Category Archives: Panda Security

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Panda Security

When Minecraft Meets IT Security

 

minecraft panda

The phenomenon that is Minecraft began life back in 2009 as a sandbox construction game and has grown into one of the most popular games in history with hundreds of millions of players all over the world interacting via computers, consoles and mobile devices – there is even a dedicated version for the Raspberry Pi where programmers are encouraged to modify the game code for educational purposes.

Video game merchandise based around the Minecraft world tops the UK charts for sales in 2014 and over 2 million Minecraft books were sold in the UK last year.

The fan-base have created extraordinary objects and landscapes including a 1:25 scale Ordnance Survey map of the UK, a working 16-bit computer and a plan for a life size model of the British Museum is underway.

There are YouTube channels dedicated solely to Minecraft and top vloggers such as Stampy (@stampylongnose) who dedicate their lives making Minecraft adventures to show their millions of followers – with nearly 4 billion Minecraft videos viewed on YouTube every month.

The beginning of a single-player game of Minecraft is ensuring your character ‘Steve’ survives after being dropped alone into a digital world with empty pockets. ‘Steve’ must mine the resources needed to build a home and craft tools to protect him against the monsters which come out in the dark.

minecraft

This process parallels the need to protect a new computer or mobile device before it is exposed to cyberthreats – the very first thing you should do is gather security resources and craft them into protective walls and tools against the ‘monsters’ from the dark side of the Internet.

Minecraft users are well aware of these threats as recently an unpatched vulnerability, first reported to Mojang in July 2013, was published allowing Minecraft servers to be crashed

Back in January 2015 nearly two thousand Minecraft users had their login credentials leaked online with the hackers stating they had many more. How the hackers obtained the credentials is unknown with possibilities ranging from blunt force (zombie mob) guessing of credentials, targeted phishing attacks (skeletons), or even a security breach (Ender Dragon) at Mojang itself – something which the Microsoft owned software developer has since denied.

Other monsters and environmental dangers within Minecraft are also analogous to the various types of cyberthreats including:

  • Pervasive Creepers are the explosive old-skool malware simply out to cause destruction.
  • Pools of lava and rock falls can appear at any time while mining just as a drive-by vulnerability of a compromised website can infect your device while browsing.
  • Falling into a pool of lava will not only kill you, but also cause the loss of all the precious objects and clothing being carried – ensure you back up your important files to provide extra security against destructive malware and ransomware.
  • Dual threats come from Spider Jockeys similar to a vulnerability allowing malware to silently infiltrate the computer – the vulnerability must be patched and the malware cleaned to ensure enemy is vanquished.
  • The largest and most complex Minecraft threat is the Ender Dragon which uses a multitude of attack methods similar to modern Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) – only a layered security approach, user vigilance and auditing tools (or a very heavily armed ‘Steve’) can mitigate.

Luckily there are numerous security tools that can stop these monstrous problems interfering with the smooth-running of your digital life:

  • The Antivirus and firewall are your house and walls stopping the majority of everyday threats.
  • Proactive cloud-based detection is your armour protecting you wherever you go against new and unknown threats from all directions.
  • Specific security tools are your sword, pick and shovel in the forms of virtual keyboards, application control and USB vaccines.
  • If you are lost within the labyrinth of caverns then Mobile Device Locators are your map and compass, and antitheft may restore your resources when stolen by monsters.
  • A lightweight security solution which protects without impacting on your device performance will allow you to carry all you want – Imagine discovering a huge seam of diamonds without being able to carry an iron pickaxe as your pack is full software bloat.

Panda Security offer a variety of free and paid for solutions for consumers and businesses to protect you against the cyberthreats visit Panda Security for details.

Neil Martin – Head of Marketing at the UK & Ireland arm of Panda Security

The post When Minecraft Meets IT Security appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

Panda Antivirus 2015 latest update: all about our three great innovations

panda simplexity change

If you are reading this after being informed by your computer that your product has been automatically updated, probably by now you have realized we have a new look&feel.

The panda bear located next to your PC’s clock which has always looked after your security while you enjoyed your online freedom has changed its looks to better represent our new corporate identity. Now we are Simplexity!

This new version 15.1, of consumer products, integrates some other important improvements like:

  • Improvement of our XMT engine, it has now greater protection capacity against new threats. To prove this we just have to look at the latest results obtained in the last Real World Protection Test carried out by AV-Comparatives, in which this new version detected 99, 8% of the threats, that’s an excellent result!

panda avcomparatives

  • Product performance maximization, integrating file copies and network analysis optimizations.
  • The possibility of launching the virtual keyboard from the new icon’s menu and Parental Control predefined profiles (available in Panda Internet Security and higher), are some of the improvements included in our paid products.

As you can see, we keep adapting and improving our services after receiving our users’ community feedback.

You are the reason we keep working to improve our security solutions in all devices! In the next few weeks we will announce new features… Stay tuned!

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Panda Security

Mass emails without BCC and other unsafe (and illegal) habits

computer on the table

Either by mistake or ignorance, your company may be facing a hefty fine. You may ask yourself why? The answer, the daily emails your employees send to multiple clients massively. Do they send them using blind carbon copy (bcc)?

Inside the Spanish Organic Law on Personal Data Protection (LOPD) lies the exact explanation to why one of those emails sent to multiple clients without concealing their addresses may cost your company dear.

When managing a company’s client data base the responsibility is to protect them. This consists on not sharing or selling their information to others, people or companies. Here lays the problem with emails sent without bcc, every recipient can see who has received that same email which according to the LOPD is a serious offense.

It can turn out to be a very expensive mistake, if any of the recipients decided to report your company. The law provides fines between 40.000 and 300.000 euros, although normally sanctions end up being lower, depending on the number of affected clients or on how many times the mistake had been committed.

How to avoid it?

If you want to avoid making this mistakes is as simple as paying a bit of attention when sending mass emailing. Just add the recipients’ addresses through the Bcc button which is on the email top bar. This way the recipients’ addresses will be hidden and won’t be visible to those who had received that same email.

BCC

However, mass mailing without adding the recipients to the Bcc list is not the only problem a company might have while communicating, their presence in social networks can play an important role if used without caution.

We find Twitter is the most problematic one. If a company decided to follow unilaterally other users it may be breaking the Spanish Organic Law on Personal Data Protection and the Law of Services of the Information Society. You may wonder why? The reason is that a simple “follow” on Twitter is considered a commercial communication. And if the communication hadn’t been previously approved by the other user we will be looking at a case of spam.

twitter

In this case the solution is also simple, though it may be a bit painful for companies that will no longer be able to follow thousands of Twitter users. To do so and not be considered spam, companies must previously obtain the other users’ consent. In this case, the user following the company’s Twitter account may be understood as the necessary consent.

The whole company must be aware of the information its employees handle daily, everyone else’s information must be also protected, especially online. Something as simple as sending emails using bcc or choosing who our company follows on Twitter, may be enough to protect the information of others, and to avoid penalty.

The post Mass emails without BCC and other unsafe (and illegal) habits appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

What is Sextortion, and how can it affect your business?

sextortion

Sexting can affect your company. Although it seems like there is little relevance between two people sharing intimate pictures and the workplace, in fact it can trigger a real business crisis.

Everything due to the so-called sextortion. Someone with whom we have shared intimate pictures blackmails you to obtain more pictures, money, sex or even, confidential information. All in exchange for not making the pictures public and ruining the victim’s reputation.

There are many ways sextortion can affect a company. The personal impact on the worker who is being blackmailed can impact on the company’s brand, but not only that, the extortionist can ask the victim for confidential information on the company he works for in exchange for not publishing the images, so the company may also be at risk.

Sextortion in four stages

As the expert in online reputation, Selva Orejon explains, Sextortion comes in four stages in which anyone can fall into the blackmailer’s trap, so stay vigilant.

  1. The cybercriminal looks for his target, analyzing who will be able to cope financially with the extortion or, just looking for the right profile. According to Orejón, they target people with low self-esteem that search the internet looking for a relationship and have a false sense of security and intimacy.
  2. The cybercriminal adjust himself to what his victim wants. Orejón says that the blackmailer’s main objective is becoming the perfect chameleon and ending up being the kind of person that their target is interested in.
  3. The blackmailer gains his victim trust to such extent that the victim sends him intimate pictures or videos with sexual content.
  4. Finally the cybercriminal carries out the extortion, asking the victim to give him something in return if he doesn’t want the pictures to go public. Something that obviously will ruin the victim’s reputation at home or at work.

Where does Sextortion happen?

You can fall victim of sextortion in any social network or chat. However, there are some networks were victims are more accessible and others in which the threat to the business world is more real.

Cybercriminals find sites like Badoo and other online dating platforms their perfect fishing ground. After all, these users are looking for someone to start a relationship with, so they are more open to make contact with strangers.

LinkedIn is where a case of sextortion can ruin our professional reputation. In order to get a quicker reaction from their victims, cybercriminals change from personal to professional blackmail. The criminal chooses his victim form the professional social network and then threatens to expose him to his contacts if he doesn’t give him what he wants.

Any kind of sextortion can jeopardize a company’s image, since the security and reputation of one of its employees is on the line. And, if the cybercriminal asks for business information as ransom, the company can face serious problems.

That’s way it’s important to advise your employees of the risks associated with sexting and the importance of taking all the necessary precautions when sharing pictures, especially if they are delicate.

The post What is Sextortion, and how can it affect your business? appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

How to ensure your company’s email with Email Protection

Did you know that…

  • … 95% of the email received in the companies is either infected or spam?
  • … insufficient email security means loss of productivity, server failure, saturated networks and decrease of the business activity?
  •  … EP minimizes the resources consumed and requires no infrastructure?
  • … offers an immediate protection against virus and spam?
  • … is very easy to deploy and to use?

Try Email Protection, our Email Security Software, and forget the problems!

The post How to ensure your company’s email with Email Protection appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

New version of Endpoint Protection, our leading antivirus for corporate environments

antivirus for business

Panda Security presents its light, simple and cross-platform security solution for endpoints.

Endpoint Protection, our corporate antivirus, offers continuous and centralized protection for your Windows, Mac and Linux systems, including laptops, servers, leading virtualization systems and Android devices.

“With Panda Enpoint Protection 7.20 we continue to strengthen our cross-platform security solutions by securing one of companies’ weakest and most vulnerable points: mobile devices,” explained Eduardo Fernández, Product Marketing Manager at Panda.

And if you need an additional layer of  protection, try Endpoint Protection Plus, which includes protection for Exchange servers, anti-spam, Web monitoring and filtering, and anti-theft features for mobile devices.

anti-theft protection

Cross-platform protection

As forecast by our colleagues at PandaLabs at the beginning of the year, in 2015 attacks on smartphones, and especially those running Android, are set to reach new levels. Not only will they increase, they will also become more complex, and they will all have a common target: to steal users’ personal data.

This is particularly serious in the case of company smartphones and tablets, and cyber-criminals will do anything to get hold of this information.

If 2014 saw more Android malware  in circulation that ever before, all indications are that in 2015 these threats will grow exponentially, as will the number of victims.

In this context, it will be essential for users to have antivirus protection on mobile devices. “Our ultimate goal is to help customers seal off this major malware entry point,” added Fernández.

Endpoint Protection: Benefits

  • Easy-to-use protection for all devices
  • Remediation actions
  • Real-time monitoring and reports
  • Profile-based configuration
  • Centralized device control
  • Quick, simple installation
  • Malware Freezer to “freeze” detected malware for seven days, and restore files in the event of a false positive.

Additionally, Endpoint Protection Plus includes:

  • Anti-spam and Web filtering
  • Anti-theft protection for mobile devices

If you are interested in trying our solutions, request a free demo of:

ENDPOINT PROTECTION
ENDPOINT PROTECTION PLUS

 

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Panda Security

Panda Security launches Endpoint Protection including protection for Android

Panda Security is launching Endpoint Protection 7.20, the cross-platform solution that offers businesses the best protection delivered from the cloud rapidly, simply and efficiently. This product represents the new version of Panda Cloud Office Protection (PCOP) and Panda Cloud Office Protection Advanced (PCOPA), now called Endpoint Protection and Endpoint Protection Plus respectively. Both versions include security for Android with antivirus protection.

New protection for Android systems

The new version of Endpoint Protection now includes an important new feature: protection for Android systems. “Attacks on smartphones, and especially those running Android, are set to reach new levels. Not only will they increase, they will also become more complex, and they will all have a common target: to steal users’ personal data”, warns Roberto Fernández, Product Manager at Panda Security.

“We are increasingly storing more and more data on smartphones, and cyber-criminals will do anything to get hold of this information. All indications are that in 2015 these threats will grow exponentially, as will the number of victims, and as such it will be essential for users to have antivirus protection”, adds Fernández.

protection, security, mobile, endpoint protection

 

Automatic organization by IP address

Panda Security has also included in this solution a system for automatically organizing computers by IP address. This way, users with Endpoint Protection installed will be able to set rules to automatically distribute computers into groups and assign a configuration profile to them based on their IP addresses.

Improved security for users’ login credentials

The new versions of this solution now include an Identity Provider system to enhance customers’ security. Instead of passwords, customers will now receive a link through which to create their own user. This will offer them greater autonomy by allowing them to make any changes whenever they need.

‘Plus’ version offers added value

Though both Endpoint and Endpoint Plus include antivirus for Android, the ‘Plus’ version also provides anti-theft protection for businesses that want even greater control over devices.

This anti-theft feature in Endpoint Protection Plus enables the locking and remote wiping of devices to prevent thieves from accessing confidential data. It also includes a geo-locating feature and even the possibility to take a photo of the person who has stolen the device.

The post Panda Security launches Endpoint Protection including protection for Android appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

Panda Security presents a new generation of high-performance UTM devices

Panda Security presents the latest generation of Gatedefender e250 and e500 UTM devices to tackle the security crisis affecting companies. These new models replace the previous e9100lite and e9100 versions.

The Gatedefender e250 and e500 devices provide an effective way of ensuring continuous high-level protection. In short, they deliver an advanced security service from a single solution: deep packet inspection firewall, application firewall, VPN, anti-spam, Web traffic and email filter in the Internet gateway as well as a powerful hotspot module.

 

gatedefender, device, e250 y e500

High performance protection

The major advance in Gatedefender e250 and e500 is undoubtedly high performance, with both models offering speeds rated in terms of Gbit/s instead of Mbit/s. The firewall throughput in Gatedefender e250 has leapt from 800 Mbit/s to 5.1 Gbit/s, a notable increase. The same is true for Gatedefender e500, which has gone from 1474 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s.

The IPS throughput has also undergone a substantial improvement, from 95 Mbit/s to 590 Mbit/s in Gatedefender e250, while in Gatedefender e500 the previous rate of 121 Mbit/s now reaches 600 Mbit/s.

“With the Gatedefender e250 and e500 models we are introducing a new generation of UTM devices that represents a major qualitative advance for our product portfolio. At Panda Security we have managed to exponentially increase the performance of our products without affecting the price. All this boosts our competitiveness in the market”, explains Miriam Serna, Gatedefender Product Manager at Panda Security.

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Panda Security

Amazon-Gift: the latest virus in WhatsApp

whatsapp virus

We are always saying that WhatsApp is the favorite platform for cybercriminals to play around. And if we add the name of a giant like Amazon, the scam is bound to be a success.

The Trojan known as Amazon-Gift tell users through a WhatsApp message that both companies have joined and they are offering a gift-card. And if the user wants to obtain the check he must click on a link.

According to Tecnoexplora, this hoax is expanding through Asia and it won’t be long until it reaches the rest of the world.

But cybercriminals have gone a little further, urging users to click quickly if they want to be one of the lucky customers to win the prize as there are only 18.000 gift cards available.

The prize is none other than a Trojan that will infect your mobile phone and add it to a network from which other cyber-attacks will be launched.

So, now you know if someone sends you an Amazon-Gift forget it and don’t click on the link!

The post Amazon-Gift: the latest virus in WhatsApp appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.

Panda Security

How to clean up your computer for free

 

free antivirus

There are some viruses that although they don’t completely block a computer, they can still affect its performance. Have you noticed your computer slowing down but don’t know why? Do you think it could be infected? Try Panda Cloud Cleaner, our disinfection tool, and you can resolve these and other issues.

Panda Cloud Cleaner is an advanced antivirus based on Collective Intelligence (scanning in the cloud) which removes malware that traditional antivirus solutions are unable to detect. This free disinfection tool will help you remove viruses such as the notorious Police virus.

How to clean up your PC with Panda Cloud Cleaner

Follow these steps to use our free disinfection tool, Panda Cloud Cleaner.

1. Download the free antivirus.

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Start

 

2. Follow the instructions in the program installer.

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Welcome

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Scanning

 

3. Wait until all installation files have been copied.

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Extracting

 

4. When this is complete, click Finish.

Free Antivirus

 

5. Click Accept and Scan in the Panda Cloud Cleaner window.

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Accept

 

6. When the scan is complete, Panda Cloud Cleaner will display a summary of the malware detected. Check the list of detections carefully to avoid deleting legitimate software and click Clean.

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Finish

Panda Cloud Cleaner - Success

 

Would you like to try our free antivirus on your PC?
Free Antivirus

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