Tag Archives: Antivirus

No More Ransom — 15 New Ransomware Decryption Tools Available for Free

No More Ransom, so is the Ransomware Threat.

Launched less than a year ago, the No More Ransom (NMR) project has increased its capacity with new partners and new decryption tools added to its now global campaign to combat Ransomware.

Started as a joint initiative by Europol, the Dutch National Police, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab, No More Ransom is an anti-ransomware cross-industry

Hackers stole $800,000 from ATMs using Fileless Malware

Hackers targeted at least 8 ATMs in Russia and stole $800,000 in a single night, but the method used by the intruders remained a complete mystery with CCTV footage just showing a lone culprit walking up to the ATM and collecting cash without even touching the machine.

Even the affected banks could not find any trace of malware on its ATMs or backend network or any sign of an intrusion. The

University @Avira: Predicting error-related user behavior in Avira Antivirus

University @Avira: Predicting error-related user behavior in Avira Antivirus

The best way to learn Data Science is to do data science. Following this motto, Avira collaborated with the University of Liechtenstein and participated at the winter semester 2016/2017 seminar “Data Science” with a real-world data science problem. Liene Blija, Christian Holder, Jan Plojhar, and Martin Lukšík — four brave students — accepted the challenge to […]

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Protect your social media account in these 5 simple steps

It’s pervasive; it’s everywhere. It can even rig national elections according to some well-known experts and academics. No, we’re not talking about Vladimir Putin’s team of world-class cyber spies. We’re talking about the medium of social media.

Hate it or love it, social media is here to stay. It’s bringing us closer to one another, and it’s helping us keep in touch across vast distances. Hey, it’s even helping us reconnect with these long-lost, faraway people we thought we’d never hear from again. Like, ever. And on the other hand, it’s hard to remain anonymous these days.

There are many people who decide not to store and share information on their social networks in order to avoid risks

It is smarter to share content on social networks from a cyber-secure point of view than to try to do not to exist digitally

The kind of information we share on social media is very personal and everyone posts what they concon disider necessary. However, we live in a hyper-connected society and there’s a lot of effort to be made to avoid leaving our mark on the Internet. Sooner or later, somebody ends up doing it for us. It is smarter to share content on social networks from a cyber-secure point of view than to try to do not to exist digitally. At least in the first case, what you have on the Internet is protected, “says Hervé Lambert, Global Consumer Operations Manager at Panda Security.

We are not saying we ought to pull the plug on this social media thing altogether. It has too many advantages to give up… But with the rise of fake news and cyber insecurity, we need to be protected.

Malware programs

As an example malware, short for malicious software, are computer programs that get installed on your device – often inadvertently. It may just be a brief moment of inattention, one rapid click, and boom! A malware installs itself on your hard drive if you are not protected.

Malware programs will then disrupt normal operations, and they might collect personal data like bank details, credit card information, and passwords. Briefly, anything valuable to any mildly talented crook. And let’s face it, by listening to the news, it’s seems that there are many of them out there.

Nothing is more important than the safety of the people who use Facebook, and the security of their data.

According to Facebook, “nothing is more important than the safety of the people who use Facebook, and the security of their data.” That’s re-assuring. The company has a Security Team dedicated to keeping you safe. Apparently, they’ve pioneered multiple defense systems against spam, viruses and phishing attacks. And even though Facebook has some automated enforcement mechanisms that are meant to shut down malicious apps, pages or accounts quickly, sometimes troubles makers manage to people like you.

Prevention is the best cure, therefore, why not implement these easy steps to protect your social media accounts?

  • Step 1: Choose a secure password. The bottom line is you need a more robust password. Sorry to disappoint, but if you think pa55word is a safe option then think again. Someone figured that one out a long time ago.
  • Step 2: Don’t put sensitive information in your profile. Why would anyone want to do this anyway? Like your mother would say: “if in doubt, leave it out.”
  • Step 3: Refuse to let ANY application access your profile. That’s right, and we mean it: deny access to all of them. They promise to make your life easier, but they might end up making your life a nightmare instead!
  • Step 4: Don’t click on suspicious links, however tempting they may look. It’s not worth it! Think before you take action.
  • Step 5: adjust your privacy settings. There’s a reason why these settings exist, familiarize yourself with them and review them regularly. You’ll thank us later!

And remember that if you think your device may have been infected with malware, fear not: help is available. Anti-virus specialists like us propose an advanced, dynamic, ever-evolving cyber-security model based on the principles of artificial intelligence. In short: we’ve got your back.

We developed, patented sets of proactive technologies aimed at blocking unknown viruses, along with the Collective Intelligence model. This system is the first to automatically detect, analyze, and classify malware in real time. We are very proud of our product and remember, your safety is our priority!

The post Protect your social media account in these 5 simple steps appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Paying taxes is taxing enough

6 steps to protect yourself from being fleeced

The following could be the story plot of the next Hollywood horror blockbuster. Average Paul works hard all year to put food on the table like millions of Americans. And being the good guy that he is, Average Paul understands that paying taxes is part of the game (even though he feels he pays too much of it).

Now, Average Paul has heard he could file his taxes online. He thinks it’s worth a shot: he’s expecting a bit of money back, and if there’s enough, he’ll take the family to Indiana to visit the in-laws. Some websites even say e-filing with them is completely free so why would he go to a physical agent. There’s nothing wrong about that!

So far, so good.

The IRS, which administers the Internal Revenue Code here in the US, is keen to get a share of Average Paul’s revenues and has set-up a secured website for that very purpose. So has scammer Joe Crook, but his website isn’t secure at all. And this is where the horror story begins.

Average Paul is a busy guy, he’s gone online at the end of his latest shift, and he’s entered all sort of personal information on a website he found on Google. The problem is, he’s not on the IRS Internet site, neither he is on a certified website that helps in preparing and e-filing his federal and state Income taxes. He’s made his way onto Joe Crook’s fake website, and he’s about to get scammed.

Preparing your tax returns is a battle itself. Everyone wants to pay the least they can. It’s one of those universal truths. How can you make sure you’re not sharing confidential details with shady characters like Joe Crook? How can you do the right thing without being left out of pocket later on?

How to keep your sensitive information secure and share it only with the right people?

Follow these six steps for complete peace of mind:

  • Make sure the website you’re on is legit. It sounds like a no-brainer, but scammers are well-versed in creating sites that look the real thing. They will even use similar logos and design to spoof you. Don’t be fooled by bogus websites that mirror the official IRS website, or the ones that claim to be secure and help you save money, but a lacking a simple https:// encryption.
  • Stay clear of phishing threats: The IRS saw a 400 percent surge in phishing and malware incidents in the 2016 tax season. We are pretty sure numbers are rising in the current 2017 tax season. Don’t let Joe Crook pose as a government representative, or someone who claims can help you save money.
  • Take control of your email inbox. Don’t act upon emails instructing you to “update your IRS e-file immediately.” Unsurprisingly, such emails are unlikely to originate from an official government agency. Always be careful and verify the origin of the email.
  • Keep your wits about yourself. Scammers change tactics all the time – countless individuals fall for the typical IRS phone impersonation scam. Don’t be one of them, and don’t give away personal information if you receive a call from someone claiming he represents IRS. It is very likely, he/she doesn’t.
  • File your tax return on time. It sounds obvious, and it is: you’re much more likely to fall for a scam if you’ve missed that crucial deadline. Scammers will attempt to put you under pressure, so beat the rush by filing in early. Be smart!
  • Be protected! Having in mind, we are spending a huge portion of our time staring at screens at work or using our mobile handsets; we need to make sure the information on these devices is secure. Antivirus companies, like Panda Security, are here to the rescue informing you every time you go to a website that might be harmful.

Last year the IRS disclosed that more than 700,000 social security numbers and other sensitive information had been stolen. Sadly, there’s no silver bullet to protect yourself when those entrusted with our information fail to keep it safe! Fortunately, you can take action by protecting your computer and mobile devices from malware and virus with Panda Security. The company has brought to the market multiple packages to suit all budgets. It pays to protect your computer.

This tax season, be clever and don’t let Joe Crook fleece you out. By being protected, you are not only saving yourself, but you are preventing Joe Crook from developing his so-called “business.” Don’t support the scammers by being unprepared!

The post Paying taxes is taxing enough appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Dridex Banking Trojan Gains ‘AtomBombing’ Code Injection Ability to Evade Detection

Security researchers have discovered a new variant of Dridex – one of the most nefarious banking Trojans actively targeting financial sector – with a new, sophisticated code injection technique and evasive capabilities called “AtomBombing.”

On Tuesday, researchers with IBM X-Force disclosed new research, exposing the new Dridex version 4, which is the latest version of the infamous financial

Critical Flaw in ESET Antivirus Exposes Mac Users to Remote Hacking

What could be more exciting for hackers than exploiting a vulnerability in a widely used software without having to struggle too much?

One such easy-to-exploit, but critical vulnerability has been discovered in ESET’s antivirus software that could allow any unauthenticated attackers to remotely execute arbitrary code with root privileges on a Mac system.

The critical security flaw, tracked

The technical support scam and how to avoid it

When talking about cybersecurity, we instantly think of viruses and malware. But advances in personal computer security have made it much harder for hackers to infect your PC through traditional channels like email.

As a result, they have developed new attack methods to get around your defences using a range of techniques, on and off-line. One of the most used and also successful is the “Technical Support Scam” that combines social engineering and technology to empty a victim’s bank account.

What is the Technical Support Scam?

Social engineering relies on building trust with a victim, before tricking them into doing something that gets around their security defences. In the case of the Support Scam, criminals telephone their victims pretending to be from a reputable business, like Microsoft or your security or telephone provider – a company name you recognize.

Posing as an engineer, the hacker informs their target that they have already fallen victim to criminals, and they must take urgent action to plug the security gap. The victim is asked to visit a webpage from their computer, and to download a remote control tool that will allow the engineer to access their system to perform “repair work”.

Once in control of the computer, the “engineer” may call up the computer’s event log and show a number of scary looking (but completely harmless) alerts. They will then suggest downloading further tools that allow them to fix these errors.

Unfortunately these tools are actually malware that will steal valuable information from the victim’s computer – particularly online banking details and passwords. The victim may feel that the engineer has done them a favor, but the reality is that they have invited the hacker to steal from them.

Avoiding the Technical Support Scam

There are several ways you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of this scam. These four tips will help keep you safe:

1. Use your common sense

Microsoft or Panda (for example) never ring customers to inform them of security problems. These companies may provide assistance by telephone, but they never call you first. In fact, unless you pay for a third party technical support service, no one should call you about problems with your computer or router.

No matter how urgent the issue sounds, anyone claiming to be calling about PC security problems is lying.

2.Protect your personal and sensitive information

Never give your account numbers or passwords to anyone over the phone or the Internet unless you are 100% sure who they are. If you are in any doubt at all, hang up. Keep in mind that fraudulent activities are profitable for the bad guys.
A good rule to follow for any incoming call: never hand over your credit card or bank details. Just don’t do it!

3. If you have a doubt: tell everyone about it

The Telephone Support Scam preys on people’s insecurity about their lack of tech knowledge. It is very easy to be a victim, and the best defence is sharing knowledge – telling other people about this scam, and what the criminals are doing. It is much easier to put the phone down if you know that the call is a scam.

You should also consider reporting the scam to the company being investigated. If you do, make sure you find the right details though.

4. Protect your PC in advance

Do not forget to use antivirus protection for all your devices. If your device is protected by an anti-malware toolkit, it will not be generating security errors online or anywhere else. So you know that someone claiming you have a problem is also lying.

If your computer does not have an up-to-date security toolkit installed, you must act now – download a free trial of Panda Security to get started.

Most social engineering attacks can be avoided by taking a second to think through the implications of what you are being told. You must not allow yourself to be bullied into making what could be a very costly mistake.

For more useful tips and advice about staying safe online, please check out the Panda Security knowledge base.

The post The technical support scam and how to avoid it appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Tips to find online love safely

Online dating fraud victims at record high

The rise of online dating has been phenomenal. In fact, a research paper published by the Association for Psychological Research found that online dating services are now the second most popular way for people to find love.

For those hoping to begin a romantic relationship this is great news – there’s a huge number of people available who are also looking for love.
For those hoping to begin a romantic relationship this is great news – there’s a huge number of people available who are also looking for love.

But just like every other online activity, you need to be smart.

So how can you protect yourself?

1. Don’t share too much information

Many people run into problems because they share too much information up front. Including your email address or personally identifiable information in your profile picture gives away details that cybercriminals can later exploit.

Instead, use the communications tools provided by the dating service to share information once you are sure your date is trustworthy.

2. Don’t download attachments

We all love to receive Valentines cards, and criminals will use this against us. Never download ecards from dubious websites because they may contain malware that will infect your computer, stealing personal data.

You can help protect yourself against dodgy ecards with robust antivirus software. Scan all your incoming email attachments to avoid becoming a victim.

Download a free trial of Panda Security now to ensure you are protected.

3. Don’t share bank details

Dating sites are a great way to meet people and find love across the world. But beware of anyone asking you to pay for them to visit you – they may be using a phishing scam to steal more than your heart.

Never give your bank details to anyone online, no matter how hard you have fallen for them. Some unscrupulous scammers will take that information and use it to empty your bank account.

Be sensible

It’s always hard to remain objective when you are falling in love, and that’s why criminals target dating sites. But to stay safe, you must follow these three simple rules, or risk becoming another statistic.

The good news is that by keeping personal information private, avoiding suspicious email attachments, and not sharing your bank details, you have everything in place for when you do find “the one”.

Good luck, and happy Valentine’s Day!

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