" cloud antivirus "

Mac-Viruses

The Reality of Mac Viruses

28 Aug , 2015 No Comments

For years, Mac users have been safe in the knowledge that their platform was relatively protected against malware. A combination of the lower number of users on the platform, less attention from security researchers and fewer exploited security holes in the operating system than Windows, has led to a generally virus and malware free experience. Windows also represents a far larger target than Mac for profit-seeking virus and malware authors, due to their greater market share.

But in quick succession, two new serious vulnerabilities have been discovered in Mac OS X.

(more…)

Read More
free

Panda Free Antivirus 2015 Named Editor’s Choice

29 Oct , 2014 No Comments

Panda Free Antivirus 2015 was named PC Mag’s Editor’s choice as well as receiving an outstanding review from PC World. Panda Cloud Antivirus was launched in 2009 as the first free cloud-based antivirus. This was an innovative approach at the time that broke away from the traditional signature-based model and allowed us to offer a solution with high detection capabilities and minimal impact on computer performance. Over these last five years, the product has continuously evolved, increasing its capacity to counter new malware and protecting millions of computers around the world.

“Panda Free Antivirus 2015 scores on par with the best commercial antivirus tools, both in our hands-on tests and independent labs tests. It’s a new Editors’ Choice for free antivirus,’ says PC Mag’s Neil Rubenking.

(more…)

Read More

Panda Security Opens New Cloud Business Unit in Silicon Valley

10 Nov , 2010 No Comments

New division led by security software industry veterans from Panda and Symantec to focus on aggressive market development and expansion of company’s cloud-based solutions

Panda Security has announced the formation of a new Cloud Business Unit that will focus on further accelerating worldwide growth around its cloud-based security services for consumers, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) and resellers. The new unit will build on a strong momentum with Panda Cloud Antivirus, the world’s fastest growing consumer cloud security service. The group will also focus on market development and expansion for Panda Cloud Protection, featuring Panda Cloud Office Protection, Panda Cloud Email Protection and Panda Cloud Internet Protection for SMBs.

Headquartered in California the Cloud Business Unit will focus initially on the US market, and will collaborate closely with Panda Security USA, based in Orlando, Fl., to support the company’s continued expansion within the United States.

The Panda Cloud Protection product line has also grown well above the industry average growth rate for cloud-based security services. Income from these products grew 65% over the previous year and now represents 15% of the company’s total worldwide revenues. Panda expects this number to exceed 20% by the end of 2011. This compares to industry-wide revenue growth for SaaS, which made up only 10% of total security services revenue in 2009.

“Small and medium businesses are looking for security solutions that will protect them from the more than 55,000 new threats created daily, without slowing down their systems or requiring much maintenance,” says Juan Santana, CEO, Panda Security.  “Panda Security’s cloud solutions were designed to address both the needs of SMBs as well as our channel partners who serve them. The world class team we’ve built in Silicon Valley combined with our aggressive go-to-market, positions Panda very well to capitalize on the growth opportunity within the cloud”, he concludes.

Rick Carlson, president of Panda Security USA is confident of Panda’s success. “Panda Security is well positioned in the United States to take a big piece of the SaaS market with its best-in-class cloud products, support, and channel partner program”, he states. “The Orlando headquarters will benefit greatly by having a team on the ground in Silicon Valley to elevate the Panda brand even further and build on the strong foundation we already have established with SMBs and their managed service providers.”

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

Read More

Top five urban myths in the IT security sector

04 Nov , 2010 No Comments

The IT security industry is no stranger to urban myths: stories that spread and, over time, become accepted as general truths. Global IT vendor Panda Security has been asking its community, mainly through Facebook and Twitter, which myths come to mind when talking about antivirus companies, and below we look at the top five answers.

  1. Antivirus security companies make the viruses. This is a claim we have often heard at Panda Security throughout our 20 years in the business, and no doubt the same goes for other companies in the sector. The claim is absurd, particularly if you think that we receive around 55,000 new viruses every day. What’s more if it were true, such a scandal would surely have been uncovered in the 20 or more years that the sector has been protecting users. 
  2. Security companies hire hackers. Of course we can’t speak on behalf of the entire industry, but at Panda Security this issue has been a concern for us and we have never knowingly contracted ‘black hat’ hackers. We have however hired -and we are always looking out for- ‘white hat’ (basically, the good guys) hackers. Another variation of this myth is that you have to be an IT engineer to work in IT security, which is also false. The profile of those who work at Panda is highly varied: engineers, mathematicians, physicists, self-taught, etc. 
  3. There are no viruses for Mac, Linux or cell phone platforms. We would all like this to be true! It is commonly held that none of these present any risks to users, as viruses are only designed for Windows platforms. The truth is that there are viruses for all these platforms. The difference lies in the amount of threats circulating in comparison with those designed for Windows. The explanation is simple: hackers are looking for profit. If the aim is to reach as many people as possible and consequently more potential victims to steal from, what is the best target? A platform with 10 million users or one with 500 million? The answer is obvious.
  4. It requires considerable knowledge to be a hacker, develop viruses, infiltrate systems… in some cases yes, in others no. Some years ago it was difficult to develop viruses, worms, Trojans, etc., and it required technical know-how. In fact many hackers started out “just messing around” while they learnt, and acquired significant knowledge of programming languages, communication protocols, etc. Today this is no longer necessary, as in the case we witnessed recently with Operation Mariposa, those responsible had quite limited knowledge. This is because kits are sold across the Internet which enables amateur hackers to generate and configure malware. We wouldn’t quite say that anyone can do it, but with a little bit of knowledge and dedication, it’s possible to construct, for example, a botnet capable of infecting 13 million computers around the world.
  5. Women don’t work in security companies. This assumption is as frequent as it is untrue. At Panda Security the truth is quite different: more than 30% of the workforce is female, and many women are working in technical or management areas. This figure is growing, as an increasing amount of women are training for sectors such as IT security.

More info and urban myths at:

http://pandalabs.pandasecurity.com/deconstructing-the-urban-myths-in-the-it-security-sector/

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

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @PandaSecurityZA

Read More

Introducing Panda Cloud Antivirus Version 1.3

03 Nov , 2010 No Comments

Latest release of fastest growing cloud antivirus service takes major step forward in consumer PC protection and convenience

Panda Security has announced the launch of Panda Cloud Antivirus version 1.3. The release features a new security safeguard against malicious websites, as well as improvements to the user experience, in both the Free and Pro Editions. Users of both Cloud Antivirus products will continue to benefit from the real-time protection with the minimal computer resource consumption that they have come to expect from Panda.

Adding another layer of cloud-based protection to both the Free and Pro editions, Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.3 has incorporated a URL and web filtering feature which blocks suspicious and malicious websites before they can exploit vulnerabilities and inflict damage upon the user. In addition, those using the Free Edition will now benefit from automatic and transparent upgrades to the latest program releases: a feature previously reserved for Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro. Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.3 has also removed all pop-up advertisements from the Free Edition: a usability benefit that has always been included in the Pro Edition.

“Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.3 Free Edition continues to provide the best no-cost protection, while the Pro Edition remains an excellent investment in home security at an affordable price point” , says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations.

In a recent comparative test of leading free antivirus programs conducted by AV-Test.org for its Q2 Product Review and Certification Report, Panda Security’s antivirus detection software earned the top spot, detecting 99.87 percent of the zoo malware collection, the highest from all products tested.

Panda Antivirus also continues to win prestigious industry awards and accolades for its ability to deliver real-time protection with minimal impact on PC performance. The product was most recently honored as a Runner-Up in the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards and is the reigning Editor’s Choice in PCMag.com’s free antivirus software category.

Both products are available now and can be downloaded at http://www.cloudantivirus.com.

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

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @PandaSecurityZA

Read More

Panda Showcased Revolutionary Cloud Technology at 2010 ITWeb Security Summit

18 May , 2010 No Comments

Global IT security vendor Panda Security showcased its recently launched cloud-based security solutions at the ITWeb Security Summit on 11-13 May.

Panda was a sponsor of the three-day annual conference and exhibition which brings together members of the local and international IT community to share their experiences as well as the latest tools and techniques available for safeguarding information.

“This was a great opportunity to show the future of IT security,” says Jeremy Matthews, head of Panda’s sub-Saharan operations. “Panda’s cloud-based technologies are fundamentally transforming the way SMBs protect their businesses from internet threats.”

Peace of mind, while you focus on your business

Panda Cloud Protection provides fully hosted, incredibly lightweight, managed security that automates all maintenance tasks. This allows SMBs to remain focused on their core business, having peace of mind that their digital assets and information are being protected. Because it’s a hosted service, the need for investment in IT infrastructure is eliminated, while also enabling easy monitoring and maintenance from anywhere, anytime.

Panda Cloud Protection’s three components are Panda Cloud Office Protection Panda Cloud Email Protection and the newly launched Panda Cloud Internet Protection

Panda Cloud Office Protection is offers cloud-based anti-malware and firewall protection for endpoints. Easy to use, it is managed from a simple web console. The product can also be managed through third party Managed Security Service Providers. Key benefits include:

•    Minimal resource consumption
•    Flexible and easy installation
•    Minimised maintenance costs
•    Optimum protection

Panda Cloud Email Protection guarantees 100% malware-free email, reducing mail server workloads by deleting spam and malware from inbound and outbound mail. Its main advantages are:

•    Increased user productivity due to the elimination of malware
•    Complete accessibility to email in the event of mail server failures
•    Minimised maintenance costs.

Panda Cloud Internet Protection provides a rich internet experience while enforcing both security and business policies. Main benefits include:

•    Complete protection from internet-based threats,
•    Ensuring confidential information is protected
•    Control of access to websites, instant messaging and social networking sites

Panda Cloud Protection is based on Panda’s Collective Intelligence system which utilises Panda’s millions of users as “malware sensors” that contribute to a vast database of malware – stored “in the cloud”. Collective intelligence is thus able to detect and block new strains from the cloud in almost real time. This means SMBs are protected from the newest and most dangerous malware.

Read More