Category Archives: Antivirus Vendors

Antivirus Vendors

AVG

Internet of Things is web’s next money spinner say small businesses

We all suspected it and now we know it to be true.  Most small businesses (57 percent) are expecting the Internet of Things (IoT) – IP-connected devices, machines with sensors and cloud-based services – to make a significant impact on their bottom line.  Yet almost three quarters (71 percent) admit they are not ready from an IT security and data protection point of view.

These are just two of the key findings in AVG’s latest independent research which polled 1,770 small businesses and MSPs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia on a number of issues related to monetizing IoT. Over half (55 percent) of MSPs taking part in the study confirmed that customers are demanding IoT-related services and 77 percent are planning to expand their service or product portfolio to meet it. Little surprise then that only 18 percent of the small businesses we spoke to thought their IT provider was ahead of the curve when it came to their capacity to manage IoT.

So just what is IoT’s potential as a money spinner?  Well, more and more devices with built-in sensors are being connected to the Internet.  By remotely monitoring the data on these devices a business can achieve much greater all-round efficiency through raised productivity, lower costs and reduced wastage.  And as cloud services become the default way to make sense of this data you no longer need heavy up-front investment so IoT starts to become affordable for small businesses.

Our research highlighted four industries in particular – IT/telecoms, pharmaceuticals, utilities and manufacturing – that are set to make money from IoT. The IT/telecoms industry, as might be expected, is especially upbeat on IoT. Among the IT decision makers surveyed 84 percent indicate that their organization would shift its product/service offering to make the most out of the rise of IoT.  The proportion of pharmaceuticals companies looking to expand product offerings using IoT was even greater (91 percent).   Three quarters (75 percent) of utilities companies and 73 percent of manufacturers are also expecting to benefit.

Overall our study found the vibe from small businesses around IoT to be extremely positive.  If there was one note of caution it was the recognition that they need to do more about the security side of things.  They are right to be cautious. Many connected devices use the Linux operating system which has its own set of vulnerabilities as highlighted by the recent Shellshock event.  The lesson for companies is that they need to approach IoT just like the rest of their IT – by keeping them regularly updated and using identity management and user authentication.

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IoT Business Opportunities

A summary of the other key findings in the study were:

  • Almost half (46 percent) of SMBs think that the Internet of Things will be the IT trend that has the greatest impact on their organization over the next five years.
  • Around three fifths (62 percent) of SMB respondents report that their organization has budget specifically assigned over the next 12 months for the development of Internet of Things solutions. 49 percent have a moderate or substantial budget assigned for these solutions.
  • Only 18 percent of SMB respondents say that their IT provider is completely ahead of the curve with regard to the Internet of Things and the potential for their business. Of those with an IT provider, 68 percent feel that their provider could improve their service with regard to Internet of Things offerings and understanding.
  • The majority (84 percent) of SMB respondents say that their organization has purchased mobile devices within the last year, spending an average of over $6,500 on these devices. Of those who have purchased mobile devices within the last 12 months, SMB respondents estimate that their organization spends an average of around $4,500 in hidden costs annually.

In conclusion, the days when work was confined to an office with four walls and a locked door are gone for good.  Thanks to mobile technology and popular cloud-based applications today’s start-ups are already living in a world where doing business without walls is perfectly normal.  IoT is a further example of how small businesses are becoming more and more connected.  The flexibility and simplicity is great. But is it secure? AVG is ready to help businesses embrace IoT safely. A couple of weeks ago we announced that we will shortly expand AVG CloudCare’s capabilities to include breakthrough integration of Multi Factor Authentication, Secure Sign-On (SSO), Mobile Device Management and Mobile Application Management all managed through Active Directory to ease complexity and simplify management.

Avira

How to cure Location Fatigue

An overwhelming flood of apps that used location data became available, and down to this day, new ones are continuing to be launched all the time.

While there’s still interest in apps that use location data, some of that enthusiasm has started to die down. Quite frankly, many users are suffering from Location Fatigue. Since most users were once all too willing to share their location with anyone and anything, app developers have assumed that this is still the case and continue to use location data to the point that it feels like almost every app you download wants to access your location for some odd reason, even when it’s totally not required.

As you can imagine, this reality brings a host of privacy concerns with it. Not only might social apps share your location with your friends or possibly strangers, but other apps could even use that data for advertising purposes. When an app uses your location in a way that you understand and derive benefits from, then that can be a great experience, but having your location data observed and shared just because it can be done doesn’t always lead to a great user experience, especially when it’s being done in a way that’s not transparent.

If you look at the location settings in your smartphone right now, you’ll probably be shocked by how many apps have location functionality. Take a good look at your list of apps and decide which ones you actually want to be able to see where you are at any given moment. Additionally, whenever you download a new app, think for a moment about the location data that it might be accumulating and what the purpose of it is.

There are still plenty of smartphone users who don’t have a care in the world about the location data that their apps have access to, but if privacy is important to you, then you might want to make your location data available to apps on more of a need-to-know basis.

The post How to cure Location Fatigue appeared first on Avira Blog.

Panda Security

If you have a flashlight app on your phone, be very careful!

The smartphone you keep in your pocket is amazing. It does everything. Despite all of the innovative things it does, one of the best features of smartphones is something as simple as it is old: the flashlight. Useful –in its own way– when taking pictures and even more so when you need to light up a dark corner.

There is no denying it. We have all used the flashlight on our phone to shake off the uneasiness (not to say fear) caused by the dark. However, and surprising as it may seem, perhaps we should not be so much afraid of the lack of light as of the app that we use on your phone to shed light.

mobile-flashlight

Apps that control the flashlight on the phone – there are thousands in the app stores – are not as harmless as they may seem. It is true that you do not have to register or provide any data in order to use them but the flashlight on your phone knows a lot about you, which makes it an interesting target for cyber-crooks.

Flashlight 007, with a license for everything

As already mentioned, you do not tell your flashlight app anything but it is capable of shedding light on a good handful of conclusions about your movements. The worst thing is that if it does this, it is because you have allowed it to.

Before downloading any app you have to give it certain permissions. This gives many of the apps installed on smartphones permission to know your location using GPS data, to take pictures, record sounds and even read your text messages. This is particularly true of phones running Android as the operating system, because Windows and Apple restrict the capability of apps to spy on us (always with your permission, of course).

According to a report from SnoopWall, a company dedicated to smartphone security, flashlight apps are surprisingly quite demanding as regards permissions. A simple glance at the table compiled by SnoopWall could make your hair stand on end:

flashlights-for-mobile

The apps included in the table are not selected at random. There is no need to rummage through tons of apps available on Google Play to find flashlights that want to find out everything about you. In fact, these ones in particular make up the top 10 flashlight apps for Android.

Of these, the least demanding asks for permission to read the phone status, take pictures and videos, view Internet connections and full network access. Other flashlight apps ask for permission for everything they can think of, GPS location included.

The problem, of course, is that we usually download and install apps in a hurry, accepting whatever the app asks for without thinking twice about it. By doing this you are practically handing the keys to your life – your digital life at least–  to any stranger.

android

The key lies in advertising

The time has come to answer the big question. Why does a flashlight want so many permissions? Firstly, in general there is no need to worry: if these apps ask for so much it is because of advertising.

Another thing flashlight apps have in common is that they are free. Therefore, developers seek to monetize every download through advertising. Flashlight apps need an Internet connection and know your location and other data that allows advertising to be adapted to your habits.

Consequently, downloading and using these apps is not necessarily dangerous, but it is better to err on the side of caution. To prevent a cyber-crook from tricking you into installing one of these apps and stealing your data, it is better to use trusted apps.

Even though the most trusted apps ask for information and control of some of the tools on the phone, it is better to use those with the best statistics: the most downloaded and the highest rated are the most trustworthy. However, now you know that for these flashlights to provide light, first of all you will have to give them permission to shed some light on the inside of your phone (and they take everything of interest to them).

The post If you have a flashlight app on your phone, be very careful! appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

AVG

Get rid of clutter from your Android devices now!

We all have way too much unnecessary clutter on our phones and tablets – things that eat away our storage, waste mobile data and drain battery life. Some of this is caused by the apps we use on a daily basis, like games or social media– but much is also caused by apps we no longer use or that are running constantly in the background.

Our new AVG Cleaner for Android 2.2 makes it quick and easy to identify (and remove) such unwanted apps but also helps you clean the clutter from your phone, such as cache, history, and call logs.

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Introducing AVG Cleaner for Android

So what’s New in Version 2.2?

  • Large file finder: Our all-new version 2.2 app scans your Android tablet and phone for massive files, such as downloads, app packages, videos, music files or other data that you may have downloaded or copied over to your device – and perhaps forgotten about.

  • Caller History Cleaner: AVG Cleaner for Android helps you clean up all calls or even one specific entry in your call history.
  • Check up on your Android from your PC: You can remotely check up on your Android smartphone or tablet from your PC. In this example, I added a Galaxy S5 to my AVG Zen network and monitored it right from my PC.

 

Now the really cool thing is that you can’t just check up on your AVG Zen network from your PC – but also direct from your Android. That’s right, you can even check up the Performance and the Security status of all your AVG Zen connected devices, such as PCs or Laptops running Windows and Mac computers right from your phone. To do that, fire up your Google Play store and download AVG Zen Admin console:

Once you’ve signed into your AVG Zen account, you can even check up on your devices from wherever you are!

 

ESET

5 new iOS 8 features that make your iPhone safer than ever

The recent release of Apple’s iPhone 6 was coupled with the upgrade in software to iOS 8. This new operating system has come with a host of new features including these 5 that will make your phone safer than ever.

The post 5 new iOS 8 features that make your iPhone safer than ever appeared first on We Live Security.