CyberSafety.co.za

• 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/.

Panda Security has reported the recent appearance of a number of web pages distributing the MySecurityEngine fake antivirus. All of these pages appear in top web search results related to the 2010 South Africa Soccer World Cup.

“The FIFA World Cup is a worldwide event that, logically, hackers are taking advantage of”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. Users looking for information regarding the World Cup are advised to only access reliable websites and be careful when clicking on links returned by search engines. “We expect to see attacks like this increase over the next few days.”

These techniques, called Black Hat Seo attacks, started being used by hackers a couple of years ago. Since then, they have become increasingly sophisticated, managing to place rogue websites among the top’s search results in search engine listings. The system is very simple: when users look for information about major sports events such as this, the results returned correspond to rogue Web pages professionally indexed to rank high. If the user clicks the link, they will be asked to download a file, such as a codec. If they do so, they will be inadvertently installing a fake antivirus program on their computer.

Users are advised to take all the necessary precautions when visiting Web pages through search engines. Making sure that sources are reliable and rejecting all downloads is key remaining uninfected. “The best piece of advice is to use common sense when surfing the Web. Reject requests from strangers and do not open any files that come from unfamiliar sources” says Matthews. “It’s advisable to make sure you have the proper virus protection on your computer and that it is up to date. There are free solutions like Panda Cloud Antivirus that protect computers against this type of threat.”

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

Panda Cloud Antivirus has received yet another accolade! About.com has ranked the free cloud based security solution as their number one choice in their top 10 antivirus for Windows-based PCs.

About.com says:

Panda takes free antivirus to a whole new level with Panda Cloud Antivirus. The only free cloud-based scanner, Panda antivirus software takes all the processing off your PC, giving you a lighter, faster, and more proactive antivirus protection. Or for for a very low price you can upgrade to Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro and gain additional features as well as 24/7 tech support.

Panda Security has upgraded and expanded Panda Cloud Antivirus, the first and only cloud-based anti-malware service to protect home computer users. The upgrade of Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition improves and extends the protection provided by the original free product. A brand new commercial version of the product, Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro, delivers expanded support services and automation capabilities for even greater convenience. Both products, available for download at http://www.cloudantivirus.com, set the standard in malware detection and consume minimal PC resources.

Since the debut of Panda Cloud Antivirus last year, nearly 10 million home users have selected the free service as their antivirus of choice. “With today’s launch, we’ve created two options for users, both featuring major enhancements that make safeguarding your PC even easier and more transparent”, says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “The Free Edition gives users the best basic no-cost protection available on the market thanks to Panda’s cloud-based Collective Intelligence technology, while the new Pro Edition offers more robust automated security capabilities and services at a very affordable price.”

The first-free “in the cloud” security service for home users, Panda Cloud Antivirus provides instantaneous protection against real-world threats with next to no impact on computer performance. This minimal resource usage 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. This results in efficient, accurate malware protection that consumes only 15MB of RAM, compared with 60MB for traditional signature-based anti-virus products. Collective Intelligence also provides superior detection against both known and unknown malware.

In a recent comparative test of leading free antivirus programs conducted by AV-Test.org, Panda outperformed the average zero day detection score of the other products tested by 42.5%. Panda also scored 99.4%, or higher, in four on-demand detection rate tests including the PCSecurityLabs test, for which it scored 99.7%.

PCMag.com, PC World and CNET have hailed Panda Cloud Antivirus as the first free anti-virus product completely built on a cloud infrastructure. Panda’s reverse signature analysis approach, which feeds information about goodware and malware characteristics to the Collective Intelligence database, ensures rapid scanning for the newest and most dangerous malware. According to Neil Rubenking, security analyst at PCMag.com, “Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.0 is the best free antivirus software available…and is our Editors’ Choice for free antivirus.”[1]

New features in Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition include advanced configuration and exclusions. This allows users to customise certain features, such as behavioural blocking and analysis, to suit their individual needs and system requirements. Behavioural blockers provide instantaneous protection against new malware and targeted attacks, while self-protection of antivirus files and configurations also ensures protection can’t be disabled by targeted malware attacks.

Additional features in the Cloud Antivirus Pro Edition include automatic, transparent upgrades, providing completely “hands-free” protection by eliminating the need for reinstalling the antivirus each time a new version is released. Automatic vaccination of USB and hard drives ensures that neither drive type can transmit an infection while users are offline. Dynamic behavioural analysis also provides an added layer of protection by analyzing running processes and blocking any found to be malicious.

Panda Cloud Antivirus has received numerous awards, including the Editors’ Choice Award from PCMag.com USA, Best Tech of the Year from LAPTOP Magazine USA, 5 Stars from Downloads Café USA amoungst others.

Pricing and Availability

Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro Edition is priced at $29.95. Both products are available now and can be downloaded at http://www.cloudantivirus.com.

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

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[1] Reprinted from www.pcmag.com, November 13, 2009, with permission. © 2009 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In recognition of Panda Security’s move into cloud-based security services for SMBs and home users, the security vendor has been recognised as one of the “20 Coolest Cloud Security Vendors.” by CRN US.

According to the channel magazine, “Panda has further immersed itself in the cloud computing arena after it unveiled cloud-based antimalware services for SMBs … In addition to cloud-based antivirus, spam filters and Web scanning engines, security companies are now launching cloud-based DLP and authentication and log management technologies. Here are our picks for the coolest cloud security vendors helping to foster the SaaS phenomenon and drive it forward in 2010”.

In November 2009, Panda launched its free retail cloud offering, Panda Cloud Antivirus, along with a cloud solution for SMBs, Panda Cloud Protection.

The list was based on nominations from Solution Providers rating technology, channel influence, effectiveness and visibility along with business and sales impact. The final selections were made by a panel of Everything Channel Editors.

“This latest acclaim further rewards our company’s strategy of offering leading-edge services that respond to market needs,” says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “Our solutions can be centrally managed through a simple, secure Web console and, thanks to Collective Intelligence technologies, offer even greater detection ratios of new malware. Importantly for companies in today’s climate, they also deliver major cost savings, as there is no need whatsoever for any investment in infrastructure.”

Panda Security’s free antivirus, Panda Cloud Antivirus, has received Microsoft’s ‘Compatible with Windows 7’ certification after passing the company’s quality checks, for both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Panda Cloud Antivirus is the first antivirus especially designed to offer protection from the cloud. Available free from www.cloudantivirus.com, it safeguards users from new malicious code practically in realtime as all processes take place on the Internet, minimising any impact on PC performance. The release version of Panda Cloud Antivirus was launched on November 10 after being in beta since April 2009.

Adopting a next-generation approach to IT security, Panda Cloud Antivirus is driven by Collective Intelligence, Panda’s advanced system which gathers malware information from its global community of users in the cloud. The system can automatically identify and classify new malware strains in minutes, combining local detection technologies with real-time cloud-scanning to maximize protection while minimizing resource consumption.

Recently, Panda Cloud Antivirus won the “Editors’ Choice™” distinction for free antivirus solutions from PC Mag. The publication’s security analyst Neil Rubenking said in the review: “It’s a very good, very lightweight tool even when measured against the for-pay security antivirus available. And it’s the best free antivirus software available.”

Panda Cloud Antivirus scored a perfect 10 in rootkit and rogue antivirus detection.

“Panda Cloud Antivirus is impressively effective at keeping malware from infesting a clean system,” said Rubenking. “It’s a powerful defender against malware attacks—and it’s free.”

Panda Cloud Antivirus has also won top honors in PCWorld’s comparative review as the best antivirus for detecting malware.

Download it for free here.