The force to be reckoned with: more crime-fighters join army against ransomware – Forbes
Category Archives: Antivirus Vendors
Antivirus Vendors
‘No More Ransom’ Goes Global: Another 13 Police Forces Join Fight Against Ransomware
Just three months after the successful launch of the No More Ransom project, law enforcement agencies from a further 13 countries have signed up to fight ransomware together with the private sector.
One does not simply return the Note 7 …
There is a Samsung Explosion-Proof return kit for the Note 7. Not kidding!
The post One does not simply return the Note 7 … appeared first on Avira Blog.
Information security: A career at the forefront of an exciting industry
Demand for information security specialists is growing, and there are many routes to qualification. Do you have the skills to transform cybersecurity?
The post Information security: A career at the forefront of an exciting industry appeared first on WeLiveSecurity.
Which are the best mobile messaging apps?
There are dozens of messaging apps available for your smartphone, each with its own strong points. This guide will help you understand which are the best – and how to use each one securely.
Best for – Apple users
Built into every iPhone and iPad as standard, Apple’s iMessage app is a safe and secure tool for staying in touch with friends and family. You can send text, photos and videos quickly and easily – and your messages are encrypted to prevent people snooping on them.
The only drawback is that iMessage only works on Apple devices. So if your friends have Android handsets, you won’t be able to contact them this way.
Staying safe: Make sure you have a passcode enabled on your phone. You should also consider disabling the message preview on your lock screen.
Best for – picture messages
Despite the controversy about how teens may be using the app to send inappropriate pictures, Snapchat remains a useful tool for picture messaging. You can add sketches or text to your photos to make sure people understand your messages.
Snapchat is available on iOS and Android, so you can stay in touch with all your friends.
Staying safe: Just because Snapchat deletes your pictures automatically, don’t assume that they cannot be recovered or saved. Think very carefully about the potential consequences before sending explicit or embarrassing snaps.
Best for – the most users
An add-on service to the social network, Facebook Messenger boasts well over a million users. So if your friends have a Facebook account, they will also be available on Messenger.
Facebook Messenger is available on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile and Blackberry smartphones, as well as any internet connected PC. You can also make voice and video calls using the app.
If you really need the message to get through, Facebook Messenger is a great option.
Staying safe: Facebook has added end-to-end encryption to Messenger, but it is not enabled by default. You must switch this feature on to prevent your messages being intercepted – and to stop Facebook snooping on your conversations.
Best for all-round connections
It may seem like it sometimes, but not everyone has a smartphone. Although you can always rely on traditional SMS, the messaging cost can quickly escalate.
WhatsApp uses your phone’s data connection, allowing you to message with your data allowance, or when connected to a WiFi network. As well as being available on all the major smartphone platforms, the app can also be installed on older/less powerful devices running Symbian. Which means you can message even more people – for free.
So if your friends are resistant to technology, WhatsApp could be what you need to stay in touch.
Staying safe: WhatsApp has struggled with security problems in the past, so you will need to have an additional tool to identify potential problems and block malware/loopholes. Panda’s Mobile Security toolkit can help provide that cover. You should also check to make sure that end-to-end encryption has been enabled, and that you have disabled data sharing with Facebook to protect your privacy.
Staying connected – and safe
These messaging apps will help you stay connected. And when it comes to staying safe, a little common sense goes a long way:
• Always make sure your phone is protected with a pass code.
• Never share information that is sensitive or embarrassing.
• Install a security app to prevent malware or hackers from stealing your data
And that’s it. Have fun!
The post Which are the best mobile messaging apps? appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
Halloween zombies are tracking your hunt for pumpkin soup – You get the recipe, they get you.
When looking online for that perfect autumn festival pumpkin soup for your costumed Halloween zombies, remember – you are not alone.
The post Halloween zombies are tracking your hunt for pumpkin soup – You get the recipe, they get you. appeared first on Avira Blog.
Bye Bye BlackBerry. There’s a new kind of smartphone security.
BlackBerry used to define the Smartphone sphere. Once popular for its physical keyboard and exclusive-for-users IM service, now BlackBerry has been left out in the cold. The Canadian company recently announced that they will no longer make the devices. However, they will continue to market the phones that will be manufactured by other companies. So, why buy a BlackBerry in 2016?
Because they’ve got an incredible reputation for security (as a matter of fact, many government officials use BlackBerry devices for that reason). In 2000 the brand was known as Research In Motion (RIM) and offered Subscription-based emailing. At this time, all emails sent and received by BlackBerry phones had to pass through highly-protected servers. This means that an attacker wouldn’t be able to intercept the phone’s messages. This encryption measure is pretty common in today’s phones, but it wasn’t 16 years ago.
User security remains a priority for BlackBerry. They have hardened security in their newest model, the DTEK50– a Smartphone manufactured by Alcatel that’s running on Android.
The phone is also named “the smartest smartphone in the world” and has a number of security-related features. This super secure Smartphone encrypts its users’ photographs, bank information and also uses the software necessary to store passwords safely. It also notifies its owners if someone uses the camera remotely to take photos or videos, or if the microphone is being used to record conversations.
Most businesses think about security when building their IT infrastructure. By focusing exclusively on the corporate environment, BlackBerry is going back to its roots, and for good reason: it doesn’t matter who continues to make BlackBerry phones, the company still promises to enforce the strongest security possible.
The post Bye Bye BlackBerry. There’s a new kind of smartphone security. appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
No password? You’re asking to be hacked.
75 million smartphones in the US don’t have their passwords set on
TransUnion’s latest Cyber Security Survey confirmed that Americans who feel extremely or very concerned about cyber threats have increased 20 percent since last year – from 46 percent in 2015 to 55 percent in 2016. Fears are legitimate – hacking and cyber security have even become one of the main topics in the presidential debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
If you think this is surprising keep reading, the most shocking part of the survey is not the fact that its’ findings confirm the notion that we are constantly under cyber danger/attack – we already know that. The most shocking part is the facts that despite the increasing fear, nearly 50% of the participants admit that they don’t take actions to protect their content.
Nearly half of the people who participated in the survey admitted they don’t lock their phones with a password.
Let us translate this for you – currently there are nearly 320 million people legally living in the USA with about 225 million of them being adults. More than two thirds of the adults living in the US have smartphones. If the statistics are right, a quick math shows there are more than 75 million people in the US whose smartphones don’t have their passcodes set on. This is scary! This means two out of the three Kardashians don’t have passcodes on their phones! What could go wrong? We will let Kim and Kanye tell you.
What should you do?
Setup a password on your cell phone.
We all know what the consequences of identity theft are – unless you want a stranger buying a car in your name, or leasing a property in a city you’ve never heard of using your SSN, you should go find your phone and setup your password on, right now. Then add a recurring reminder on your calendar to change it frequently!
Admit the problem.
The threat is real and hundreds of thousands of peoples’ lives are being ruined by hackers stealing their precious information. Having a lock on your phone might be a good beginning but it does not solve your problem entirely.
Find a solution that works best for you.
The option we recommend is Panda Security Antivirus.Downloading your copy of Panda Security antivirus will protect you from getting your email hacked, and it will keep your credit cards, personal information and cell phone safe.
According to TransUnion about 1 million people will call TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department in 2016. Let’s hold hands together, be more protective of our personal information and decrease the number of calls they get by practicing common sense. It’s natural to want to protect ourselves, but it is hard to wish to protect what we have if we don’t realize that the threat is real. The most astonishing results come from taking practical, protective actions before things go wrong. Let’s not get to the point where we are in need of calling the fraud department by acting now and protecting our personal information early rather than late.
The post No password? You’re asking to be hacked. appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
Vera Bradley alerts customers to data breach
Vera Bradley has notified its customers of a data breach, explaining that it had launched an investigation last month into a “payment card incident”.
The post Vera Bradley alerts customers to data breach appeared first on WeLiveSecurity.
5 cool uses for your old Android device
Your old Android device is kind of – well, old – and now that you have a shiny new one you don’t know what to do with it?
The post 5 cool uses for your old Android device appeared first on Avira Blog.