Antivirus Vendors
Last week, security blogger Brian Krebs’ blog, KrebsOnSecurity.com, was taken offline with a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The sustained attack threw upwards of 620 gigabits per second of junk data at his site – more than enough to take down a site of that size.
Smart cities are a real thing—could you live in one? Do you live in one?
Actually, a smart city is an “urban development vision” used to manage a city’s assets by integrating multiple information and communication technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions within the city. A smart city’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life for its residents.
With just an internet connection and one of the endless number of devices available, residents can do a multitude of things like pay parking meters and purchase movie tickets. Did your device run out of battery while you were on-the-go? Go ahead and hook up to one of your city’s many public charging stations.
Yes, a properly planned smart city can make life more convenient, but this is also a double ended sword. However convenient, in regards to internet security, it is very dangerous. At the end of any given day, there’s a high possibility that any one of these connected devices could be hacked, while criminals getaway with your top private information.
City Bikes
The next time you take one of those public bikes for a spin, keep in mind that these electric bike stations are run by a computer… a computer that can be hacked like any other connected device. You’ll see that at each bike station there’s a small computer screen for riders to register, recharge passes, report incidents, and map the other stations in close proximity. But like any other computer, cybercriminals can use a lot of different techniques to take advantage of any vulnerability that these systems might have.
On these payment screens, in the maps section, there are various (public) sections on the platform, such as “Report an Error” “Privacy Policy” and “Terms of Use”. When these are tapped, an internet explorer window pops up. From there, the cybercriminals have access to a virtual keyboard—this will ultimately give them the power to execute those unwanted applications. This is the start of their hack—now they can access and collect info belonging to all those wanting to rent a city bike, getting their full names, verified email addresses and phone numbers. Some hackers will be able to steal customer payment data, too.
Taxis
New York City’s famous yellow taxi has jumped on the “smart experience” bandwagon. Aside from the tourist maps, Broadway ads and business cards that fill the back seat of the yellow cabs, passengers can use the tablet attached to the Plexiglas divider separating you from the driver. Go ahead and read the news during your commute, and when you arrive at your location, and make your payment from the same device. Just remember, if a cybercriminal gets in the back of this cab he could successfully install malware and gain access to a lot of customer information. Likewise, remember to watch out for the public chargers in the taxi. Just imagine all the people whose privacy could be in danger.
We leave you with a last note, if a city wishes to become a smart city, installing these intelligent devices requires that all businesses commit to the necessary security measures to safeguard government and public privacy. Keep your citizens safe by following adequate security assurances.
The post Smart cities with Invisible Dangers appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
Enjoy going for a drink at your local coffee store whilst getting some work done or browsing the web? With more and more cafes, bars and libraries these days resembling public workspaces and free Wi-Fi feeling like an essential part of daily life, it is very easy to go to a local café and feel at home.
Let’s have a look at some of the dangers one faces when connecting to a public network:
It’s easy to take for granted that a venue’s network actually belongs to that specific venue.
How many times have you sat down at a cafe and connected to the venue’s network at the click of a button? It’s this simplicity that hackers take advantage of when creating a malicious access point.
It’s very easy for an attacker to create a fake page that looks very much like the real thing. For example, when you sign up to the network you may be redirected to a Facebook sign in page. This could potentially be a fake, and entering your details would send them straight to the cyber attacker.
Luckily there are small indicators that can help us, on most occasions, to know if a page is definitely a fake.
Facebook for example, encrypts all data sent to its pages by connecting its users via SSL.
If any page that typically connects through SSL doesn’t show a padlock next to the page address it’s best not to give personal details!
In an open network it is very easy for an attacker to capture the data traffic sent from your device. In fact, there are free easy to use apps, called “sniffing apps”, dedicated to this very purpose.
Although the common WPA2 routers do encrypt connections, these apps are capable of sniffing out the PSK (password). If an attacker does this they can then decrypt all traffic connected from a device to the network.
These risks have actually led police in Derbyshire in the UK to release a statement this month on the growing dangers of cyber crime:
“The UK now has more than 300,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, which means more people than ever before are potential targets for cyber criminals, simply because they don’t know how secure the networks they’re using are.”
Sadly, even when you’re connected to a venue’s actual network you have no guarantee of privacy. In fact, venues often use their public Wi-fi hotspots to gather information about consumers.
Though third-party data gathering isn’t likely to end up with your passwords or your identity being stolen, your personal details are often being taken without your consent.
Whilst most venues directly ask a customer for an email address or number in order to access their Wi-fi, some go the extra mile of injecting cookies into your device’s network in order to track your browser history, typically resulting in an onslaught of targeted ads.
A great way to protect yourself against these attacks as well as against sniffing apps is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. This will ensure that all data traffic from your device is encrypted, whether the page you’re visiting is secure or not.
Another step that can be taken is to use a personal mobile broadband dongle, which, though slower, can be used in public spaces and is less likely to be compromised.
The best bet always, however, is simply to avoid sharing personal information, especially bank details, when on a public network. Stick to that principal rule and you should be ok.
Happy browsing!
The post Is it safe to connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot? appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
As European Cyber Security Month gets underway, ESET’s Ondrej Kubovič offers some top tips when it comes to safe and secure online banking.
The post Do you know how to steer away from online banking trouble? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity.
Cybersecurity has gone from being a technical issue to one that needs consideration and leadership at a board level, according to an expert.
The post Cybersecurity ‘no longer a technical issue’ appeared first on WeLiveSecurity.
Renew your Panda Antivirus it’s easier than you think. Here’s how to do it.
You can renew your subscription in three ways:
On the homepage, go to “My Account” ➡ “Product Renewal”. To access your Renewals area you’ll have to enter your email address and customer ID. You can find your customer ID in the welcome email that you received after purchasing your product.
If you can’t find your customer ID, don’t worry. There are other ways to renew your subscription:
Alternatively,
Renew your subscription from the renewal notices you will receive at your mailbox or from the pop-up messages displayed by your antivirus.
Once in your personal area, select the protection whose subscription you want to renew. You will receive an email with a new activation code. Then, enter the new activation code in “My Products” ➡ “I have an activation code”. The next time you open your antivirus your protection will have been extended.
Follow these simple steps to remain protected!
The post Struggling with your Panda security subscription renewal? appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.
Users who have suffered from Polyglot ransomware, also known as MarsJoke, can now restore their files with the decryption tool developed by Kaspersky Lab.
The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) measures a nation’s commitment to cybersecurity and encourages countries to take the issue more seriously.
The post How do you work out a country’s level of cybersecurity? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity.
Prague, Czech Republic / Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 30, 2016 – Avast Software, the leader in digital security products for consumers and businesses, today announced it has acquired a majority stake in AVG Technologies after completing the initial offering period of its tender offer for all of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG). Therefore, they will operate as a single company as of Monday, October 3, 2016.
Vince Steckler is named the chief executive officer of the new Avast, overseeing more than $700M in revenue for 2016 for the newly-combined entity. Avast has transformed into a full service security company with the largest Consumer installed base in the world, and with significant Mobile, SMB and Mobile Enterprise businesses. As of the completion of the initial offering period of the tender offer, AVG’s CEO Gary Kovacs will be departing, but will be available on a consulting basis throughout the transition.
“The combined company now has over 400 million users, more than 40% of the world’s consumer PCs outside of China and the largest consumer security installed base in the world. If they were a country, we would have the 3rd largest population in the world,” said Vince Steckler, chief executive officer. “The US is now our number one market with 58 million users. We truly have global reach and are proud to be the most popular choice for security in the world.”
“We now have the technical breadth to provide superior protection for our customers. For example, our combined threat labs will have teams dedicated to emerging threats affecting consumers. These include social engineering threats, which are commonly used to target IoT devices, and ransomware, which we are fighting with machine learning technology. We believe we are now better equipped than ever to outsmart those who want to do harm to people online.”
By acquiring AVG, the new Avast has stronger protection for its customers. Avast now:
With the acquisition, Avast expands its SMB business and adds AVG’s strong reseller base, enabling Avast to support more and larger organizations. Avast is also gaining Location Labs and its carrier business, which Avast plans to invest in and expand overseas. Due to the closed infrastructure of mobile operating systems, mobile security and privacy protection technology is stronger when embedded in the carrier infrastructure. The Location Labs technology essentially provides a cloud-based solution to customers, bypassing the inefficiencies and insecurities of running within the mobile operating system.
Avast plans to create more and better products that will defend against the growing number of threats in the market. The company will continue to offer both the AVG and Avast branded products for the foreseeable future and to support all customers and partners for both product lines.
“We want our customers to be reassured that whether you use an AVG product or an Avast product, we will continue to support you. We are nothing without our customers and partners who have helped us get to where we are today,” said Vince Steckler.
As a result of the acquisition, Avast holds approximately 87.3% of AVG’s outstanding shares acquired upon the closing of the initial offering period for the tender offer. Avast also announced that it has commenced a subsequent offering period to provide AVG shareholders who have not yet tendered their shares the opportunity to do so. The subsequent offering period is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 14, 2016, unless extended. As described below, Avast plans to voluntarily delist AVG’s shares from the New York Stock Exchange promptly following the subsequent offering period.
The Transaction
On July 29, 2016, Avast Software B.V. and its parent company, Avast Holding B.V., commenced a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG Technologies N.V. at a purchase price of $25.00 per share in cash, without interest and less applicable withholding taxes or other taxes. The initial offering period for the tender offer and withdrawal rights expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on September 29, 2016. Based on information provided by the depositary for the offer, a total of 44,543,555 shares, representing approximately 87.3% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, had been validly tendered and had not been properly withdrawn as of the initial expiration of the offer (excluding 2,809,498 shares, representing approximately 5.5% of the aggregate number of shares outstanding, tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures that have not yet been delivered in settlement or satisfaction of such guarantee). Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. have accepted for payment all shares that were validly tendered and were not properly withdrawn from the offer, and payment for such shares will be made promptly in accordance with the terms of the offer.
Avast Software B.V. and Avast Holding B.V. also announced today the commencement of a subsequent offering period scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 14, 2016. Avast may extend the subsequent offering period to provide for a minority exit offering period of up to 10 business days to provide AVG shareholders who have not yet tendered their shares the opportunity to do so. All shares validly tendered during the subsequent offering period will be immediately accepted for payment, and tendering holders will thereafter promptly be paid the same form and amount of offer consideration as in the initial offering period. The procedures for tendering shares during the subsequent offering period are the same as those applicable to the initial offering period, except that (i) the guaranteed delivery procedures may not be used during the subsequent offering period and (ii) no withdrawal rights will apply to shares tendered during the subsequent offering period.
As more fully described in the offer to purchase, if the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is equal to at least 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast expects to acquire the ordinary shares of AVG that were not tendered into the tender offer through the compulsory share acquisition process under Section 2:92a/2:201a of the Dutch Civil Code. If the number of shares purchased during the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), together with the shares purchased during the initial offering period, is less than 95% of the outstanding ordinary shares of AVG, Avast plans to effect an asset sale pursuant to which Avast will acquire substantially all of the assets, and assume substantially all of the liabilities, of AVG promptly following the tender offer. Following the completion of the asset sale, AVG will be liquidated and the remaining minority shareholders of AVG will receive cash distributions with respect to each ordinary share owned by them equal to the per share cash consideration paid in the tender offer less any applicable dividend withholding tax or any other taxes.
As soon as practicable following the completion of the subsequent offering period (including, if applicable, the minority exit offering period), AVG intends to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange. AVG also intends to deregister its shares under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”) and to suspend its reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, but will only be eligible to do so upon satisfaction of the applicable requirements for deregistration.
AVG has submitted written notice to the New York Stock Exchange of its intent to voluntarily delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange in connection with the tender offer. AVG intends to file a Form 25, Notification of Removal from Listing and/or Registration under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to delist its shares promptly following the subsequent offering period. Delisting from the NYSE is expected to become effective 10 days after the filing date of the Form 25.
The AVG shares will not be listed or registered on another national securities exchange. Delisting is likely to reduce significantly the liquidity and marketability of any AVG shares that have not been tendered pursuant to the tender offer.
Advisors
Jefferies International Limited is acting as exclusive financial advisor, and White & Case LLP and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. are acting as legal advisors to Avast. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to AVG, Bridge Street Securities, LLC is acting as financial advisor to the supervisory board of AVG, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Allen & Overy LLP are acting as legal advisors to AVG.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “are confident that,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” “would” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties related to, among other things: general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which Avast and AVG operate; the uncertainty of regulatory approvals; AVG’s delisting from the New York Stock Exchange and suspension of AVG’s reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and to consummate the transactions and their plans described in this press release; and AVG’s performance and maintenance of important business relationships. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in AVG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including AVG’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and neither Avast nor AVG assumes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of AVG. The solicitation and offer to purchase ordinary shares of AVG is being made pursuant to a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an Offer to Purchase, a related letter of transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, filed by Avast with the SEC on July 29, 2016 (as subsequently amended, the “Tender Offer Statement”). AVG filed a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer with the SEC on July 29, 2016 (as subsequently amended, the “Solicitation/Recommendation Statement”). AVG shareholders are urged to read the Tender Offer Statement and Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, as they may be amended from time to time, as well as any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, carefully and in their entirety because they will contain important information that AVG shareholders should consider before making any decision regarding tendering their securities. The Tender Offer Statement and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement are available for free at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by AVG will be available free of charge on AVG’s website at investors.avg.com.
Summer is over and so is one of our internship programs: besides enjoying ice cream and great barbecues on the terrace with the Avirans, four young students spent their summer developing a very cool IT project.
The post Summer Internship @Avira: A dream come true appeared first on Avira Blog.
