Category Archives: Antivirus Vendors

Antivirus Vendors

Panda Security

Charger, the Most Costly Ransomware to Smartphone Users

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Ransomware is evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated, posing a greater threat to companies and private users alike. This malicious software has shown that it can propagate by using the viral mechanisms of a meme, that it can directly attack corporate servers, or even camouflage itself in false resumes. And now it has made its way to other devices, namely, our smartphones.

It is now the main threat to mobile devices, until now considered to be relatively virus-free compared with their PC counterparts. Recently, a new ransomware was discovered that goes by the name of Charger, which copies all the data from your agenda, text messages, etc., and seeks admin permissions from the devices owner. If the unwary user accepts the request, the malicious code begins its attack. A message warns the owner that their device has been blocked and their stolen personal data will be sold on the dark web unless they proceed to pay a ransom.

The Most Costly Ransom

Charger’s victims will have to pay 0.2 bitcoins (at about $1000 a bitcoin, it comes out to a round $200) to, supposedly, unblock their device. It may not be the first ransomware to affect smartphones, but never before has this figure been so high.

Also new is its means of spreading.  Until now, most cyberattacks targeting mobile phones found their gateway in applications downloaded outside official app stores. With Charger it’s different. Charger attacks Android devices through a power saver app that could be downloaded from Google Play, Android’s official app store.

It is vital for employees to be aware of the dangers of downloading apps from unverified sources. They should also know that it’s not such a great idea to store sensitive corporate data on their computers or mobile devices without taking the proper security precautions. Keeping passwords or confidential documents on an unprotected device could end up giving cybercriminals just what they need to access corporate platforms.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: new attacks like these come about every day and can take anyone by surprise, be they casual users or security experts. The unpredictable nature of attacks like Charger make an advanced cybersecurity solution indispensable. Perimeter-based security solutions are simply not enough anymore.

 

The post Charger, the Most Costly Ransomware to Smartphone Users appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Avira

Breaking Boundaries in the Connected World

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Breaking Boundaries in the Connected World - Mobile World Congress 2017

Scouting for technology trends, I attended the Mobile World Congress (MWC) exhibition 2017. Even though Barcelona, Spain is itself an amazing place to visit, this event, with over 2,000 exhibitors, really pulls you in. Whilst the media usually focuses on latest smartphone presentations and a bit about connected driving, I wanted to see how consumers will live in tomorrow’s […]

The post Breaking Boundaries in the Connected World appeared first on Avira Blog.

Panda Security

The worst passwords ever created

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For many online services, the only thing keeping your personal data safe from hackers is a password. If a hacker can get hold of that password, they immediately gain access to the account.

Your choice of password is absolutely vital

Your choice of password is absolutely vital which is why most services force you to use a combination of letters and numbers to make it harder to guess. Despite this, many people continue to choose the same, easily-guessed passwords year after year.

Every year mobile app developer SplashData publishes a list of the 25 most common passwords worldwide. Not only are these passwords extremely simple to hack using automated cracking tools, but the fact they are so popular means that cybercriminals will try this list first.

The top 5 passwords

According to SplashData the top 5 passwords are:

  1. 123456
  2. password
  3. 12345
  4. 12345678
  5. qwerty

If any of these passwords look familiar, you could be in trouble.

Most people choose passwords very easy to remember

Most people choose these passwords because they are very easy to remember, and only take a second to type in. The fact that they are all letters or numbers, and all in lower case means that they require the minimum number of keypresses to enter – perfect for the small keyboards on smartphones.

Ignoring password best practice

When you first set up a new account online, you will be encouraged to choose a memorable word of phrase – preferably one that contains upper and lower case letters and numbers to make it harder to guess. But as we discussed on the Panda Security blog previously, these measures are not enough to fully protect yourself.

To increase security, upper and lower case letters need to be used in the middle of the password. They should also include special characters, like !?*(), making them almost impossible to guess. Not unbreakable, but certainly much more difficult.

Reusing passwords

The other major problem with SplashData’s list of most common passwords is that people tend to reuse them for all their accounts. So if cybercriminals gain access to your Facebook account using an easily-guessed password, they can then log into your email, online bank account, and virtually any other system.

More worrying still, if you use these same passwords at work, you place their systems and data at risk too. If the breach is significant, you could even lose your job.

Get creative with your passwords

Although you must include specific characters in your password, you can choose any word you like. Better still, you can string several words together to make very long, very complex password that is almost impossible to guess.

And if you must use the top 25 most popular passwords, try stringing several of them together instead. It’s not a perfect solution, but your password will be more secure.

Use a Password Manager

There are great security solutions that offer a larger degree of protection and include a password manager… all you need is a master password to access all of your favourite internet services. This way, you will only have to remember one password and, as you don’t have to memorize all of them, you can set different, more complex passwords for each service. It maintains your online privacy… at all times!

The post The worst passwords ever created appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Avast

9 out of 10 Americans value the data in their online accounts, yet don’t do much to protect it

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Most of us have countless online accounts; and without even realizing it, we spread our personal information throughout the World Wide Web. We therefore wanted to find out how people not only value the information they store in their online accounts, but how they protect their information to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Panda Security

Creepy? Maybe, but Employee Monitoring is Saving Companies Money

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The practice of employee monitoring in the workplace has been evolving and is increasingly present in companies. As of this writing, 15% of companies on the prestigious Fortune 500 list have equipped their offices with tiny sensors created by the company Enlighted, which are used to find out how much time a worker spends at his or her desk, and also the time of first activity on their computers (used to determine when they begin the workday).

However, these aren’t the only companies to use this type of technology. Others have used biometric sensors manufactured by Humanyze to know exactly what their employees do in their working hours. The objective is to increase productivity and thereby achieve a more efficient use of resources. Hidden in the lights, walls, desks or even card readers, these sensors are installed with the intention of knowing as much as possible about what’s happening in the company.

One of benefits of this technology is knowing if the office space you use is inferior to its capacity. This would help companies decide whether or not it would be worth it to relocate to a smaller space. Other benefits include knowing when workers are most productive so as to readjust their schedules accordingly, knowing what time the office starts to fill up (and programming the power to turn on at that moment — some companies have already managed to save 25% on energy costs), or even having knowledge about which applications are being run on employee computers. On this last point, it could be possible to know if employees are accessing confidential data and whether, therefore, there is a potential risk to the company’s security.

Some companies have already managed to save 25% on energy costs with this technology.

Security and Confidentiality

When installing one of these employee monitoring systems, it is essential to have the best protection possible. For starters, any vulnerability in the new system could be exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to a great deal of information about the operation of your company, not to mention the possibility of manipulating said data.

Another major concern about having hidden sensors scattered throughout the office is the privacy of employees. Although in some countries it is allowed by law to install any type of sensor regardless of employee privacy, ideally employees will have given their consent. In fact, some companies and institutions, such as the British National Health Service, are already doing this with the consent of their workforce. Their employees are monitored voluntarily to measure, among other things, their movement or their location.

The post Creepy? Maybe, but Employee Monitoring is Saving Companies Money appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Avast

After the breach: Putting your cyber house in order

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Today’s cybersecurity is good, with most prevention solutions having a 99.9% or higher detection rate for common malware, but once penetrated, identification is usually a case of too little, too late. The mean time to identify (MTTI) a data breach was 201 days, and a mean time to contain (MTTC) was 70 days. In up to 70% of cases, data breaches were detected by third parties.

AVG

Avast Signs Three-Year Deal with KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada to Secure Network-Connected Endpoints Throughout Canada

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Security-first, managed IT services portfolio from AVG Business by Avast provides security protection for KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada’s printer and multifunctional products customers.

MSPWorld, New Orleans, March 27, 2017 – Avast, the leader in digital security products for consumers and businesses, today announced a partnership with KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, a top manufacturer of printers and multifunctional products (MFPs) in North America, to deliver customized endpoint security solutions and managed IT services to customers throughout Canada. The three-year deal, delivered through the AVG Business by Avast product portfolio, is designed as a proactive, immediate defense against cybercrime.

Through the KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada-Avast partnership, KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada customers also gain the security advantages of Avast’s cloud-based, machine learning threat detection network, among the largest and most advanced in the world that uses next generation technology to detect and block the latest cybersecurity attacks, including malware, phishing, ransomware, breaches in privacy, and more.

A certified Avast Elite Channel Partner, KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada can now customize AVG Business by Avast solutions to meet security needs across its key customer segments – education, government, healthcare and more. The solution set includes a full IT services portfolio with advanced endpoint security services and help desk and technical support. The company also gains access to specialized cloud and remote monitoring and management solutions to build, standardize and automate a managed security program for its extensive dealer network.  Avast is providing technical training and support from its team of dedicated sales engineers, counsel and guidance on go-to-market strategy, and access to marketing resources.

Michel Naud, Director of Direct Operations for KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, said “With the rapid growth of cyber threats such as ransomware, security has become a top priority for our customers.  By partnering with Avast, not only can we provide immediate and effective security protection, we now have the technology, services and resources to build and scale the IT services side of our business.  This is a clear market advantage for KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada.”

“We welcome KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada as a partner and look forward to helping them deliver tailored security and managed IT services for customers with any type of security need,” said Kevin Chapman, SVP and general manager of Avast’s SMB Business. “Our unique AVG Business by Avast solutions provide advanced security protection for end customers which simplify the delivery and automate the management of security services for our channel partners. Coupled with our comprehensive channel partner program, we’re ensuring our partners can go to market effectively and build a scalable program that fosters high recurring revenue and great margins.”

The AVG Business by Avast portfolio provides solutions to secure, simplify and optimize the IT experience for small and medium-sized businesses worldwide. AVG Business by Avast brings a 25 year-history in security and is the only remote monitoring and management solution provider with its own native security engine. This unique and strong combination of security and managed services experience provides end-customers and channel partners ‘trusted network’ security with solutions that extend across world-class endpoint protection to complete network management.

AVG Business by Avast is dedicated to the channel and has a comprehensive partner program in place to ensure partners can successfully position and sell the products, effectively secure SMBs, and enable profitable channel growth.

To learn more about AVG Business by Avast solutions, stop by Avast’s booth #33 at MSPWorld 2017 or attend the Monday speaking session on ‘Creating a Competitive MSP Pricing Model.’

About Avast
Avast (www.avast.com), the global leader in digital security products for businesses and consumers, protects over 400 million people online. Avast offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company’s threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, OPSWAT, ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs and others. Avast is backed by leading global private equity firms CVC Capital Partners and Summit Partners.

About KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, Ltd.

KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, Ltd. (www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.ca), with headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario and regional offices / distribution networks across Canada, is a leading provider of computer-connectable document imaging and document management systems, including network-ready digital MFPs/printers, laser printers, colour MFPs/printers, laser facsimiles, and multifunctional and wide format imaging solutions.  In North America, KYOCERA Document Solutions has earned numerous honours for its products’ high performance, reliability and cost efficiency. KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada, Ltd. is a subsidiary of KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., a core company of KYOCERA Corporation, a world leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components.  KYOCERA Corporation’s consolidated net revenues exceeded $US13.32 billion for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2016.

Avast Media Contact:
Zoe Kine, Avast PR Director
E-mail: [email protected]
www.avast.com

KYOCERA Document Solutions Canada Media Contact:
Tony Swierkot
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.ca