CyberSafety.co.za

• Panda Internet Security 2011 ranks above Symantec, ESET, AVG, Kaspersky and others
• Company’s cloud protection backbone also gets top honors in recent independent review from AV-Test.org

Global IT vendor Panda Security announced that Panda Internet Security 2011 obtained the Number One rank in the most recent Security Suites Performance Test from independent reviewer, AV-Comparatives.org. Panda Security received the highest certification level of Advanced+ and performed better overall than all of the competition including Symantec, ESET, AVG, Kaspersky, F-Secure and Trend Micro. This test released on August 23 reviewed the impact of security suites on system performance, and underscores the effectiveness of Panda’s proactive and cloud protection technologies in detecting new malware while minimizing impact on users’ PCs performance.

“It’s becoming increasingly important that antivirus software provides high detection and remediation rates without degrading system performance,” said Andreas Clementi, chairman, AV-Comparatives.org. “Panda Security’s approach in bringing malware detection and analysis into the cloud has proven to be an effective way to tackle this complex issue.”

All of the consumer and business solutions offered by Panda Security benefit from Collective Intelligence, the company’s cloud-based technology for automating the identification and remediation of malware threats instantaneously. Collective Intelligence leverages Panda’s global network of millions of users, referred to as the Power of Community, to deliver real-time protection against new and unknown threats.  This protection model decreases PC resource consumption significantly, and is the primary reason for the product’s high scores in PC performance impact. Panda Internet Security 2011 and Panda’s other consumer security suites boast a 50 percent improvement in performance on Windows 7 environments when compared to last year’s versions.

In addition to the performance impact review by AV-Comparatives.org, Panda Security has achieved top scores in many recent independent tests including:

•  Full Product Test by AV-Test.org (August 2010): Panda Internet Security 2010 received excellent scores in all categories, accomplishing top rank along with two other vendors.
• PC Security Labs Total Protection Test (August 2010): Panda Internet Security 2010 achieved both “5 Star” rating and a special award for “Top Detection” out of all tested solutions by the Chinese independent lab.
• Product Review by Computerworld (July 2010): Panda Internet Security 2010 was reviewed by Frank Ohlhorst who concluded that the product offers “maximum protection with minimum fuss.”
• Retrospective/Proactive Test by AV-Comparatives.org (May 2010):  Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 obtained the top score for its proactive capabilities, and detected impressive amounts of new malware using only heuristics and generic signatures.
• On-Demand Malware Detection Test by AV-Comparatives.org (February 2010): Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 achieved top scores, scoring 99.2 percent in the detection of the tests sample set.

“These independent test results demonstrate that it’s possible to lessen the impact of antivirus software on PC performance while at the same time increasing protection”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations.  “Panda is in a unique position to deliver excellent protection with minimum impact on computer resources because of our innovation with cloud-based scanning”, he concludes.

To find out more about Panda Internet Security 2011 please visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/solutions/internet-security/

-       Panda AdminSecure, the nerve center of Panda Security’s traditional corporate security solutions, now has 20% more detection capacity thanks to Collective Intelligence

-       Users of any of the company’s corporate security suites will now enjoy real-time protection against new malware

Global IT vendor Panda Security has announced the launch of Panda AdminSecure (4.07), the nerve center of its traditional corporate security solutions. This new version includes a new anti-malware engine, with the major innovation of cloud connection and the transfer of scanning and malware identification processes to the Collective Intelligence technologies, Panda’s system for detecting, analyzing and classifying new and unknown computer threats.

This evolution of AdminSecure’s engine has increased the capacity to detect threats on workstations, laptops and servers by almost 20%, delivering protection in real time, without impacting network resources.

“Whereas previously clients had to download the signature file and deploy it across the network, the new version combines real-time access to the cloud  with traditional signature file protection”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “This means that clients will no longer  be exposed to ‘window period’ risks while downloading the singnature files.”

The engine has also been improved to drastically reduce the resource consumption of the local scan and identification processes, decreasing the impact on computer and server performance.

The new anti-malware engine also offers a new genetic engine, including new codes for identifying unknown malware, using new traces and indicators to recognize and automatically block threats, without user intervention, and with no false positives. This feature is of particular importance for remote and mobile users who may not always have an Internet connection or connection to the corporate network.

Two security suites

Panda AdminSecure is the solution that brings together the management of all Panda Security protection. It enables network-wide deployment, monitoring, configuration and maintenance of  protection from a single point. It adapts to any network topology and, in addition to its own security policy definitions, integrates transparently with third-party technologies.

The security suites that include the new version of AdminSecure are Panda Security for Business, offering SMBs protection for Windows and Linux file servers and workstations, and Panda Security for Enterprise, designed for large corporate environments, which also includes protection for perimeter and mail servers.

This new version of the Panda Security solution completes the company’s cloud security offer for the corporate market, which also includes the Panda Cloud Protection solutions for workstations, email and the Internet.

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

 Blackhat SEO techniques are being used by cyber-criminals to position malicious links in top results in search engines

Other popular topics recently used include the last episode of Lost and the release of Iron Man 2

Global IT vendor Panda security has detected more than 200 spoof Web addresses using the name of Justin Bieber as bait to lure users. By including the name of this popular singer in malicious links, cyber-criminals are distributing the fake antivirus MySecurityEngine. This technique has been used many times before, taking advantage of popular topics such as the last episode of Lost or the release of the movie Iron Man 2.

Pic available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/panda_security/4903310831/

References to Justin Bieber in malicious links include amongst others:

justin bieber takes estrogen pills

justin bieber smoking weed

justin bieber born in 1998

justin bieber north korea

justin bieber arrested

justin bieber died

justin bieber drinking problem

justin bieber gender change operation

justin bieber hermaphrodite

There is nothing new about the way this infection operates. When somebody runs a search for this singer on the Internet, these fake websites have been indexed to appear among the first results displayed. If users click these links, they will be prompted to accept the download of a file, such as a codec, and the fake antivirus will be installed on their computers.

“These types of activities have become increasingly common”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “Any popular topic or issue is used by cyber-crooks to spread their creations. By positioning websites used to distribute malware among the first results in search engines, they can be sure that numerous Internet users will inadvertently download the fake antivirus”, he concludes.

Panda advises users to take precautions when searching for information on the Internet. They should ensure they have reliable antivirus software installed and use safe browsing tools, such as those offered free by Panda at http://free.pandasecurity.com.

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

• Does your computer talk to you? Can’t use the Internet? Have your files disappeared? You might be infected…

Users are often advised to use an antivirus to check if their systems are infected, but with the current cyber-crime scenario, this is simply not enough.

“It takes a least a basic grasp of security issues to work out if a computer is infected, and many first-time users have little or no idea” says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “However, while many of today’s threats are specifically designed to go undetected, there are still some tell-tale signs if a system has been compromised.”

Global IT vendor Panda Security has produced a simple guide to the 10 most common symptoms of infection, to help users identify if their systems are at risk:

1. My computer speaks to me: There are all types of pop-ups and messages on the desktop either advertising things, saying that the PC is infected and needs protection etc. This is a typical, surefire case of an infection. There is either spyware on the computer, or it has been infected by a fake antivirus also known as “rogueware”.

2. My computer is running extremely slowly: This could be a symptom of many things, including infection by a virus. If it has been infected by a virus, worm or Trojan, among other things, which are running on the computer, they could be running tasks that consume a lot of resources, making the system run more slowly than usual.

3. Applications won’t start: How many times have you tried to run an application from the start menu or desktop and nothing happens? Sometimes another program might even run. This could be another type of problem, but it’s a symptom that tells you that something is wrong.

4. I cannot connect to the Internet or it runs very slowly: Loss of Internet communication is another common symptom of infection, although it could also be due to a problem with your service provider or router. You might also have a connection that runs much more slowly than usual. If you have been infected, the malware could be connecting to a URL or opening separate connection sessions, thereby reducing your available bandwidth or making it impossible to use the Internet.

5. When I connect to the Internet, all types of windows open or the browser displays pages I have not requested: This is certain sign of infection. Many threats are designed to redirect traffic to certain websites against the user’s will, and can even spoof Web pages, making you think you are on a legitimate site when really you have been taken to a malicious imitation. 

6. Where have my files gone? Hopefully nobody will be asking this type of question, although there are still some threats around designed to delete or encrypt information and to move documents from one place to another. If you find yourself in this situation, get help as quickly as possible.

 7. My antivirus has disappeared, my firewall is disabled: Another typical characteristic of many threats is that they disable security systems (antivirus, firewall, etc.) installed on computers. Perhaps if one thing shuts down it might just be a specific software failure; but if all your security components are disabled, you are almost certainly infected.

 8. My computer is speaking a strange language: If the language of certain applications changes, the screen appears back-to-front or strange insects start ‘eating’ the desktop; it is likely that you have an infected system.

 9. Library files for running games, programs, etc. have disappeared from my computer: Once again, this could be a sign of infection, although it could also be down to incomplete or incorrect installation of programs.

10. My computer has gone mad… literally: If the computer starts acting on its own, you suddenly find your system has been sending emails without your knowledge, Internet sessions or applications open sporadically on their own, your system is probably compromised by malware.

Panda advises all users, who have identified with one or more of the scenarios above, to look for alternative security applications to the one (if any) they have installed. Users don’t need to uninstall their existing application; but can simply use a free, online antivirus such as Panda ActiveScan. Alternatively, they can install an antivirus that is compatible with other engines, such as Panda Cloud Antivirus, which is also free.

“Getting a second opinion on the health of your PC could save your data, your privacy and in many cases, your money”, concludes Matthews.

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

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

• Vladimir Gneushev won the first phase of the Challenge, as the quickest of the 11 correct solutions
• No one fully resolved the second phase of the Challenge. Iván Otero was declared the winner after correctly solving the second part

Panda Security reports that nearly 5000 people from 91 countries took part in the 2010 Panda Challenge. Organised by PandaLabs, Panda’s anti-malware laboratory, this year’s Challenge involved two separate high-tech teasers.

The winner of the first phase of the Challenge, launched on July 17, was Vladimir Gneushev, the first person to send in the correct solution. Suprisingly, only eleven participants managed to correctly resolve the problem.

The second phase of the Challenge, published on July 24, comprised of two parts. The first challenge was to find a valid license key for a program. However, no participants managed to do this and so the prize was awarded to Ivan Otero, who was the first to send in the solution to the second section of the test.

“For the second year running we’ve been amazed by the great response to the Panda Challenge, particularly given the technical difficulty involved in these tests”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “It’s incredible that, despite participants entering from all across the globe, no one found the complete correct solution to the second test”.

The winners will receive their prize of an iPad in the next few days.

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

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

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/.