“I’m going for Apple because it’s a lot more secure than Windows” is one of the arguments you might have heard when talking about malware and operating systems. But total security is a myth.
The post Apple Gatekeeper still sporting security holes appeared first on Avira Blog.
Being connected and enjoying your digital life these days means dealing with many devices. Computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, printers, and don’t forget they all need a reliable Internet connection too!
And despite all that money you spend on your technology, when things go wrong and you spend hours searching for a solution that doesn’t work, it can be very frustrating and lonely.
Having to solve a technical problem quickly when you don’t know the answer can feel a bit like you are the contestant on a live TV game show! The only difference is there’s no 50/50 or “ask the audience” option – instead you’re only left with “phone a friend”.
Then what happens when your friend can’t help? Or if you know that calling your “friend” is going to leave you with more questions than answers, or you’re going to get “that look” they give you; like you’re the dumbest person on the planet.
Instead, let me suggest a new friend, a really smart and non-judgmental friend, who will help you with technical problems on your PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone or game console.
Your new friend is called AVG Go 
AVG Go offers remote technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I bet your other friends are never THAT available!
Our dedicated tech experts can help you with:
If you sign up for the AVG Go Total Care Plan, you also get our award-winning protection and performance products for unlimited devices with AVG Ultimate. All of these products are included:
For more information visit AVG Go or, if you’re in the US or Canada, call 1-844-234-6038* now for your FREE consultation.
*AVG Go is currently available in the US and Canada and we hope to bring you more locations in the future.
Are you still running an old PC operating system like Windows XP or Vista?
There are some risks running an unsupported operating system — the biggest is falling behind with security updates and fixes.
As years roll by it’s necessary for companies to “deprecate” (a fancy way of saying “make obsolete”) older versions of their software. This becomes necessary because it’s hard coordinating and supporting many different versions.
Google has announced that from April 2016 they will no longer be supporting their popular Chrome web browser for certain older operating systems.
The operating systems affected are:
How does this affect me?
Chrome will continue to work on the operating systems mentioned above, but will no longer receive updates and security fixes.
If you continue to use an old operating system, and software that is no longer supported, then you will likely be more vulnerable to new and emerging security threats.
What can I do?
To avoid vulnerabilities and the risk of infection from malware and viruses, we recommend that you always keep your operating system and all your software up-to-date.
Consider upgrading your operating system where possible for the best protection and productivity, and if this means upgrading your old computer, it may well be worth exploring. Think about it, the cost of data loss from a security breach could be costlier than the price of new hardware.
And while you’re at it, installing an effective antivirus and security suite is worth it for peace of mind — PC users can download AVG AntiVirus Free, and Mac users can download our free AVG AntiVirus for Mac.
Do you own an Apple device? A recent vulnerability discovered within AirDrop could pose as a risk to your files. (Photo via aayush.me)
Recently, an alarming vulnerability has cropped up on iOS devices. This security loophole allows an attacker to overwrite arbitrary files on a targeted device and, when used in combination with other procedures, install a signed app that devices will trust without presenting a warning notification to users.
In a recent article published on Threatpost, it’s noted that the vulnerability is located in a library that lies within both iOS and OS X. In this case, the library in question is AirDrop, the tool featured on Apple devices that allows users to directly send files to fellow Apple device quickly and effortlessly. The problem lies within the fact that Airdrop doesn’t use a sandboxing mechanism in the same way that many other iOS applications do. When making use of a sandbox, every application has its own container for files that it can’t get beyond the so-called “walls“ of.
AirDrop gives users to the choice to accept file transfers either from only their own contacts or anyone who sends them a request to send files. In the case that a user can receive files from anyone, it’s quite easy for an attacker to exploit their device on their locked iOS device. What’s more, the attacker can even make the attack without the user agreeing to accept a file transferred using AirDrop.
Directory traversal attacks make the exploitation of this vulnerability possible
Mark Dowd, the security researcher who discovered the vulnerability, has been able to repeatedly and reliably exploit the security flaw. The vulnerability allows the attacker to execute a directory traversal attack, in which the attacker attempts to access files that are not intended to be accessed. Thus, the attackers are capable of writing files to any location they choose on the file system.
Since sandboxing rules weren’t being strictly enforced on AirDrop, Dowd was able to read/write hidden system resources in combination with his own directory traversal attack. In doing so, he was able to upload his own application into the system and make it appear as trusted.
This bug has been reported to Apple, but a full patch has not yet been released for the recently-launched iOS 9. Therefore, if you’re the owner of one or more Apple devices, make sure that your AirDrop sharing options are set to private and that you’re only able to receive files from your contact list.
Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.
Last week I received an email from our IT Crowd reminding me (and others) to please update our iPhones to the new iOS version 8.4.1 immediately, for security reasons. Apparently, a zero-day sandbox violation from earlier in the year was finally being fixed by Apple with this update – yet Apple’s notification said only “improvements and fixes to Apple Music.”
The post Why Apple security myths pervade appeared first on Avira Blog.
It seemed like this moment would never come and many times we were assured that there was no threat of a virus for Mac users… but Thunderstrike 2 has arrived and swiftly refuted those claims.
This worm was designed by two IT security experts, Xeno Kovah and Trammell Hudson, after noticing a security breach a few months ago. As reported in Wired, they found that various known weaknesses that affect firmware in all the main PC manufacturers could also be used against MAC.
The infection is able to be transmitted through email phishing, by USB o by an Ethernet port, without being detected.
According to its creators, this is how Thunderstrike 2 works:
The post Thunderstrike 2 – the first virus for Mac appeared first on MediaCenter Panda Security.
Hackers have exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the latest version of Apple’s OS X.
The post Hackers exploit OS X zero-day vulnerability appeared first on We Live Security.
Besides Apple Music, iOS 9, and watchOS 2, this June was an exciting month for Mac developers with Apple’s presentation of OS X El Capitan at its Worldwide Developers Conference.
The post Mac AV ready for OS X 10.11 alias El Capitan appeared first on Avira Blog.
While this makes us at AVG proud it’s the commentary that the editor uses to describe our Mac product that really pleases us. “AVG AntiVirus is a simple, easy to use antivirus program for Mac, with all the essential features. Its detection of Mac malware was perfect”.
In fact the test results state that not only did the AVG product score 100% in the detection of Mac malware but it also scored 100% in Windows Malware Detection. We at AVG believe that you should feel protected across all of your devices, so we work hard to block the bad stuff regardless of which operating system you prefer.
Our Mac product is simple and easy to use, with features to scan the ‘Entire Mac’, ‘File Scanner’ and ‘Real-Time Protection’ it could not be easier to keep your Mac secure.
If you are one of those Mac users sitting there without protection then you need to think about the assets and information that you have on your machine. While there are limited examples of malware for the Mac platform it could be devastating if it infects your machine.
Imagine taking the view that you have never seen someone you don’t know try opening the front door of your house, so you leave it unlocked. On the day that the chance burglar does try the door and its unlocked then the burglary is likely to be very bad as there is nothing stopping them from emptying your entire house.
Loading the AVG Antivirus product on you Mac, just like locking your door, is a preventative measure that all Mac users should take to stay safe. And what makes this even more compelling is that it’s completely free.
Download AVG AntiVirus for Mac from here.
You can follow me on Twitter @TonyatAVG and find my Google+ profile here.
For all of the Apple Watch fans, I’m excited to announce that Avast SecureMe will be available for the device soon. We will launch Avast SecureMe for iOS this summer and will then also expand its functionality for Apple Watch. We designed the app specifically for unsecured Wi-Fi networks, which are a low-hanging fruit for hackers looking to spy on people’s browsing activities and to re-route users to fake sites that collect logins, PINs and other personal information. A ubiquitous presence in cafes, hotels and airports, an alarming number of public Wi-Fi routers are poorly configured. In a study conducted in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, our researchers found out that more than half of routers aren’t set up in a secure way.
To protect users from losing valuable personal information, Avast SecureMe performs the following operations:
If the iPhone or iPad the Apple Watch is connected to enters a suspect network, Avast SecureMe notifies the user and engages its VPN to secure user connections for online tasks like email, banking, and engaging on social networks. In fact, Avast SecureMe automatically connects to the secure VPN when it detects a user connecting to public Wi-Fi, making all transferred data invisible to prying eyes. Users can disable the protection for Wi-Fi connections they trust, like their home network.
Avast SecureMe will be available for iPhones and iPads, and is extendable for use on Apple Watches.
