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Panda Security’s antimalware laboratory, PandaLabs have recently detected a new Facebook scam that uses a fake video of singer Katy Perry and ex-husband actor Russell Brand to trick users.

According to PandaLabs, if the user clicks the link, they are taken to a fake Facebook page where they are invited to download a plug-in to watch the video. The page indicates that over 4,000 people have already clicked the “Like” button, which is used by the scammers to trick victims into believing that the video is legitimate.

If the user tries to play the video, the worm will act differently depending on the browser used. On Internet Explorer, the worm displays an age verification page to access an application called “X-Ray Scanner”.

Then, before the user can take any other action, the browser takes them to a typical scam site where they are asked to enter their phone number. However, if they do so, they will start receiving unwanted premium rate text messages.

The infection is even more serious on Firefox and Chrome, as the worm installs a browser plug-in and uses it to post the scam to the victims’ friends’ pages.

According to Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, “Once again, user curiosity becomes cyber-criminals’ best ally. Scammers exploit people’s interest in this couple to infect users, who click the malicious link and download the worm without taking any precautions. This has two negative effects: on one hand, users infect their own computers; and on the other, a message is automatically sent to all of their Facebook friends.”

Social engineering is cyber-crooks’ weapon of choice to spread their creations through social media. The fact that users themselves unknowingly send the malicious links to friends facilitates malware distribution as people are more likely to click on a link received from a reliable source. There have been similar cases in the past. Last year, for example, over 80,000 users fell victim to a scam exploiting Steve Jobs’s death.

PandaLabs offers users tips on how to avoid falling victim to this type of scam:

-       Be wary of websites offering sensational videos or unusual stories.

-       Before you click on a link sent by one of your contacts, make sure it has been intentionally sent by your friend and it is not the result of a massive scam like this one.

-       Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know. This will help keep your privacy safe.

-       Always keep your computer’s operating system and Web browsers up to date, and make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus solution installed.

If, however, you suspect you have fallen into the trap:

-       Check your browser plug-ins and remove any suspicious ones.

-       Check the applications that have permission to access your Facebook account, and delete those you don’t know.

-       Change your Facebook account password. If you use the same credentials to sign in to other services as well, change them too. It is always better to take all necessary precautions.

More information is available in the PandaLabs Blog.

About Panda Security 

Founded in 1990, Panda Security is the world’s leading provider of cloud-based security solutions, with products available in more than 23 languages and millions of users located in 195 countries around the World. Panda Security was the first IT security company to harness the power of cloud computing with its Collective Intelligence technology. This innovative security model can automatically analyze and classify thousands of new malware samples every day, guaranteeing corporate customers and home users the most effective protection against Internet threats with minimum impact on system performance. Panda Security has 61 offices throughout the globe with US headquarters in Florida and European headquarters in Spain. In 2006, Jeremy Matthews founded Panda’s local subsidiary in Cape Town, opening the international vendor’s first presence on the African continent.

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Many people incorrectly assume that Antivirus and Internet Security protection are one in the same, however that is not the case, they are two different solutions. There is a misconception that one or the other fully covers all PC users but there are a few distinct differences that can make all the difference.

Antivirus protection is a reactive solution that provides a ‘fix’ once a virus has already infected your PC, whereas Internet Security on the other hand is a pro-active solution, providing a host of protection in addition to neutralising a virus that has infected the PC.

Viruses can access your PC through a variety of methods including e-mail, Internet connections or through other media devices such as flash drives.

Antivirus Protection

Anti-Virus solutions can be explained as the antibiotics taken to cure a cold. If selecting an Anti-Virus solution, choose one that features a link directly from the PC to the vendor’s antivirus server therefore scanning for new viruses in real time.

Internet Security Protection

Internet Security can be regarded as the preventative measure such as a vitamin B12 complex injection to boost your immune system to help prevent the cold. This can be considered a far better solution to Anti-Virus protection as it actively scans websites for specific threats and identifies characteristics of new viruses in the event that a signature file has not yet been developed to combat the new threat.

An effective Internet Security solution should contain features such as:

• Identity protection to protect you from unsafe and scam websites operated by cybercriminals who may attempt to steal confidential information, this is known as “phishing”. Internet Security protection will warn you whilst you are surfing the internet and automatically block unsafe sites.
• Remembering and automatically entering names and passwords. This will ultimately help speed up log-ins and prevent cybercriminals eavesdropping or attempting to spy or steal information when using wireless networks.
• A popular feature – Parental Control Management, assists parents to track what websites their children visit, block access to any inappropriate ones, help keep an eye on social networking activities and who they are chatting with online. These measures will keep your child safe from online dangers.
• Anti-Spam functionality is another key component within Internet Security. Spam is unsolicited email and usually takes form in a bulk email. Anti-Spam software blocks these unsolicited emails before they enter your inbox. By searching for keywords, checking the source and how many recipients received the email.
• All Internet Security solutions should include a Firewall. A Firewall is a ‘filter’ between the PC and the internet. It usually blocks the incoming traffic and analyses both incoming and outgoing traffic for any hidden viruses.

The Solution

It is common for PC users to question whether they can install both an Anti-Virus and Internet Security solutions from different brands onto their PC however with the exception of a few South African brands it is generally not advised, as both solutions will consider the other to be a virus and result in ‘conflict’ and slow downs.

It is advised to purchase a product that covers all important features stated above. Below are 3 options to explore.

All in one protection: Panda Security’s Panda Global Protection 2012 is a solution which combines both Anti-Virus and Internet Security features, giving all PC users the ultimate protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers, online fraud, identity theft and all other internet-borne threats.

Essential protection: Panda Antivirus Pro 2012 newly improved antivirus solution offering ease of use and intuitive protections for all computers. Panda Security has further differentiated itself from traditional antivirus solutions by offering a personal firewall for maximum protection.

Protect your family: Panda Internet Security 2012 is a security suite that allows you to use the Internet for anything, like shopping and banking online, with total peace of mind and without any interruption. In addition, keeps your inbox spam-free, and allows your children to browse the web safely with the Parental Control.

AV-Test.org has just released the September & October test results of its Full Product Monthly tests, more information at http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/test-reports/. This is the second batch of test reports in which Panda participates with Panda Cloud Antivirus FREE Edition.

Of course we are happy to see that Panda Cloud Antivirus FREE Edition has achieved certification with some good scores. But I would like to focus this post on the performance part of the test, which is where Panda Cloud Antivirus FREE Edition has really shined. Of course an AV product needs to detect as much malware as possible with as little false positives as possible. But nowadays the top AV products are very aligned in both these respects. So what is it that makes the difference then when choosing an AV? Many people will say it’s the performance and how it behaves on your individual system. Will it slow you down? Will it consume too much memory or CPU cycles? How will it impact your system? Many times a big performance hit will make the best of AVs with the highest detection rates and lowest FPs useless if they don’t allow the user to work with his or her PC.

There are some (not many) AV performance tests out there. Unfortunately most of the are sponsored by such or such vendor, which is not ideal as the vendor pays for the test and therefore choose what the test should look at, which coincidentally will be the performance areas the sponsoring vendor is good at, instead of looking at the overall performance hit. The Pass mark tests sponsored by Symantec are a good example of this. Eugene has a good criticism of these type of sponsored tests (Google it). Luckily the AV-Test performance review looks at the overall performance hit and this is where the architectural design of Cloud AV really shows how it improves performance over traditional AV:

AV-Test.org September/October 2011 Full Product Test Reports available at http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/test-reports/

There is a new friend in the village. Many people thought that the fake antivirus (aka rogue ware) business had decreased, and it was true that for a few months rogue ware infections were not that prevalent, mainly due to the efforts made by law enforcement with the help of security companies, but it was a matter of time to have them back. In the last weeks we have seen an increase in the infections, and today I want to show you a new one that calls itself “Cloud AV 2012?.

Cybercriminals always try to confuse their victims, so they use names similar or equal to those used in real antivirus products. In this case they have taken advantage of the famous Panda Cloud AV to do their trick. Once it is installed in your computer, it will create a link in your desktop to open the program, but you won’t need to do it as soon as it is installed it will open itself and will launch a system scan, which will give you as a result loads of malware found in your system. Of course that won’t be true, but they don’t care:

What any user would do here is to click on “Remove threats”, but once you click on it, a new window will pop up asking you to buy the product:

Of course, if you want to buy it you will be redirected to a web form where you can make the payment:

Of course if you give your credit card to pay the 52$, you’ll get the code to unlock the fake antivirus… if you don’t do it, you’ll get a message every now and then telling you are still infected. And what it’s worse, every time you try to run any program in your computer it will tell you that it is infected, so your computer will be useless.

So… what to do if you are already infected? You should start your computer in Safe Mode, go to www.cloudantivirus.com and install the real Panda Cloud Antivirus to remove all the malicious files. Easy, isn’t it?

For more information on Panda Security, visit http://www.pandasecurity.co.za/

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One of the top 10 largest managed pub companies in the UK, Barracuda Pub Group has selected Panda Security’s Panda Cloud Office Protection to protect and control 200 outlets, 80 roaming laptop users and additional 35 head office employees.

Barracuda needed a solution to work efficiently with the Blackspider antispam product and one that did not interfere with its EPOS system, as had previously occurred.

Panda Cloud Office Protection has been implemented across the network with minimal interruption and queries were swiftly dealt with by the Panda UK technical support team.

“One issue was identified in early testing where the deployment tool needed minor updates to work with our custom proxy settings,” says Mark Gurney, IT Manager for the Barracuda Pub Group.

“Having experienced products from a number of various suppliers, Panda’s most significant differentiator is the focus on providing a service rather than just a product,” he adds.

Panda Cloud Office Protection is the endpoint solution protection of Panda Cloud Protection, a cloud based security solution, delivered in a Security as a Service model that provides complete protection services for the major threat vectors: endpoint, email and web.

Since installing Panda, Barracuda has noticed a reduction in time and resources in protecting users and on-going maintenance is almost non-existent. “The automatic reports showing intrusions stopped and graphs assure us the protection is working,” says Gurney.

Panda Cloud Office Protection offers ease of use, detection capabilities of 100percent of known and unknown malware threats and full visibility of all systems at a single glance through the console.

For more information, visit http://www.pandasecurity.co.za/

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Panda Security announces that Panda Global Protection 2012 has won the 2011 Best Security Software Award given by the prestigious PC World Latin America magazine. The award was received by Eduardo D’Antona, Panda Security’s General Manager for Latin America, in a gala held on November 3 at the Conrad Hotel in Miami.

A panel of judges from the magazine’s editorial team chose 138 finalists out of a total of 210 nominees from 35 companies in the various categories. Panda Global Protection 2012 won in its category over products by other security vendors, such as CheckPoint, Eset, Fortinet, Kasperksy, TrustPort, VMWare and Websense.

Joao Matos, General Manager for Latin America, Iberia and Canada, said: “This award is very important for us as it recognizes the hard work and effort the entire Panda Security group has put into offering users a high-quality, cloud-based product that leverages our Collective Intelligence technology. This award confirms that we are on the right track and offer the best solutions in the market”.

Panda Global Protection 2012 designed for home and corporate users, is the most comprehensive solution in Panda Security’s new 2012 product line. It delivers real-time protection against known and unknown threats by leveraging the knowledge and experience of millions of users through Panda’s unique Collective Intelligence technology. Collective Intelligence, the engine powering Panda Security’s cloud-based solutions, has recently reached a historic milestone by processing 200 million files, nearly 40 percent of which were malware specimens. 

“The 2010 awards saw Panda Cloud Antivirus, the first free cloud-based antivirus, crowned Best Security Software. This new award further confirms that our solutions stay on the technological vanguard”, said D’Antona.

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I have recently read an article claiming that millions of preteens have signed up for Facebook, as indicated by a recent survey carried out in the US which showed that parents actually helped them lie to do it. I have 4 kids under age 12 and all of them have Facebook accounts, so I feel very much related to this issue.

Facebook sets the minimum age for using its service at 13 to comply with US federal laws that protect children’s online privacy.

However, a new survey from Microsoft and such top universities as Berkeley and Harvard has found that half of all parents with 12-year-olds and 1 in 5 parents of 10-year-olds knew their kids were using Facebook.

Asked how the children signed up for the service, thus violating the site’s terms of service, nearly 7 in 10 parents admitted they helped their kids set up the accounts.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, drew from a random sampling of 1,007 parents with children ages 10 to 14.

The survey comes amid a debate over children’s oline privacy protection in a new era of mobile apps and other technologies. Consumer reports recently reported that 7 million underage users were on Facebook.

Do age limits for Internet services really stop children from using age-restricted sites? Should companies be allowed flexibility to experiment with new services and technologies without new regulations?

Most parents, me included, want our kids online as early as possible. We don’t want to be told how to be a parent. We want our children to be part of the digital world and be able to communicate with relatives and friends using current technology tools.

But, what do privacy advocates say? Well, they say that parents are not fully aware of what data is being collected about their children. If parents knew that sites such as Facebook collect information to deliver customized ads, they would be more cautious. This is total nonsense in my opinion. Or is that TV stations don’t bombard our kids with advertising in children’s networks?

Now, the question is: Is it really good for Facebook to have those underage users illegally? Well it must be, otherwise they would do something about it.

What do you think?

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This November Panda Security and DreamWorks Animation present an exciting new promotion; with any purchase of either Panda Internet Security 2012 or Panda Global Protection 2012 you will receive a free copy of the new Kung Fu Panda 2 DVD.

The Panda Security 2012 range is a comprehensive suite of security solutions for consumers that protects against viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers, online fraud, identity theft and all other internet-borne threats.

Like other Panda products, the Panda Security 2012 range is powered by the company’s unique underlying technology, Collective Intelligence, which automates the resource intensive process of malware scanning and analysis in the cloud, enabling faster protection against the newest and most dangerous threats while reducing the antivirus’ impact on PC performance.

The promotion runs until the end of December 2011 making it the perfect Christmas gift for “Panda” fans.

DVD’s only available from the 21^st November 2011.

To claim your DVD or for more information, visit http://www.scorewithpanda.co.za/

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Today, most existing virus protection products are difficult and expensive to deploy and manage. They can slow down the systems on which they are installed, and often provide inadequate security. The virus protection that most companies assume is effectively protecting them may not be doing its job correctly because it’s blind to mobile employees working with computers or notebooks outside of the corporate network.

Panda Security’s, Panda Cloud Office Protection is a cloud-based antivirus and endpoint protection that helps you Forget Security headaches like:

• Complexity – no more antivirus servers or VPNs needed.
• Financial Overheads – Eliminate costly management and maintenance of computing resources
• Slowdowns in system performance – Lighter footprint
• Undetected malware defeated by combining security from the cloud with traditional endpoint protection.

This is all possible with just a single web browser to install and manage the endpoint protection from anywhere at any time.

Panda Cloud Office Protection is uniquely suited to small and medium-sized businesses, which want easy-to-use, yet robust virus protection so they can concentrate on their core business.

It is ideal for businesses with:

• Limited budgets and small IT teams, helping to reducing IT costs and reducing travel time
• Remote offices/distributed users
• A need for stronger security, Maximizes Protection, provides continuous Security Updates and Collective Intelligence

BizTech Magazine reviewed the Panda Cloud Office Protection and stated “Panda Cloud Office Protection (PCOP) provides cost-effective enterprise-class security for SMBs, the cloud simplifies management and reduces costs, while also providing more effective security with less impact on PC performance.” For the full article, visit http://www.biztechmagazine.com

Panda Security has launched a mini site to help users understand the benefits of Panda Cloud Office Protection. There are helpful whitepapers and an introductory video on how the technology works. Visit http://www.forgetsecurity.co.za/ for more information.

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Panda Security’s, Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition is the world’s fastest growing cloud-based antivirus, certified by prestigious independent testing labs AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org. Tests comparing detection capabilities, false positive detection, repair, usability, performance and overall protection were conducted. Panda outperformed other top AV vendor solutions, receiving excellent scores across the board. This is the first time Panda’s Cloud Antivirus Free Edition has participated in these tests. This recognition follows Panda Internet Security 2012 certifications for high malware detection rates. These tests simulate real-life conditions very closely, pitting antivirus products against actual threats that can be found on the Web or on users’ computers.

AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org evaluations compared Version 1.5.1 of Panda Cloud Antivirus to over 20 other free and paid antivirus programs. Panda successfully detected 99.3 percent of the more than 200,000 samples used by AV-Comparatives. The results of these tests reinforce the powerful protection capabilities of Panda Cloud Antivirus. Tests also included a false positive detection report. Panda incorrectly detected only one clean file as malware, whereas other top free antivirus solutions had 10 or more false positives.

 The full reports are available at AV-Comparatives.org and AV-Test.org.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.5.1, launched this June, includes performance improvements as well as new features suggested by Panda Security’s user community. Since Cloud Antivirus’ initial release in 2009 as the first free ‘in the cloud’ security service for home users, millions around the world have benefitted from its award-winning free antivirus protection and incredibly lightweight footprint. The latter is a major benefit of Collective Intelligence, Panda’s proprietary technology for automatically collecting and processing millions of malware samples in the cloud instead of locally on the user’s PC. 

 For more information about Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition or to download the product, please visit http://www.cloudantivirus.com

 Panda Internet Security 2012 has obtained great results in the latest detection tests conducted by the AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org laboratories. According to Andreas Marx, CEO of AV-Test.org, “Once again, Panda Internet Security was one of the top products in our certification tests. It’s the first time we tested the new 2012 edition of Panda Internet Security, and it performed very well in our tests. We do not only focus on protection, but also on repair and usability aspects in our tests and in all tested areas, Panda Internet Security scored 5 points or higher out of a maximum number of 6 points.” It was also one of only four products to achieve a score higher than 15 points.

For more information, visit http://www.pandasecurity.co.za/

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