Tag Archives: Cybersecurity

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Addressing Cybersecurity for Small & Medium Businesses

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Perspectives on cybersecurity continue to evolve as our level of ‘connectedness’ and awareness of potential threats increases. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, many security experts believe there are two types of businesses, “…those that have been hacked and know it, and those that have been hacked and don’t know it yet.” While this overstates the situation a bit, it does highlight the urgency to address cybersecurity, even for small businesses. As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce suggests, the question isn’t if, it’s when.

Both Europe and the U.S. have designated October as cybersecurity month, highlighting the importance of this issue to business. One of the governmental organizations addressing the issue is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST is currently in the revision phase of its report, Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals, by Richard Kissel and Hyunjeong Moon. In partnership with the Small Business Administration and the FBI, NIST is one of the governmental organizations reaching out to the small business community and providing guidance on how to address cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity is not an all-or-nothing effort. NIST recognizes that the appropriate security measures may differ from company to company and that not every company will be able to implement every possible measure quickly. Nonetheless, they have classified a number of cybersecurity practices as ‘absolutely necessary’ and suggest that every small business adopts them to protect their information, systems and networks.

These practices include:

  1. Protecting information/systems/networks from damage by viruses, spyware, and other malicious code
  2. Protecting a company’s Internet connection
  3. Installing and activating software firewalls on all business systems
  4. Patching operating systems and applications
  5. Making backup copies of important business data/information
  6. Training employees in basic security principles

A great starting point for evaluating a businesses security status and potential risk is to use the “AVG Small Business Security Healthcheck” tool that AVG Business provides for free on our website. In just a few minutes a business can generate a cybersecurity profile that can be used internally, or with an IT solution provider that understands the company’s network and business practices, to ensure the right solutions are put in place.

In many cases, security experts will advise, as NIST has, that protecting against viruses and malware and installing firewalls are critical steps. This can be easily accomplished with software solutions including the just updated AVG AntiVirus and AVG Internet Security solutions from AVG Business. With exceptionally easy user interfaces and automated protection features, special knowledge isn’t required to provide protection across an entire business. Making sure that antivirus is in place and firewalls are working are the first and easiest steps a company can take.

Addressing cybersecurity for small and medium businesses has clearly risen to mission-critical status, but that doesn’t mean it has to impact a company’s resources, finances or operations. With a network of more than 10,000 partners, an active channel community, and software solutions that are continuously updated to address changing security needs, AVG Business is certain that every business can establish strong cybersecurity measures and worry less about potential threats. If your company hasn’t yet embarked on a cybersecurity plan, now is a good time to start.

AVG

Gamers can have a big impact on cybersecurity

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Video games are very big business. The industry was calculated at $22.41 billion in the U.S. alone, by the researchers at NPD Group in 2014.

The insatiable appetite for games and resulting economic impact of gamers has been credited with driving major tech industry advancements, from better graphics that require ever-higher processor speed to driving down costs of pricey tech innovations making it more accessible in all markets.

Perhaps now is time for gamers and game developers to play a role in helping to shape cybersecurity.

New research shows concerns about cybersecurity among gamers and that the majority of gamers lack confidence in game developers’ ability to ensure their security. According to a new study by PlayFab, the back-end services provider for games, 83% of gamers believe that game developers should be responsible for securing a player’s personal data – though fewer than 40% said they currently feel confident with the safeguards.

When asked about the security of their game accounts and experiences, more than 80% ranked either personally identifiable or financial related information as the most important thing to protect. The concern is not surprising, considering high profile data security breaches that have taken place across the industry, including the huge hack of the Sony PlayStation Network, when hackers stole identity information for up to 77 million players.

“These survey results underscore both the opportunity for game developers to improve trust by focusing on security measures, and the importance that they do so to safeguard an audience that relies on them,” noted James Gwertzman, co-founder and CEO of PlayFab.

Meanwhile, gamers are also being enlisted to help the cybersecurity industry fight cybercrime – by doing what they do best.

In the UK, gamers are being recruited to fill the cybersecurity skills gap as part of the Cybersecurity Challenge UK, a government and industry-backed program designed to promote cybersecurity as a profession.

As part of the effort, the UK government has launched a new 3D video game platform, a browser-based massively multiplayer online game (MMO), where members of the general public of all ages and abilities are invited to participate and crack codes in cybersecurity games.

Stephanie Daman, the CEO of the Cybersecurity Challenge UK recently told the tech website Motherboard, “…a lot of people who are very good at cybersecurity are also gamers.” She identified a convergence of traits that make gamers good security professionals, “It’s that urge to find out how something works, to pursue a trail, to get to the end, to see what’s there.”

If we can transfer gamers concerns around cybersecurity and apply their skills to protect our data, everyone wins.

Game on.

AVG

AVG kicks off National Cyber Security Awareness Month with updated product suite

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I am delighted that that we have released our updated Protection and Performance products and suites – consciously timed with the inauguration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Introduced in the US by President Obama, National Cyber Security Awareness Month was conceived to raise awareness and education about cybersecurity, and help citizens protect the nation in the event of a cyber-incident. Throughout October, companies and organizations will be holding conversations, hosting events and taking part in Summits as they look to educate us to “Stop. Think. Connect”.

AVG fully supports this initiative, and is involved in a number of similar, designated days and months throughout the year, such as European Cyber Security Month, which aim to further security education. As we increasingly live our lives online, and the everyday devices in our homes become connected, cybersecurity has rapidly become a personal issue as well as a one of global importance. Most of us now own multiple devices and use apps for everything we do; but our growing dependency on technology, while simple to use, they bring high levels of complexity; and all too often, security and privacy become an afterthought. One of AVG’s goals is to take the complexity of your everyday, online environment and simplify it, making it as easy as possible for you to secure and manage you and your families’ digital lives and keep them protected.

The digital landscape is always evolving, and so too, must the products you use to protect yourself. The latest release of AVG’s protection products and suites are now auto-updated on a continual basis, so users will always have the latest features and capabilities without any required action on their part, removing the need for you to accept or search for an upgrades.

The new release adds significant protection capabilities, including Real-Time Cloud Detection, AI Detection and Improved Malware Detection, are also focused on real-time protection – ensuring customers are always secured against the latest threats.

These product releases continue to underscore our leadership in online security and commitment to protecting devices, data and people, at home and at work – in the August test results from AV-Test, AVG Internet Security scored 100% for both real-time and wide spread malware detection. Make sure to check back here on our blog, AVG Now, throughout the month, to hear more product and service news, and to read some of our top cybersecurity tips.

You can find out more about the latest AVG Performance and Protection products here: http://now.avg.com/avg-new-protection-performance-press-kit/

Avast

Cybersecurity tips for business travelers

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business trip - working late

Sensitive business data is at risk when you travel. Take precautions to protect it.

Cybersecurity is not limited to your office or home. Nowadays, many of us use the same devices for work and personal business, so when traveling we need to be extra diligent to protect our devices and the data we have on them. If you use common sense and a bit of Avast technology, all your devices – laptops, smartphones, and tablets, can remain secure wherever you are.

Here are a few things you can do before you go and while you’re on-the-road:

1. Install antivirus protection. Your first and best line of defense on your PC or Android device is antivirus protection. Install it and make sure it is up-to-date.

2. Keep your operating system and software up-to-date. Hackers take advantage of software with security holes that have not been plugged, so take time regularly to make sure that your software and apps have patches and updates applied.

3. Lock down your device. Make it a habit to lock your PC and phone with a PIN, password, or even a fingerprint. Avast Mobile Security even allows you to password-protect your apps. Before you travel, make sure your critical apps, like access to your bank, are protected.

4. Turn off auto-connect. If you have your phone set to automatically detect and connect to available wireless networks, then turn it off. It’s much better to choose yourself. The new Avast W-Fi Finder can help you find secure Wi-Fi hotspots. Look for it to be released soon.

5. Avoid unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. Free Wi-Fi hotspots sure are nice, but they are not worth the risk to your personal data. They are unsecured and can give cybercrooks access to your internet-enabled devices. The safest way to use free Wi-Fi, even that supplied by your hotel, is to connect via a virtual private network, otherwise known as a VPN. The name sounds complicated, but with Avast SecureLine VPN, it is as easy as pushing a button.

6. Use smart passwords. Using a password like 1234 or password is not a smart thing to do at any time. But discovering that your account was hacked when you are traveling can ruin your trip. Plan ahead and manage your passwords in an intelligent way. There are plenty of memory tricks you can use to create unique passwords or you can let a password manager take care of the heavy lifting for you. Look for a new Avast password manager coming soon.

7. Think before you overshare. There are differing opinions about oversharing your location on social networks. Some say that broadcasting to the world that you are away invites a burglar into your home. Others say that broadcasting your whereabouts with regular updates is security in and of itself, because your friends and family know where you are in case something happens. And it could protect your contacts from the “I was arrested in Niagara Falls and need you to send bail money via Western Union” scam. Talk with your family and decide how you want to handle that.

8. Guard your devices. Thieves often target travelers. Don’t let yourself get so distracted that you lose track of your devices. Install Avast Anti-Theft before you leave. One of its useful features is called Geofencing. This allows you to set a perimeter, say around a table at an airport cafe, and if your mobile phone leaves that perimeter, an alarm will sound. If you discover any time that your smartphone or tablet has been stolen, Avast Anti-theft lets you control your cell phone remotely. You can locate and track your lost phone, remotely lock or wipe the memory, and even activate a customizable siren or alarm.

The best thing about all these tools is that they are free (or in the case of SecureLine, a free trial), so the next time you start packing for your business trip, make sure that your devices are ready to go too.

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