering with The Scout Association will introduce #tk6 to millions of UK-based Scouting, and indirectly, non-Scouting, individuals to play an active part in this.”

“Together, we will seek to create a #tk6 community where relevant brands, influencers and organisations can engage,” said Alex Killick, Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Scout Association. “Our aim is for this partnership to deliver the shared space, not just to create a community, but to give the community the opportunity to share the key issues they face.”

 

 

About AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG):

AVG is the leading provider of software services to secure devices, data and people. AVG’s award-winning consumer portfolio includes internet security, performance optimization, location services, data controls and insights, and privacy and identity protection, for mobile devices and desktops. The AVG Business portfolio, delivered through a global partner network, provides cloud security and remote monitoring and management (RMM) solutions that protect small and medium businesses around the world. For more information visit www.avg.com.

 

About the Smart User Initiative:

The Smart User Initiative is a growing global digital coalition of individuals, businesses and brands working together to help prepare the next wave of digital citizens to be safer, happier and more productive online. Our aim is to nurture and enable the next four billion smart phone users to have the digital skills needed to enjoy the Internet and the digital world without compromising themselves or others. When people get their first smart phone it doesn’t come with an instruction manual to teach them the “dos and don’ts” of digital safety to protect themselves from identity theft, privacy breeches, cyberbullying and more. The Smart User Initiative uses entertaining and engaging content that’s accessible right where the users need it to create a place where anyone can get involved from simple association right through to active participation.

http://www.take6.org/

 

About Scouting:

The Scout Association was founded on 1 August 1907.

Adventure is at the core of Scouting, and the Association passionately believes in helping their members fulfil their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential by working in teams, learning by doing and thinking for themselves.

Over 200 activities are offered by Scouting around the UK, made possible by the efforts of 100,000 voluntary adult leaders. This has helped make Scouting the largest co-educational youth movement in the UK.

One of the challenges that the Scout Movement faces is finding more volunteers to plug the current gap.  At present there are over 35,000 young people on waiting lists as more and more young people want to experience the adventure of Scouting.

Studies have shown Scout Leaders contribute the equivalent of 37 million hours voluntary work every year which is the equivalent of £380 million pounds worth of unpaid youth work.

Worldwide Scouting has more than 31 million male and female members and operates in nearly every country in the world.

In January 2012 the Duchess of Cambridge started to volunteer with the Scout Movement with her local group in North Wales.

91% of Scout volunteers and 88% of youth members say that Scouting has helped them develop key skills for life. *

In 2012 Scouting was voted the UK’s most inspirational and practical charity. *

*Source nfpSynergy Brand Attributes Survey, May 2012 and PACE Members survey 2011

 

Contact:

 AVG: Tony Mays
Tel: +44 7852 776936
Email: [email protected]

 Press information: http://now.avg.com

AVG

AVG‘s Winning Game Plan for “Secure” Bowl Sunday

The biggest football game of the year is a big day for being online – whether you’re traveling to Santa Clara to watch it in-person or heading to a friend’s party (or two).  Either way, it’s important to protect yourself while you’re on your phone, and there is no doubt there will be a lot of social media activity from kickoff to half-time to when the clock reaches zero.

If you’re like the majority of us and don’t have a ticket to the game, you’ll most likely be watching the extravagantly funded commercials and your Twitter or Facebook feed from a friend’s house.  Here are some things to keep in mind while online.

  • Big events are popular among spammers:  Recognize spam as spam; meaning, don’t click on video links or open any attachments from unknown senders.  Only open emails from reputable vendors and people you know.
  • Watch out for fake offers: Don’t think you’re going to buy a last-minute cheap ticket.  They don’t exist!  If you are in the market for a ticket, only buy from a reputable ticket agent.
  • Be a REAL fan:  You only want official NFL gear, right?  Watch out for knock-off or unofficial team merchandise, as it will not look good after the first wash.  Only buy from a retailer you recognize.
  • Phishing for your money: AVG’s Web Threats Team found the top brands misused by scammers in phishing scams are payment systems like PayPal and American Express and logistics companies like UPS / FedEx  -all companies you might expect an email from if you bought tickets or merchandise online. Do NOT reply or send personal data to these fake emails.  They are trying to get your bank and other personal information.  If you have ordered and want to track the package, use the tracking option directly on the retailer’s site.

For the lucky ones who were able to get a ticket to the big game, you’re going to be in one of the most high-tech stadiums in the country!  It is Silicon Valley, right? Did you know that there are 1200 access points for WiFi at Levi Stadium?  That’s 1 WiFi point for every 100 seats!  Plenty of connection points for posting all those selfies!   Here are some tips for staying safe in the crowd: 

  • Turn off your phone and watch the game! You paid a lot of money for that ticket, so why do you want to watch it on a small screen?
  • Encrypt personal data: Access points at Levi Stadium are public but how do you know the access point you’re connecting to isn’t a criminal faking the WiFi name?  Download a free VPN like Hide My Ass! and encrypt your data.
  • Don’t advertise where you are to strangers: If you must post on social media, make sure you have your location settings turned off on your photos (geotagging) and don’t display your location.  You don’t want a burglar in your neighborhood knowing you’re at the game.  Your friends and family will know where you are when they see your photos. Just go to your phone “Settings”, find your camera app and turn off the location setting.
  • In case you lose your phone: Before you head to the big game, make sure you download anti-theft software, like AVG AntiVirus Pro for Android or make sure your anti-theft settings on your iPhone are active.  That way if you lose your phone or get pick-pocketed you’ll be able to disable, locate, or wipe it.

Stay safe at the game and have a great Sunday!!