CyberSafety.co.za

Global IT vendor Panda Security is releasing its new 2011 consumer product line, featuring faster performance, better protection and less resource impact than previous versions. Panda’s new retail solutions, available at the end of August, include: Panda Internet Security 2011, Panda Global Protection 2011, Panda Antivirus Pro 2011 and Panda Internet Security for Netbooks. New features include complete remote access to home PCs, file shredding of deleted programs and a secure browser, to name a few.

All of the 2011 consumer solutions benefit from Panda’s Collective Intelligence technology, which leverages the network of millions of global users, or the Power of Community, to deliver instantaneous protection against new and unknown threats. Using these solutions, consumers can browse the Internet, make purchases online, and chat and share photos/videos with complete confidence that Collective Intelligence and the Power of Community are providing proactive and real-time protection against the latest malware threats. In addition, PC resource consumption is minimal and the 2011 solutions boast a 50% improvement in performance on Windows 7 environments when compared to last year’s versions.

The products are designed specifically for highly active users with the most demanding protection needs, and include many new features, such as the option to manage home networks, or run the protection in gaming/multimedia mode, to avoid interruptions for gamers.

Similarly, the interfaces have been simplified and made more intuitive across all the products, and the top of the range solution includes a series of utilities to transparently safeguard the digital life of users:

• Remote access - Lets you access your home or work computer from anywhere and share files securely across the Web.
• Virtual browser (sandbox) - 100% secure, based on a network of virtual machines running under Linux and without persistent memory storage.
• Virtual keyboard – To prevent passwords and other sensitive data entered on keyboards from being stolen with keyloggers.
• File encryption -  Keeps files safe from snoopers
• Definitive data removal - Elimination of all traces of deleted files or programs.

The new solutions maintain the features that have positioned them as market-leading security suites: a powerful antivirus engine to protect against all types of known and unknown viruses; firewall with WiFi security to block intruders and hackers; Panda USB Vaccine, to protect USB devices; confidential information filters to keep personal data safe; backup copying, as well as a PC tune-up feature to optimize system performance.

Free trial versions will be available soon from: http://www.pandasecurity.com/Southafrica/homeusers/downloads/

For more information about Panda, visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/.

• Panda Security’s business solutions recognized for their superior ease of use, protection features and value.

Global IT vendor Panda Security announced that two of its solutions for small and medium sized businesses, Panda GateDefender Integra and Panda Security for Business v4.05, have been given 5-star product ratings by SC Magazine.

In its review, SC Magazine lauded Panda GateDefender Integra for its excellent price and protection functionality. The unified threat management (UTM) appliance provides businesses with centralised protection from all types of internet-borne threats, including firewall, intrusion prevention, anti-malware, content filtering, anti-spam and web filtering.

“With Panda GateDefender Integra, businesses can install and protect their corporate perimeters in minutes without the need for any user intervention”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “This makes it the only install and protect UTM solution on the market.”

SC Magazine also recognized Panda Security for Business, the company’s all-in-one security software suite, for its simple installation process, superior protection features and product documentation. SC noted that the product offers “lots of features and extensive support for different operating systems and devices.”

Panda Security for Business is also the only on-premise security solution for gateways, e-mail networks and endpoints that benefits from instantaneous and automated, cloud-driven malware protection while still retaining all in-house security controls.

The recent 5-star ratings follow a string of positive reviews of Panda’s corporate products. This includes a 4-star rating in by SC Magazine of Panda GateDefender Performa 9500, the company’s all-in-one appliance for high-performance web filtering and perimeter protection against Internet-borne malware and spam.

Like all Panda products, the Panda GateDefender line as well as Panda Security for Business, benefit from the company’s unique cloud-based Collective Intelligence database. Collective Intelligence draws from the knowledge and experience of millions of users to deliver the most comprehensive, instantaneous and non-intrusive protection against known and unknown malware.

For more information about Panda Security’s corporate solutions, please visit www.pandasecurity.com/enterprise/

Global IT Vendor Panda Security has launched version 5.04.50 of Panda Cloud Office Protection (PCOP), its cloud-based security solution for corporate endpoints.

“The new version includes a host of new features and improvements which provides companies with an even more effective solution for malware detection and prevention”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations.

One of the version’s top new features is its compatibility with Office 2010, as well as its ability to scan the email messages stored in Windows Live Mail. It also incorporates new technologies to prevent infections from unknown malware. These technologies are capable of blocking threats even if the user is offline at the time of detection (identification processes take place in the cloud), or if the malware strain is new. Automatic verdicts are also returned directly, indicating whether the file is malware or goodware.

The new PCOP also contains a small signature file that only includes data about the most active malware every day. These file updates are truly automatic and do not require administrator intervention to deploy and implement them on every workstation on the network.

Since Panda Security started selling its cloud-based security suites last year, the company has achieved growth ratios well above the market average. In 2009, the company’s worldwide growth in this market segment reached 122% (compared to 2008), accounting for 20% of the company’s corporate revenue. This outstanding growth reflects the many benefits that a cloud-based security solution provides to clients.

Panda Cloud Office Protection can be sold separately or as part of the Panda Cloud Protection suite. This new solution complements Panda Security’s cloud-based, SaaS security products covering the main infection vectors: endpoints and servers (Panda Cloud Office Protection); corporate email (Panda Cloud Email Protection) and Internet traffic (Panda Cloud Internet Protection).

For more information and a free product trial go to http://cloudprotection.pandasecurity.com.

For more information about Panda, visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/.

Panda Security is launching the Panda Challenge. Last year’s edition of the competition saw more than 4,000 entrants putting their considerable computer skills to the test.

This year the Panda Challenge asks participants to find the solution to two practical problems published in the PandaLabs Blog. In the first phase, users will have to download the game and then make a keyfile in order to play it; while the second phase involves finding a valid license for a program.

“We launched this challenge for the first time last year, unaware of the fantastic response we would get” says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “We were pleasantly surprised to see such a high number of participants with such technical expertise. The challenges were not easy but lots of users managed to find the solution.”

The first challenge will be published on Saturday, July 17 at 09:00 (GMT + 2) and solutions must be received by Monday, July 19 at 17:00 PM (GMT + 2). The second challenge will be published the following weekend, on Saturday, July 24 at the same time, and solutions must be received by Monday, July 26. The winner will be the first contestant to send the correct solution to pandachallenge@pandasecurity.com.

Anyone, from any country, can take part, with no need to register or comply with any requirements. All participants can follow the contest and interact with each other on Twitter, using the hashtag #PC2010.

“This year we have taken into account the suggestions of contestants to better adapt the challenge to everyone’s needs: we’re running it at the weekend, with a timetable that allows people from all over the world to take part, etc. We hope users enjoy it as much as last year”, concludes Matthews.

More information is available in the PandaLabs blog: http://www.pandalabs.com

For more information about Panda, visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/.

With the boom in social networks and the numerous applications now available for sharing information across the Internet, global IT vendor Panda Security advises users to take extra precautions in order to prevent falling victim to computer fraud.

“This year we advise users to take particular care with the information they share across social networks”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “This applies particularly to applications used to plan journeys or to locate people geographically through GPS devices, as this information could easily be exploited and used to aid housebreaking.”

These types of applications have become highly popular over the last year. Facebook apps such as Doorpl or Trip Advisor (which show messages describing where you are or where and when you are planning to go); the Twitter geolocation utility (displaying where tweets have been sent from), or services for locating mobile devices through GPS (now widely employed by iPhone or Android users), are just a few examples.

While many of these programs are interesting and fun, the problem lies in the exploitation of this information by criminals. The emergence (and closure) of services like Pleaserobme, which as its name suggests, connects with these applications to offer information about who is not at home, is just one example of the abuse of these applications. “This underlines how careless we can be as users when offering personal information publicly”, adds Matthews.

There are numerous precautions that users are encouraged to take in order to prevent being exploited during the holiday season.

Users who take their PC’s with them on holiday are advised to back up all their information as they face the risk of having their PC’s stolen or breaking down while away. In addition they are advised to have reliable, up-to-date protection with all the necessary security patches installed.  

Although encrypting the information on their hard disks may seem a tiresome or complex task, is another strong security measure Panda encourages users to take as it prevents anyone from accessing data without the right password.

Furthermore, users should never connect to unprotected WiFi networks, as they could be hooking up to a network set up by hackers to steal any information that they share across the Internet. It is always better to use secure, trusted networks, even if it means paying more. Lastly, users are advised to take care with email as phishing attacks and spam are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

In addition to this holiday advice, there are constant precautions that should always be taken.

No one should use applications for planning journeys offered by social networks, to ensure that you can’t be located. Similarly, users shouldn’t accept the geolocation function in Twitter or use this application from their cell phones.

Users who do spend time in chat rooms while on holiday should also never reveal any personal or confidential details to anyone unknown. If users notice any suspicious behavior on social networks (strangers with too much of an interest in your holiday destination, dates, etc.) they should contact the police. All these safety tips should be shared with children, who are more naïve than their parents and therefore make easier targets.

“In addition to the above, it is worth remembering some of the basic security measures at this time of year. Turn off your router when you leave home, beware of typical, holiday-themed phishing, take care with dubious looking websites, as many of them are designed to infect your computer… and, above all, have a great holiday”, concludes Matthews.

More information is available at the PandaLabs blog: http://www.pandalabs.com

For more information about Panda, visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/.