Or are you happy to sell it for as little as $25? 

Thousands of people seem prepared to let it all hang out for a few dollars… or maybe they’re simply playing Good Samaritans to change the online experience for the better.

In the midst of the outcry triggered by Google’s new privacy policy, the giant is running a rather controversial project. Launched at the beginning of the year, the Screenwise experiment called for web users to join a research panel and help Google make their products better. All they had to do was to enter their e-mail address, use only Chrome for browsing the web and install a browser extension that would help them track users’ every move. What would joining panellists receive in return? $5 worth of Amazon gift cards for enrolling in the project, as well as every three months, totalling up to $25 in Amazon gift cards a year.

Is your privacy worth only $25?

When I found out about the project, my first reaction was: who would really want to give up their online privacy for some gift cards worth of up to $25? I even started a survey among my friends and colleagues to see how many would give up their privacy for some gift cards. To my surprise, the result was 50/50 and I received some arguments for their choices, too:

Arguments for

Be the change. Do not oppose it.

• It’s only natural for Google, as every web and media company, to do market research. Screenwise is only a virtual focus group where people willingly give up their privacy, in order for Google to analyse their online behaviour and improve, based on their findings, their services if necessary. If you’re not satisfied with some of the services Google provides you with, then this experiment might actually prove useful. The reward you’ll get will be much higher than the gift cards and you’ll have the satisfaction of being part of a great change.
• With all the online tracking web companies are already doing, does it really matter if Google gets hold of some extra information about your behaviour?

So, you actually have nothing to lose.

Arguments against

Googles gives back. And gets more.

• Would the giant really start giving back to its people for their loyal web searches? Well, it would. If that meant earning even more money. Clearly, more information about web users also means more targeted ads popping up at every single search. And more money from advertisers. Targeted advertising may not bother some people, but others would really get annoyed.
• A more detailed explanation about the project would have been nice. You have to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. “We want to track your behavior and see how we can improve our search services” it’s kind of vague. What if what you consider to be an improvement, for me it is actually a drag? For a company advocating for transparency, the real benefits of the user are not so transparent.
• Up to $25 in gift cards. Really? While other companies spend big money on focus groups and market research, the giant can only afford that? It’s unfortunate. Motivation zero.
• Only Chrome? Google would also benefit from users using only its browser.

So, yay or nay?

The other day when I checked the Screenwise landing page, out of simple curiosity, I got my answer – lots of people would give up their privacy for some gift cards worth of up to $25. The landing page announced that Google could not receive any more participants due to the overwhelming number of submissions. And the project has already received more than 11 000 +1s! (see the +1 icon in the screenshot below)

If this experiment is just Google trying to find out whether regular users are bothered with the privacy issue, we can only speculate. Truth is, the experiment appealed to lots of users and it seems like even more were willing to give up their privacy, in exchange for little attention from the giant.

Did you sign up? If not, if you still had the chance, would you do it?

How on earth does “Don’t talk to strangers” work in the age of social networking?!

Social media sites are as much a fact of teenager life as breathing.

But while air is unquestionably a good thing, social media action is proving a major parenting challenge. To dictate rules and line up expectations, parents need to take time to get their heads around the world their offspring consider a natural habitat: they need to understand the online world, watch what their kids are up to more closely and talk to them about online connections and behaviour.

A decade ago keeping your child physically safe was the main concern. Nowadays, we’re also responsible for kids’ internet security and that’s no easy task.

Guess what: They do listen!

Recent studies tell us that 95 percent of 12-to-17-year-olds are online and a staggering 80 percent of them are actively engaging on social media sites. But that’s hardly surprising, is it? What is unexpected, however, is that most teenagers actually follow their parents’ advice when it comes to their electronic life. Maybe it does make sense though: after all, kids don’t want to get in trouble on the internet any more than the rest of us. As with real-world communities, social media are not exactly a safe haven. Some users act inappropriately and contribute to cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, inappropriate content and identity theft becoming a daily occurrence.

All these seem good enough reasons to be careful when socializing online, but they only paint part of the picture. Computer security is also at risk, with all kinds of malware, phishing attempts and click-jacking schemes roaming the social networks.

To help you make social networking safer for your teenage children, we’ve put together these guidelines:

1.  1) Get informed about social media sites, and how they work.

   The best way to do this is by setting up an account of your own, checking out the security settings available and carefully reading the privacy policy of the service provider.

    

2.  2) Help your kids use security settings to stay safe.

   Explain that it’s important to set their profile to private and limit other people’s access to their information. It’s also a good idea not to “friend” just about anyone who asks.

    

3.  3) Talk to them about keeping personal information private.

   Tell them never to disclose any information that could make it easy for someone to guess who they are and where they live. This includes posting photos with street signs or the school premises, using the “check in” feature or sharing club affiliations.

    

4.  4) Remind them that anything they post online could stay there forever.

   An embarrassing photo, a disrespectful comment or a cruel joke could become part of their online reputation forever even though they are eventually deleted, as someone could save them for later use. Universities and employers tend to check the online profiles of applicants, so there’s no telling when such content could come back to haunt them. It is also recommended that they monitor what their friends post about them and ask for anything that bothers them to be deleted.  

    

5. 5) Warn them about flashy ads, strange links and so-called “free software”.

   People share all kinds of dangerous things on social media, sometimes without realizing it. Ads and shared links could lead them to inappropriate content and malware-ridden or phishing websites. “Free” downloads usually come packed with spyware and viruses. This means their internet security could be compromised in just one click.

    

    

What to do?

Make sure the computers and phone they use are adequately protected by a powerful internet security suite.

Computer protection is not something to take lightly, especially when it comes to the devices your children use every day.

Social media is part of growing up today and  teaching our kids to navigate them  safely is all part of the parenting package. 

More and more users are having their Hotmail and MSN e-mail accounts hacked. What's in it for hackers? Well, snooping into users' private data and exploiting it in their criminal attempts (examples: identity theft, spamming, pump & dump schemes, 419 scams etc.).

Even my father has had his account hacked, so I thought now would be a good time to post a few helpful tips on how to properly protect your inbox.

1. How does a "hacker" find an e-mail address?

From any site you have used your e-mail on: social sites, gaming sites, forums, and anywhere else you are required to register with your e-mail address.

2. There is no such thing as a 100% "safe" database.

All databases have security measures in place, but we have learned that even big companies such as Sony and NASA have had trouble with hacking in the past.

3. Why did my antivirus software not protect me from this?

It can’t. Simply because the e-mail user database is web based, and stored externally on a server that your antivirus does not have access to. Your antivirus can protect your computer from the threats that are on the internet and, depending on the antivirus you have, it may also protect your local network.

4. How did the hacker find out my password or security question?

Chances are that you have used them before on another site, which got hacked. It could also be that the person who hacks your account is someone you know, or that you have left your details accessible without being aware of it.

Microsoft has put together these recommendations for what to do, in case your Hotmail or MSN e-mail account gets hacked: explore.live.com/windows-live-hotmail-hacked-account-faq

And Microsoft is taking serious steps in order to prevent hacking, including creating a special function for reporting hacked accounts. When an account is reported stolen, it will be monitored in order to find and stop the culprit. You can read the full article and more about how to use this function, here: windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2011/07/14/hey-my-friend-s-account-was-hacked.aspx

Google also has a really nice feature for preventing account hacking. They keep track of the IP's you login from and your geographic location and  signal any other access to the account. Also, users can designate a mobile phone, landline or mobile application to receive a unique one-time login code. You must enter this code, in order to login to your account.

Yahoo also has a lot of security and spam/scam reporting features:

• You can view your most recent activity: https://api.login.yahoo.com/login/history. This feature shows when you have logged in and from which location.

• You can create a sign-in-seal for all your computers https://protect.login.yahoo.com/login/set_pref. This will display a secret message or image and a background colour for your login window, that you should always see on your computer, if you are on a valid Yahoo Sign-in page.

• You can report any message or Yahoo contact as spam and even block them. This is very handy, since more and more Yahoo accounts are being created for the specific purpose of spam/scam.

To sum things up, there are significant steps being taken in order to keep user accounts safe, by all major IT companies. It is important, though, that users also take the few necessary steps in order to protect themselves.

Have you had your e-mail accounts hacked? Tell me what happened!

BullGuard, Kaspersky Lab, F-Secure, Trusteer and Zemana are the only security products that PASSED BBC’s test and blocked a banking virus.

If you had any doubts about how devious financial malware is, watch this BBC Click programme and read the article on how the established chameleon malware Zeus – a so-called Trojan - tricks some of the most established security products around, and gets away with monetary murder.

Check out these great insights on financial malware from BBC Click:

With Zeus in your machine, you can’t be sure what transactions go on behind your back, what sensitive information of yours is being shared in cyberspace, and how much money you could end up losing.

Didn’t fool BullGuard, though. We passed, because our Behavioural Detection technology doesn’t have to wait around for old-school signature based virus databases to detect and register the never-ending succession of guises Zeus uses, to trick unsuspecting consumers into handing over too much information and money.

How does BullGuard’s Behavioural Detection technology work?

The short version:

Behavioural Detection is a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ technology: if it walks like a virus, talks like a virus and dances like a virus it probably is, and is therefore quarantined. The nanosecond it exhibits any kind of virusy behaviour it is neutralized and no longer dangerous.

What is a Man-in-the-Browser attack?

The Man-in-the-browser (MiTB) breaks into your bank by getting you to let him in. 

These attacks are very sophisticated, and a real challenge to internet security. It can infect a web browser and has the ability to modify web pages, modify transaction content or insert additional transactions, all in a completely covert fashion invisible to both the user and host application.

Unlike most of the suites featured in the BBC Click programme, BullGuard caught the malware with the just the standard settings, whereas many other security suites needed to have their settings turned up to max.

What is Zeus?

Zeus (also known as Zbot, PRG, Wsnpoem, Gorhax and Kneber) is a Trojan horse that steals banking information by keystroke logging and Form Grabbing. Zeus is spread mainly through drive-by downloads and phishing schemes.

First identified in July 2007 when it was used to steal information from the United States Department of Transportation, it became widespread in March 2009. In June 2009, a security company discovered that Zeus had compromised over 74,000 FTP accounts on websites of such companies as the Bank of America, NASA, Monster, ABC, Oracle, Cisco, Amazon, and BusinessWeek.

These attacks cost US banks an estimated $1 billion every year

Find out how you can get rid of Zeus.

What you should do now:

Afraid you’re infected?

• If your transaction takes longer than normal, there’s a chance it’s going via a fraudsters system.
• If asked for more information than normal, especially if you’re asked for entire passwords when previously you were only asked for part, your machine might be infected.
• If you suspect something is wrong, contact your bank by PHONE, not by e-mail.

The 2  crucial tips on how to protect yourself and your computer:

• Use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date on a regular basis.
• Download the latest security updates (or patches) for your web browser and operating system.

Are you worried about banking online? Share your thoughts:

Pinterest, the hottest new social media platform out there, that increased 400% from September to December 2011, has become the new tool used by cyber-criminals. In other words, the increasing desire (as shown below) from Android users to have a Pinterest app on their phone is being harnessed by fraudsters.

How?

Well, yesterday, getting bored while waiting for my usual Monday dentist appointment, I started to browse on my Android phone. Checked the BullGuard Twitter Account -> no new mentions. Then, I opened one of my favourite apps, AppBrain, to see what new apps are on the market and I stumbled on Pinterest.

It looked legit ( notice the “…by Official Android App” tag), so I searched for it on Android Market and found it:

But when I was installing it, I was warned that the “Item was not found”. Hmmm… weird. And very annoying, all at the same time. Why did they remove it? My curiosity took over and started to read the reviews:

Ooops! I was about to make a mistake. My excitement took control and I forgot to do the usual research before installing an app. Also, the recent announcement that all the applications are automatically scanned by Bouncer, a new Android service, before being published on the Market, made me think that maybe  research is not all that necessary. As things turned out, though, the new security layer provided by  the guys over at Google doesn’t do much good…

So, I continued the research and found some interesting facts. Apparently, the application was, indeed, a fake one, not published by Pinterest. And it’s not featured in the Goodies list, next to the already launched Iphone app: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/

The guys from GottaBeMobile.com have taken the time to test the malicious app. As you can see in their screenshots, the app is full of malvertisements and scams:

Lessons:

1. Research, research, research. ALWAYS, look twice before installing an app (even if you are downloading it from the Android Market). Read reviews, Google it etc.
2. Don’t get overexcited when your favourite Android app that you have been waiting anxiously for is launched.
3. Use a mobile security app. Protection on your Android phone is a must these days, as demonstrated by BullGuard in this Mobile Security Manifesto.

I will surely be more careful next time before installing a new application on my mobile. Did you ever installed an application and got something else than you expected? Share your story with us bellow: 

Don’t you just love a good deal? Making a smart choice goes beyond saving money: it can lift your spirits and makes deal hunting a fun experience you can’t help repeating. And what better place to find exclusive offers than the bountiful world of the virtual malls?

The booming popularity of e-commerce is not surprising since there are millions of reasons for shopping online.

Well, there is one thing that might get in your way. As people changed their attitudes and behaviour towards online purchases, so did cyber-thieves, making the growing number of shoppers their favourite target. According to a CIFAS report, 40,000 pieces of sensitive and financial information are traded through the black market every day – that’s 13.2 million a year!

 Scary? Don’t worry, and don’t let it stop you from using your credit card. To shop with confidence, all you need is some common sense and these next guidelines to avoid risking your finances!

 Here’s a comprehensive list of valuable tips on how to shop online safely:

Secure your PC before going online.

1.       Tune up your defences using a strong firewall and either, antiphishing software or a powerful antivirus with an antiphishing feature. Keep in mind it needs to update continuously with the latest virus definitions for maximum efficiency.

2.      Bring your browser up-to-date. Old and outdated browser versions have security issues that allow malicious websites to read or damage your files, get hold of your passwords or spread viruses, so it’s better to be prepared.

3.      Update your Operating System. Updates are important since security breaches leave a vulnerable system at the mercy of hackers. It can be exploited to spread malware and steal your passwords, credit card numbers and all sorts of files you’d like to keep private.

Do your research, look for:

4.       Trusted websites: check for the closed "padlock" icon or an "unbroken key" in the top or bottom window frame of your browser. If it’s not visible (as it happens with Mozilla Firefox), click on the domain name for details. The URL should start with "https:" to ensure the site uses a secure connection. Some websites also use the words “Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)” to indicate that you’re entering a secure area.

                             Google Chrome                                                                                            Mozilla Firefox

It’s a good idea to read the website's Privacy and Security Policies to make sure your information isn’t shared with a third party company that will nag you with unwanted e-mails or phone calls for their marketing purposes.

5.       Reputable sellers:

• Look around the website and pay attention to details. Does the website look amateurish; are there frequent spelling or grammar mistakes?
• Does it have clearly posted information about shipping rates, return policies, warranties, and privacy protection? Can you find contact information easily, including telephone numbers?
• Check out the reviews, what are other shoppers or experts saying about the products or the seller? Don’t rely on only one source, you can find blogs with testimonials and product images with just one mouse-click.

6.       Best payment methods:  Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Cash, or Checks?  

Safest option: pay using a credit card. In the US, if something goes wrong, you are protected under the Federal law and will only be charged for the first $50. However, if you use a debit card your account could be overdrawn before you even notice the fraud. In the UK, the Consumer Credit Card act states your credit card company is equally responsible along with the retailer for the good or service they’re providing. What’s more, asking for a chargeback allows you to reverse your credit card transaction.

Take extra safety measures, too: print out or save a copy of the confirmation message you receive after purchase describing the item you ordered, its price, as well as the page showing company name, postal address, phone number, and legal terms, including return policy.

Also, you can check you bank statements regularly for unfamiliar items or entries you don’t recognize. 

Be wise, think twice.

7.        Be skeptical! Identity thieves will do just about anything to get hold of your credit card number including making up unbelievable deals! If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

8.       Don’t forget to keep an eye on your Inbox: use a spam filter to sort fake e-mails inviting you to update an account with information which has expired, been compromised or lost and urging you to immediately resend it to the company. Legitimate businesses don’t ask for sensitive information via e-mail.

9.       Here’s the golden rule: don’t respond to any request for financial information!  Again, don’t click on any link embedded within a suspicious email and always call the retailer or financial institution to verify your account status before divulging any information. Legitimate financial institutions will never ask you to submit your account details via e-mail.

And...that about wraps it up. From one shopping addict to another, my advice to you is to use your intuition and don’t rush into things. Do your homework before you click the ‘Buy’ button because remember: knowledge is power!

Luckily, I haven’t had a bad experience when shopping online, yet. Have you? Share your story with us!

Not all green, but still… Recycling malware and finding new spreading channels for it are the two major trends hackers and malware writers will follow this year.

Smartphone usage is rapidly becoming mainstream. We see people in metro and bus stations with their eyes stuck to those little screens.

More People are getting social or even “more” social with every second. We see social networks increasingly buzzing with news and opinions.

It’s only natural that hackers exploit these behavioural trends, re-targeting their attacks to match current context. And recycling older versions of malware and adapting them to new popular platforms is more convenient than developing new threats from scratch. We saw this at the beginning of the year with Ramnit. Formerly known for its financial data gathering capabilities, the worm acquired some social skills. And good causes are not exactly what it’s been pleading for on social media. Instead of sending it via e-mail spam, cybercrooks took it to Facebook for wider propagation and stealing users’ login credentials. 

Now, if by recycling malware you could think of hackers getting lazier, think again. While they will most probably continue working on developing new threats, they will also shift part of their efforts towards finding new ways of spreading their evil and human/digital vulnerabilities to exploit.

What are they going to focus on more feverishly in 2012?

• Redesigning malware for mobile devices, primarily targeting the free Android Market – watch out for suspicious mobile banking apps! 2012 may be the year we hear about mobile worms and drive-by-downloads. Also, rethinking mobile attacks. Patches and updates for mobile operating systems are very rare and take more time to develop than those for PC. And hackers will most likely exploit this vulnerability. This is why mobile devices will become hackers’ main target in their attempt to steal sensitive data.

• Analysing and exploiting vulnerabilities in Windows 8, soon to be released. Microsoft’s latest OS version will come with its own Antivirus, but don’t rely much on that tool. Hackers expect you to do just that, while developing threats that breach it.

• SEO poisoning of search results. Popular searches such as “Kim Kardashian” may start producing more images that link to malicious sites, where you can be tricked into handing over personal information.

• Mining social networks with “recycled” variants of malware and phishing attacks, based on current world events. If we take into consideration several turmoils around the world, mostly caused by economic crises, hacktivism  is prone to become the next big thing on social media. Hacktivism may affect institutions, governments and individuals at the same time.

So smartphones, blackhat SEO, social media and Microsoft’s OS are 2012’s primary channels connecting the cybercrime eco-system with the rest of the digital world. And this is not a Mayan prediction for 2012 (!). It’s my take based on what I hear, see, learn exploring both real and digital worlds, and listening to security experts.

What’s your take on all of this? Wanna add something else to the list above?

Worried about your Facebook account security? Does it seem like not a single day passes without suspicious links appearing on your wall and you hear talk of social media scams? Here are 7 useful tricks to protect you against the “Social Network” threats:

Step 1:  Use https://. Make sure you enable the “Secure Connection” option in your Facebook account settings, to avoid intrusive access to your private data and logins. For example, Firesheep, a popular Firefox add-on can be used by anybody to access confidential information from devices that are connected to the internet and are in the same network.

Step 2: Turn on Login Notification. This way, you’re notified by e-mail and/or text message (SMS) when an unknown device is accessing your Facebook Account. If this happens, change your password right away.

Step 3: Enable double-authentication. Turn on the “Login Approvals” feature. This basically blocks strangers trying to access your account and redirects them to a second screen where they need to enter a code that has been sent to your phone number. Granted, this security measure can be one of the more annoying ones, if you usually access your account from other computers or you’re regularly cleaning the browser cache.

 Step 4: Use a URL scanner. In 2011, we saw an increase in the number of phishing attacks through malicious links shared on Facebook (for more info check this BullGuard security article). A dedicated link scanner is a must these days. BullGuard Internet Security offers a similar feature, as shown below:

Step 5: Review the connected third-party apps. On a regular basis, you should check out the applications connected to your Facebook account here and remove/edit the unknown/suspicious ones.

Step 6:  Turn off the online chat. Facebook crooks are trying to use all the platform’s social features to trick you. Only last week they crooks impersonated the Facebook Security Team and started to contact everyone through the live chat to steal account information and credit card data.

To disable it, click the gear located in the bottom-right corner and select “Go offline”.

Step 7:  Keep yourself informed. Try to be up-to-date with the latest Facebook scams, security tips and information:

• http://www.facebook.com/security
• http://facecrooks.com/

If in doubt, contact us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BullGuard

The Ultimate Step.  As a community manager for BullGuard I engage with victims of social media threats on a daily basis. At the end of the day, no matter how many steps you take to protect yourself, none of them beat the ultimate protection step:  Common Sense. Despite the new security technologies, common sense remains your best defence. Be careful what you click on and always think ahead.

Do you have any other tips to secure the Facebook account? Feel free to share them below.

So. What’s the point with this blog?

The point is the same as that of any other blog: to get your attention. 

Why do we want your attention? There are a couple of reasons, actually – and it’s not that we are a bunch of 19-years-olds pushing for international celeb status.

• Reason 1: We want to fight the bad guys.
• Reason 2: We want to help you.

In the following posts, I’ll elaborate on these reasons. And I really hope you’ll comment and share your thoughts.

First things first, though. As this is the first post on a new blog, I don’t know what you know.  I can of course make a few educated guesses and check out traffic stats, but that doesn’t give me the answer to the “what?” I’m asking, which is: “What do you know about BullGuard?”

Which is why I’ll assume you know nothing, and why I’ll start off by telling you how we see ourselves at BullGuard:

Over the years, we’ve used quite a few taglines, catch phrases and the like. Out of all of them, my personal favourite is this one:  “We keep you safe and we keep it simple”. To me, that speaks the necessary volumes and tells the story nicely.

The longish version of the story goes something like this:

A couple of Entrepreneurial Types sat down in 2001 and took a long, hard look at the computer security industry. They concluded that it was confusing and frustrating to an extent that was practically rude to the consumer!

The problem was that the industry developed software for the IT departments in large corporations. The same product was then re-hashed and given a quick makeover before being passed on to the consumer. The result was a mess. The user experience was nightmarish and the interface designs were, well … non-existent.

 “Let’s do better”, the aforementioned 2 Entrepreneurial Types decided.

And they set out to create a security product specifically with the consumer in mind. Something simple and effective and backed by first class support.

Here’s how they did it:

Instead of setting up huge tech labs and develop technology from scratch, the 2 ETs took an altogether different approach:  they developed a plug-and-play architecture. This allowed them to search the market for the best security technology features available and connect them, ensuring complete and superior protection for regular people.

The distinguishing feature was the design. Wrapping everything up in a well-designed, easy-to-use interface that made it easy for ordinary users to navigate and uncomplicated to set up. From Day One, the 2 ETs put design and user-friendliness first, to create a very Scandinavian piece of software – logical, efficient and appealing, elevating simplicity to a security feature in itself. (More on that in the following posts).

They ended up with a product that worked, was easy to use and looked good! By 2002 standards, anyway ….

That was the driver to begin with, and has been BullGuard’s M.O. ever since.

So what are we passionate about, here at BullGuard? People, is the short answer.

We want to educate people and help them make the right decisions. I’ll talk more about that in the next post. We also want to protect people from the very cynical, highly organized criminal organisations that have hijacked the internet.

Forget the guy with the Coke and the pizza out to have a good time.

Let’s talk about who we are really up against:

Today, internet criminals are professional, white-collar criminals out to make a profit. It’s an industry with a set-up of bosses and employees just like any other – with job titles such as Malware Distributor, Identity Collector, Bot Master. The weapons they use have fancy names too: “Poisoned Search”, “Rogue Antivirus”, “Clickjacking”, etc. If you think it sounds like a film Laurence Fishburne would star in, well then, you’re not far off!

The Dark Side even has its own black “stock exchange” where goods are traded every day at market value. The goods traded are information and access:

• Personal information about unsuspecting computer users – credit card details, passwords, birthdays etc.
• Access to their computers to turn them into puppets, so-called “bots”, and enlist them in a bot army, ready to spread infection and attack systems.

The money made from these transactions are spent on funding drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorist activities – you name it.

All in all, it’s a nasty reality and we don’t like it. But it gives us a chance to be the good guy, the hero warding off Evil at the gates. Now this role we like - we’re only human, after all …

Our answer to beating these baddies?

The way we see it, there are three ways to combat the criminals – and none of them are easy fixes.

Technological warfare:

A technological counterattack that confronts malware on the battlefield (i.e. the internet) is the first line of defence.

One of our most powerful weapons is our plug-and-play architecture. Rather than developing all technology from scratch in-house, we monitor the market constantly for emerging technologies. We then partner up with the various vendors and implement new features and modules in our products.  If something new or better comes along, we can incorporate the ones we feel are relevant and useful or just plain cool! Consequently, our users can feel confident that we always use best-of-breed for all technologies included in our products.

This gives us a real edge in the fight against crime. A great example of the edge is the technology we call Behavioural Detection, which is groundbreaking in the effort to keep up with the fight against malware.

Geek version of why Behavioural Detection is cool:

Behavioural Detection is fundamentally different from traditional virus detection. Traditional virus detection, which includes heuristic, signature based and URL filtering detection, is the ability to detect mutations of already known viruses based on traditional signature detection. Behavioural Detection identifies viruses long before these traditional methods, and is based on the behaviour of the virus. Consequently, instead of merely catching viruses once they’ve been listed in the virus signature database, Behavioural Detection identifies viruses which behave abnormally based on file, registry, process, and network events on the computer and shuts them off.

Translation for the common people:

Behavioural Detection is a ‘guilty until proven innocent’ technology: if it walks like a virus, talks like a virus and dances like a virus it probably is, and is therefore quarantined. The nanosecond it exhibits any kind of virusy behaviour it is neutralized and no longer dangerous.

Educating the masses:

Information, education, enlightenment is one of the most important defences.

We believe that user awareness and user behaviour are key security features: if you don’t realize you’re at risk, you are not going to do anything to stay safe – all the fancy technology in the world is not going to stop crime if it’s left sitting in the box. Likewise, if the fancy technology is not presented in a way that makes it accessible and becomes too difficult to use, you’re no better off. That’s why we believe that simplicity is a security feature in its own right.

It is crucial to get across to people the risks involved when they go about their daily, digital lives and want to bank, shop, game, socialize, surf, share files and download. To help them along, it is our responsibility to give them a piece of software they can figure out how to use without wishing they had a degree in Advanced Computer Terminology.

Global enforcement:

There is no international cyber police, and that is a huge problem. It goes without saying that cyber criminals are quite mobile, hard to trace and even more difficult to pin down. It follows that old-fashioned law enforcement, restricted by national borders and the systems and politics of sovereign states is insufficient.

In a perfect world, governments, legal organisations, security professionals and the software and financial industries would be able to act swiftly and effectively against organised crime, bringing all of their different skills and knowledge to bear on the criminal organisations.

There is a lot of malicious intent out there and a lot of people are getting hurt. No one, person or company, is going to solve it, and it’s certainly not going to go away on its own.

In my next post I’ll tell you how we try to help you protect yourself.