Tag Archives: Tips

Panda Security

How to Bolster Security for Your Online Store This Holiday Season

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The gift giving season is just around the corner. With the frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday already behind us, shops that conduct their sales online (and their clients) should be prepared for the most hectic weeks of the year still to come.

Unfortunately, this is also the busiest time of year for scammers that try their luck at fishing in frenzied waters. Cybercriminals are well aware of how many companies, regrettably, don’t invest enough in protecting their online sales platforms. Thus, cyberattacks and data breaches soar around the holidays. Luckily, if you run an e-commerce website, you’re still in time to follow these tips:

  • tips-online-salesDon’t cache your clients’ payment information. The best way to avoid problems is by thoroughly verifying that credit card numbers are never stored in your data base and never pass through your servers. It’s as easy as resorting to one of the many payment solutions on the market, such as PayPal or Braintree, which take it upon themselves to handle that sensitive data for you.
  • Make sure your website’s platform (Prestashop, Magento…) is up to date. Search the Internet for common vulnerabilities these tools may have and look for a way to remedy them. The same goes for plugins and extensions you may have installed.
  • Implement a secure SSL protocol. This is essential to your online store (especially when transmitting user information). In truth, it’s essential to any website, but customers perceive e-commerce platforms that don’t show the “http” in the address bar as insecure. And with good reason.
  • Be prepared for the flood of traffic. A large number of users will connect at the same time to make holiday purchases on your website. Check that your web hosting service is up to speed and can handle traffic peaks, that you are using a well-configured load balancing solution and a CDN to reduce the traffic that your server has to withstand. Not only will you avoid downtime, but also you will increase speeds and improve user experience.

From a vendor’s standpoint, these are some issues to be kept in mind to increase security for the holidays.

But there’s something else that businesses should keep in mind when it comes to protection at this time of year. Namely, that their employees, whether they like it or not, will be making purchases using company computers.

Among the precautionary measures that we would like to impart, these are especially pertinent. Before making a purchase, your employees should make sure:

  • That their system is up to date has the protection of a reliable advanced cybersecurity solution.
  • That they only make purchases on well-known websites that have a solid reputation, and that the webpage uses an SSL protocol with security certificates.
  • That they avoid bargains that seem implausible, especially if they appear in emails and the sender is not fully trustworthy.

With this advice and a bit of common sense, holiday preparations shouldn’t bring about any unpleasant surprises. Shopping online is quick, convenient, and easy, but we have to stay vigilant to avoid falling into scams.

 

The post How to Bolster Security for Your Online Store This Holiday Season appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Avast

Win a new Google Pixel phone from Avast

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 Since we’re a security company, we are naturally at the front lines of online protection. In the last 30 days alone, Avast has saved the world from 2,368,767,045 virus attacks! But despite the constant stream of threats from cybercriminals, headline-making data breaches, and revelatory stories about government surveillance, we LOVE the Internet! Because we love it so much, all of us at Avast strive to protect it.

Panda Security

Top 10 Best Cyber Gifts for Christmas

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The Christmas countdown has officially begun! Surely you managed to grab a few bargains during the Black Friday sales last month but now it is time for another shopping spree. No matter how far in advance you get the gifts for your friends and family, there is always someone on that list who is difficult to shop for. The good news is that these days we have digital gifts too, so you don’t really need to go out in the cold. Should we mention that you save on Christmas wrapping too. You can send your gift via email.

Check out the top 10 cyber Christmas stocking fillers

1. Gift cards

It may not be the most personal stocking filler but this is a present that will never be returned to the store. The freedom you get with receiving a gift card is spectacular.

2. Donation for a good cause

It’s not a secret that sometimes your loved ones already own everything they really want. It is really hard to buy something classy without spending a huge amount of money. A donation towards a good cause may not be a bad idea – what you are gifting is hope for someone in need.

3. Skype credit

If you have friends and relatives living abroad it may be a good idea for you to buy them the opportunity to always be in touch with the rest of the family. Adding Skype credit to someone’s account is fast and easy. If you are on a tight budget $10 can go a long way with skype credit. It can buy your loved ones hours of conversations with your relatives and/or friends abroad.

4. Social media followers

This is probably number one present for all the attention seeking millennials. No matter how social media involved your loved ones are, they would always be happy to get an additional 10k followers on Instagram. Always make sure you have your protection on when buying social media followers. People operating this sort of service are sometimes in it for more than just your business.

5. GroupOn voucher

Wine tasting and horseback riding are not cyber gifts in particular, but the vouchers that you buy most certainly are as they get generated by e-commerce marketplaces such as GroupOn. Give your loved ones the gift of adventure.

6. Monthly magazine subscription

With so many platforms on the internet pretty much anyone is now able to create content. The fake news, according to some, influenced this year’s elections so we need to make sure that people are getting their information from reliable sources. You won’t break the bank if you get someone a yearly online subscription to a reputable publication.

7. Crypto currency

It may be the perfect way for you to introduce someone to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Peercoin etc. If you have a geeky friend, he or she would absolutely love the cryptocurrency gift even though it would be hard to put in a physical stocking.

8. Video game

Buying videogames does not necessarily mean buying a physical copy – digital ones are also available and are often cheaper or come with perks. Getting a game as a present for someone is not a bad idea at all.

9. Concert e-tickets

Follow these instructions – go to the person’s profile on FB, check out the bands he/she likes, get them the dreamed experience with their favourite music idol. Sometimes VIP ‘greet and meet’ is also available.

10. Protection

Last but not least, it is Panda Security’s latest software antivirus – Panda Protection’s subscription or discover Panda’s full security portfolio for more advanced solutions. Our product does not protect only your family but your identity and money. Doing online shopping without protection is equal to driving without car insurance. Save the hassle for your loved ones by giving them the gift of safety and security.

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Avast

Online games: 5 risks to your online security and privacy

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We all love playing online games; from time to time until late in the night on our mobile devices, gaming consoles, or  computer. One of the most amazing things about gaming now,  is that we are  connected to the whole world and can interact with  each other in many ways. To do so, we are required  to set up accounts on game platforms and talk to people we don’t know at all.

Panda Security

How to avoid bogging down your own servers

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There’s been a lot of talk recently about DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks in the wake of an incident that left thousands of users without internet access as a result of the collapse of the servers at Dyn, a DNS hosting service. Needless to say, we should be aware of this threat, know how it works, and how to defend ourselves against it. Especially now, in the age of the Internet of Things, which has made it easier for cybercriminals to build an army of infected devices to carry out this kind of attack.

Protecting multiple devices in the Internet of Things leaves much to be desired, opening up a broad avenue for attackers to easily gain access to and control over these devices in order to use them as weapons. In a DDoS, all of these involuntary recruits connect to the server at the same time in order to overwhelm it and render it incapable of responding to legitimate requests. It’s as though a mob of people jumped in front of you in the check-out line at the supermarket not with the intention of buying anything themselves, but rather just to block you from doing so.

This danger may be commonplace and companies should, of course, be weary of it, but the truth is that a company’s servers are much more likely to collapse as a result of their own errors than from an external exploit. This has been confirmed by Google’s experts, who, without citing concrete data, warn of the alarming frequency with which this occurs.

A company’s servers are more likely to collapse as a result of their own errors

 Researchers at the search engine giant allege that programmers and developers often assume that a traffic load will be correctly and evenly distributed by the system, with no contingency plan in place in case it doesn’t work out that way.

Google gives us this example in the way of an explanation. A good amount of mobile apps establish a connection with their servers in a given increment of time in order to fetch information. If there’s no urgency, many apps connect every 15 minutes. In the event of an error, these apps are programmed to resubmit the petition every 60 seconds so as not to have to wait an additional 15 minutes if something in case something goes wrong on the first attempt.

This system reveals its shortcomings when the server, for whatever reason, is unavailable for a given period of time (not necessarily a long one). When it’s back up and running, it receives not only the usual requests every 15 minutes, but will also receive, all at once, an onslaught of requests that were made every 60 seconds during its time offline.

The outcome? A self-inflicted DDoS attack, which could shut down the app as a result of excessive simultaneous connections. If, on top of that, the server goes back offline following this bottleneck of traffic, the chain of incidents will start all over again.

Tips to avoid DDoS attacks

In order to prevent this from happening, the experts at Google offer some advice:

  • First, make it so that the initial 60 second delay doubles with each failed request, so that the second attempt is submitted after 120 seconds, the third after 240 seconds, and so on. That way, the number of requests piled up will be lower when the server returns to normal.
  • They also recommend that the app keep count of the number of reconnection attempts that each user has made, so that the most urgent requests are given priority when the server gets back to normal. This way, the requests that have been waiting the longest will be attended to first, while the rest continue waiting. A traffic bottleneck will therefore be averted, along with unwanted downtime caused by a DDoS attack launched against yourself.

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Panda Security

Anticipate the risk of your employees getting a new phone for Christmas

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As we enter the Christmas period, many of your company’s employees will be deciding to change their phones in the coming months. Something as simple and seemingly harmless as a gift (or a purchase from the Black Friday sales) could actually be putting your business security at risk, especially if it encourages workers to use their own smartphones for work.

As such, the idea of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), if not properly managed, can compromise the confidentiality of corporate information when any member of staff decides to change device. Not just because your employees’ new devices do not have adequate protection, but because of where their previous phones may end up, and the data they may have inside.

In fact, it is essential to make your company’s employees aware that they must completely wipe all information stored on their old phone before they get rid of it. Although it is not unusual to sell old devices when buying a new one, this operation involves certain risks that must be avoided.

Before selling a cell phone it is essential to completely delete all information stored on it.

After all, the device in question may have confidential documents stored in its memory or, worse still, could still enable access to the email accounts of its former owner, and allow a complete stranger to access company resources. In addition to all of this, of course, there is the personal and equally private information that an individual could have stored on the phone.

So not only is it important to ensure employees have adequate security on their phones, but also to explain how to handle the sale of an old one. To begin with, you need to back up everything stored on your phone and also remove the memory card and SIM.

Once this is done, both Android phones and iPhones offer a way to permanently delete everything stored on them. This is the option that lets you restore the factory settings, which you can find in the settings of both operating systems.

Any device that stores company data must be sold without any confidential information. This is the best way to prevent a simple Christmas gift from catching out the owner of the new phone (or the company that employs them). However, should anyone forget to delete this data, it is always possible to remove it remotely, thereby eliminating everything that the phone contains even if it has already been sold. Yet this should only be an emergency plan should all else fail.

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Avast

Showrooming this shopping season? Protect yourself with a VPN.

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Online_Shopping_safely_using_VPN.jpgDuring Black Friday and the weeks leading up to Christmas, tech savvy shoppers visit brick-and-mortar stores to see the items they want to buy, but they use price comparison apps on their phones to check for the best deal. This is called “showrooming”. Shopping apps do things like scan barcodes for price comparisons between your local retailer and online stores, send alerts when the price drops, find money-saving coupons, and even tell which stores in the mall have a particular item on sale.  

Panda Security

Black Friday and Cyber Monday: how to shop online safely.

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How to safely shop online?

It’s not a secret about 70% of the adult US population shops online regularly. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner tens of millions of people are preparing to get a bang for their buck. The deals are usually so good even people sceptical about online shopping, and without much experience, may feel tempted to participate in the online frenzy. Last year consumers spent more than $3 billion on Cyber Monday alone. The previous record was in 2015 when they spent “only” $2.75 billion.

Our economy seems stable right now, with that in mind we are pretty sure the deal-hungry buyers will beat last years’ numbers. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the great deals, as long as you do it safely. Panda Security has been combating cybercrime for more than 25 years and we can surely tell you a thing or two about how to safely shop online around the holidays.

Top 10 tips of how to safely shop online

Beware of phishing

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, you will begin receiving tons of email newsletters offering you great deals. We do not advise you click on the ones you are not familiar with. Try to stick to the ones you know, and if you don’t know the company that is approaching you, research them online before opening the emails you’ve received from them.

Do research

We know that the deals around Thanksgiving are amazing but sometimes when something is too good to be true, it’s either fraudulent or a scam. Don’t be fooled by the Cyber Monday label, products still cost what they cost if the deal is too good to be true that’s probably because it’s not true. If you are in doubt, simply google the product and see if anyone else offers it for the same price. You may end up getting an even better deal!

Don’t be scared to buy from the ‘usual suspects’

Try to do your online shopping from websites and online retailers that you recognize and you have shopped from before. You shouldn’t worry much if you place an order with a well-known supplies superstore such as Home Depot for example.

Check the URLs

While you surf online you may get so excited by the good deals you’ve found that you may end up on a spoof website. If you are in doubt, check the URL link. If it feels awkward close the browser, open a search engine, type the name of the retailer you are trying to reach and place the order through the real website. Better safe than sorry!

Read the file product description as well as the terms and conditions

Sometimes it may seem as if you are buying a brand new device but you may end up getting a refurbished or reconditioned one. The fact that the deal is great, does not mean that the product will be great too. Always take your time to review the terms and conditions, warranty, insurance options, the return policy and the location of the product you are trying to purchase.

Do not use the debit card for your checking account

It may be tempting to pay directly from your checking account but checking accounts have less protection and it will be much harder for you to get your money back if you end up scammed by a phony website. Even if you have the money available in your checking account, better not share your debit card details with the world unless absolutely necessary. Put those expenses on your credit card statement instead!

Verify your order

It is not uncommon for consumer to select more than one item by mistake, or they put the wrong house number, or they check a shipping option that does not work for their needs. This is why we advise you to always double check the order before you make a payment. A few extra seconds won’t waste your day. You don’t want to buy a Christmas gift a week before Christmas to later find out that it ships from China in 3 weeks’ time.

Make sure the site is safe

Don’t buy anything online from a site that does not have SSL encryption. You will know if a site has SSL encryption if the URL starts with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://).

Use antivirus software

It may sound trivial when you hear it from us, but staying protected is really important. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to get protection. We’ve been combating cybercrime for nearly 3 decades, we can help you and your family stay safe around the holidays.

Use common sense

Last but not least, if you see a website that looks suspicious, just don’t order from there. There’s plenty of fish in the sea – you will find the same offer somewhere else. There is nothing wrong with calling the company directly during business hours to check their legitimacy. Remain vigilant, don’t just give away your hard earned cash!

Every year we spend billions of dollars around Thanksgiving and hackers are preying on us trying to get our card details, trying to steal our identity and personal information. Don’t let them ruin your holiday by simply following the suggestions listed above.

Happy shopping!

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Panda Security

5 Tips to make your Cell phone battery last longer.

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5 tips to maintain your cell phone battery without compromising experience

When cell phones appeared on the market they were meant to be used for talk and text. However, things have changed and cellular operators no longer stress about the amount of minutes or texts you are using, but for the amount of data you burn through. That’s because people don’t make that many calls anymore – these days your cell phone is being used as a small pocket computer that allows you to connect with your friends and business partners, be up to speed with what is happening around the world and of course entertain yourself by watching videos and playing games.

The devices are no longer about you being able to call someone; it’s about you being connected to the world on a variety of platforms. What makes cell phones such an important tool? Well, they are mobile. It is as simple as that! You can use them almost anywhere and take them with you everywhere. There’s an app for almost anything that keeps to mind. Now while mobility can be an advantage in many ways it can also be perceived as a disadvantage.

With great power comes great responsibility

cell phones are powered by a battery and this battery can often let us down. The laws of the modern world say: Your cell phone battery will most probably die on you the moment you need it most. It is said that should Apple manufacture a car, it will most likely run out of juice every day at about 4pm, just as you’re trying to go home from work. We are so dependent upon cell phones we can no longer execute simple everyday tasks without them. There are reported cases of people unable to get home as their phones have stopped working. How do you get home without the GPS on your device? Let’s admit it – we have become so used to having that cell phone in our pocket we cannot function without it.

Top 5 things you can do to improve your battery life

Always carry a charging cable with you

Phones tend to die in the most unexpected moments so we recommend that you always have a portable power station with you, or at least a cable that will allow you to charge your phone in case of need. Just look at Starbucks as an example. They know people want their devices charged up so they installed wireless chargers at their coffee stores to attract more customers. While this can be the case in some stores, in 9 out of 10 cases, stores that don’t have wireless chargers will be happy to get your phone charged a bit behind the counter while you shop.

Now might be the time to get a portable power station

There are many options on the market that allow you to have your phone charged while on the go. Have you seen all of these people with phones connected with a cable to something in their backpack or purse? They are Pokémon hunters who want to ‘catch’em all’. You cannot catch all the Pokémon if you don’t have a portable charger – your phone won’t make it without a recharge. While this is a common practice amongst Pokémon hunters, regular people take advantage of it just as much. Having a juice pack is a must in this busy world.

Keep a car charger in your car

Just go out there and get yourself a car charger. You will never run out of battery if your phone is charging while you are commuting. Unless you live in New York, here in the USA most people travel to and from work for at least 30 minutes a day. Some phones such as Motorola Droid 2 or Google Pixel allow you to use your phone for up to 8 hours with only 15 minutes charge. This is incredible, take advantage of the fast charging options available for your mobile device.

Consider getting a phone with interchangeable battery

We know in 2016 these are rarity but you can always find a smartphone that allows you to change its battery. Having a bad battery life should not mean you have to buy a brand new device or spend tons of money on external chargers, this means you may just have to replace your battery. Phones such as the latest LG V20 allow you to do exactly that.

Take a look at your phone’s settings

Sometimes the solution is not to constantly charge up your phone. It is more about finding out what drains it and eliminating it. All smartphones have the capability of monitoring battery usage and determining what causes the short or inconsistent battery life of your device. If you see an app that uses up the majority of your battery but you barely use, just delete it – it clogs up your phone’s memory and drains your battery. You don’t need this kind of negativity in your life. Many times apps have background processes that use not only your battery life but your data – always keep an eye on the ‘Settings > Battery’ section of your mobile device.

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