BullGuard’s Blog – Your Online Security Hub

Why Social Media Needs 2-Factor Authentication

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:59:39 PDT

We’ve all heard about the massive companies getting hacked through social media channels. Take the Associated Press Twitter hack from a few weeks ago – a false tweet announced that there had been two explosions at the White House, and that President Barack Obama had been injured. This one tweet created chaos in the United States and resulted in a 143-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the U.S. stock market. It’s scary what one false tweet can do.

This latest hijacking of the Associated Press Twitter account has forced companies to revisit their social media security measures; clearly, their current authentication methods just aren’t cutting it.

Social media security needs to be strengthened. If it’s not, our entire internet security is at risk. Currently, these social media companies are afraid to make the login process more strenuous a.k.a more cumbersome for their consumers. What if a longer login process drives them away? They don’t want to lose users.

In actuality, they may start losing users if they don’t up their social media security process. A recent survey found that consumers don’t trust websites that just rely on passwords – a security method too often seen hacked. The future of social security is 2-factor authentication. It’s not surprising that Apple is already using it – they know what their customers want and for the last decade have been at the forefront of technological advancements. The shift in consumer mindset means social media will need to rework their security systems to stay in favor with the masses. And with consumers being willing to take an extra step for safe access, why wouldn’t they?

2-factor authentication is the latest in internet security wins. Your social media security has been secured… for now.

Subscribe to the BullGuard blog for more security news and advice and secure the safety of your future.

Cheat Sheet: Keep Your Online Identity Safe In 3 Easy Steps

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:35:33 PDT

Are you stressed about your online identity being at risk? You’re not alone – with over 15 million identities stolen each year in the U.S. alone, identity protection is an understandable concern. There’s really no need to be afraid – BullGuard is here to protect you, not just with award-winning products, but also with easy-to-follow tips to make sure your online identity stays safe.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

With any online interaction, it’s important to be vigilant. You could unwittingly be giving away parts of your key identity information which can lead to full on identity theft. Here are few ways identity theft can occur:

You are deceived into sharing personal information, a victim of a social engineering attack or spam.
You’re passwords are guessable – probably because you use the same one across various sites – you never change them, and they are based on another piece of identity information like your birthday.
Someone or something has been electronically eavesdropping on you.
You were the victim of a mass data breach (a situation beyond your control).

So, what’s the best way to protect your online identity from attacks like those above?

Here are 3 easy steps:

Be smart about what passwords you use, for specific details on password best practice, here’s what you need to know about passwords.
Always log out of accounts when you’re done using them, this should be your mode of operation for emails, bank accounts and social networking sites.
Use 2-factor authentication where possible. Most popular sites and services, including Google, Facebook and PayPal offer this extra layer of account security. Here’s how to enable two-factor authentication on popular sites.

BullGuard will protect you from all online threats! Don’t leave your online identity at risk. Get BullGuard Internet Security 2013 to keep malware and cybercrime away.

4 Ways Cybercrooks Are Stealing From You

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:01:52 PDT

Identity theft is on the increase globally. Nothing is safe. They’re after your Facebook account, your medical identity and your financial assets. Typically, most, if not all of this information, exists in some shape or form on the World Wide Web, which means it can be hacked. You’re especially at risk if you use the same passwords, variations of the same password or personal information such as your birth date, to access this information.

Aside from being a massive inconvenience, identity theft is also expensive! While you’re not liable to false expenses, it does take time to legally establish that these charges were not made by you, and it takes even longer for your credit history to recover. So, clearly identity theft is something to be avoided.

On this blog we’ve covered how identity theft is gaining popularity among cybercrooks, how it impacts everyone, and how anyone can be a target, including children and the deceased. We’ve also taught you tricks to help you protect yourself, your identity and your family. Check out previous articles for more details. Today is about educating you on how cyber crooks might steal from you.

Here’s how cybercrooks steal data – the 4 most common ways:

1. Dumpster Diving

Do you throw away old bank statements, bills and other mail with personal and important private information on it? Crooks are rummaging through YOUR garbage – you better believe it! We all are guilty of throwing away things we shouldn’t – consider investing in a paper shredder.

2. Phishing

Crooks will email you, pretending to be your bank. Don’t be fooled by logos slapped on poorly written emails – that’s spam! Just remember: your bank will never ask you outright for your account details. You’re smarter than that!

3. Skimming

Beware of suspicious looking ATMs and Credit Card machines – they could be stealing or copying your credit card details on to a special storage device, while processing your purchase. If you’re suspicious, you’re better off going to get cash from your bank’s ATM for the purchase.

4. Hacking

We’ve all read about the big brands that have been hacked over the last year, which just goes to show no one is safe. Change your password regularly, and reduce the risk of your valuable account information being stolen.

BullGuard can also help protect you from cybercrooks. Consider installing one of our products on your phone and computer.

Check out BullGuard's security products and choose the one that best suits your needs. And remember to follow BullGuard’s advice to outsmart cyber crooks – subscribe to the BullGuard blog so you make sure you never miss a trick!

Identity Theft Gains Popularity Among Cybercriminals

Elena Ionică — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:46:41 PDT

Online crime nowadays comes in various shapes, and identity theft is already a major concern for many consumers worldwide. While users are being thoroughly educated regarding their online behaviour, researchers admit that online identity theft is on the rise.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Although it is not a new type of threat, identity theft is equally dangerous for both consumers and financial institutions. Recovery from identity theft requires huge amounts of effort, time and money to restore stolen identities and peace of mind.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is a form of online crime that enables fraudsters to pose as somebody else and take advantage of their clean records. Cybercriminals usually steal personal, contact or financial details and use them to commit fraud, steal money from bank accounts, open new credit accounts, and illegally obtain goods or other services (e.g. medical care) in the victim’s name.

“Identity theft” and “identity fraud” are often used interchangeably, but some researchers tend to emphasize a clear-cut distinction between them: the theft involves a cybercriminal that possesses your personal details – and may further sell or use them to make money, whereas fraud occurs when your stolen details are used by a disguised cybercriminal to perform illegal activities.

Online identity theft is on the rise

According to a study conducted in the U.S., identity fraud has an increasing trend, and affected 5.26% of U.S. adults in 2012. Although a similar study conducted in the UK reported that identity theft incidence decreased by 20% in the first quarter of 2013 when compared to the same period in 2012, the threat is real and these results should be regarded with caution.

Victims of identity theft and identity fraud are very often children or students, deceased people, smartphone owners, people who own social media profiles or wealthy individuals alike. Of course there are numerous situations when identity theft occurs as a result of massive data breaches, and ordinary users are totally out of control.

Sometimes it may take months or even a few years until people discover they are victims of identity theft and their personal details have been misused. But consumers can seriously limit the damage or even completely avoid it by being extra vigilant. We must not forget that cybercriminals are constantly seeking for new ways to accomplish their evil plans.

Tips on how to protect yourself

You never know when you or a family member may become victim. Which is why it’s best to take precautions. Here are some tips to protect yourself from identity theft and identity fraud:

carefully consider the amount and type of information you share on your public online profiles
be careful with whom you share your personal and contact details
secure your online data by configuring strong passwords for your online accounts
store your offline sensitive documents in secure places and use a shredder when you decide to get rid of them
beware of fake websites that try to lure you into giving away your personal details
install a comprehensive internet security suite, such as BullGuard Internet Security 2013 to protect your online activity and your PC.

If you’ve ever been victim or heard of people falling victim to identity theft, please share the experiences below. Join us in raising awareness about this threat!

Watch Out For Bad News, The Mobile Virus! 6 Tips To Stay Virus-Free

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Mon, 13 May 2013 07:59:56 PDT

It’s no joke the latest in mobile viruses is called ‘Bad News.’ To date, this virus has infected approximately 9 million Android based devices. And its attack method is unique.

This Trojan is terrorizing Android mobile phone consumers by hiding amongst existing apps on the device, and has been associated with 32 different Android apps. Malware hidden in legitimate apps only becomes live upon post-launch updates. Once active, it sends up a false notification asking users to download an app – this is the Bad News malware piece. When dormant, Bad News is able to register the user for premium SMS services, running up their phone bill to extreme amounts, as well as harvesting private information stored in the Android device. It’s reported that even when users try to reset their device, the chaos continues. Experts have identified the Google Play store as the primary source for this application download, with their loose application selection process cited as an issue.

As viruses become more sophisticated, it’s important to be extra cautious about what you’re downloading and sharing. You certainly don’t want to be the one to spread Bad News amongst your friends and work colleagues!

Here are 6 quick tips to help you stay virus-free:

Clear passwords and history frequently.
Think twice before performing an action suggested in a suspicious message or pop-up window – investigate it first.
Read app reviews.
Read requested permissions carefully before accepting them.
Rooted Androids need extra attention. Read more about the risks of rooting your Android device.
Get mobile antivirus installed on your Android.

BullGuard Mobile Security can protect your Android from the latest mobile virus. Get it here!

Tell Your Friends About BullGuard And Get Rewarded

BullGuard — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:28:50 PDT

We’ve got exciting news for you!

We’ve just rolled up our new Tell a friend programme, to show our appreciation for all BullGuard users, friends and followers that make up our BullGuard community. If you’re one of them, this programme is dedicated to you!

Tell a friend was designed to help you gain rewards for spreading the word about BullGuard’s award-winning Internet Security 2013. What rewards? Well, those would be hefty discounts and FREE subscription extensions for your BullGuard products, even trial versions.

Get as many friends as you can to use BullGuard’s award-winning protection

No matter if you’re just a fan or you’re already a BullGuard user, you can make the most of what this programme offers. To get started, log in to your BullGuard account or create a new one HERE.

Go to the Tell a friend tab and start inviting your friends to join BullGuard, via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or by direct link.

Every friend you invite will have the option to either buy BullGuard Internet Security for half price, or accept a 60-day free trial. If, after their trial period has ended, they will want to continue benefitting from BullGuard’s powerful online protection, they will still be able to purchase at a 50% discount.

For every friend that buys BullGuard Internet Security 2013, you will receive 1 “order credit,” and for every friend that takes a free trial, you get 1 “trial credit.” With every order credit you redeem, you receive a 50% discount coupon for a future purchase of a BullGuard product. For every three trial credits redeemed, you will receive one free month of service, even if you’re using a FREE trial version.

We will keep track of every friend who joined in on BullGuard’s protection – either purchased at the discounted rate or downloaded a trial – and add the credits you earn to your account.

Spread the word about BullGuard and help the BullGuard community grow. Sign up for Tell a friend NOW and start adding up those precious credits!

Fraud-as-a-service, Now On Social Networks!

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:22:17 PDT

That’s right folks… fraud is the latest offering in the service industry. Cybercriminals are selling ‘ready made’ kits, renting out botnets and malicious code such as the Zeus Trojan, Spy Eye and others.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Where cybercriminals used to only offer their services through select black market connections, cybercrime opportunities and tools are becoming more readily available. Some have even gone so far as to launch their own Facebook pages! One malware developer used a Facebook page to sell customized botnets. Once purchased, these botnets could be programmed to work in coordination with the banking Trojan, Zeus.

As hackers and cybercriminals move from the underground world to mainstream social networking sites, what does this mean for you and me? The fact that Trojans, botnets and other malware are being advertised so openly means more people are becoming aware of the product offering, so to speak. Those that may never have thought about getting involved with cybercriminal activity may now be more tempted to join in. So, how does all of this impact our internet security in this new open-market world?

Online banking risks should be your number one concern. BullGuard fully anticipates that there will be massive shifts in this area of internet security in the near future. Online banks will need to up their game in order to maintain consumer’s trust and ward off cybercriminals.

Here are 5 quick tips to protect your bank account and your cash from cybercriminals:

Make sure any and all url’s you visit start with ‘https’ and a lock symbol
Keep your software and applications up to date. Use a vulnerability scanner, like BullGuard’s to help you monitor what needs updating
Never bank online via WiFi HotSpots
Stay informed with what’s going in and out of bank account, it’ll be easier to spot suspicious activity
Just because an email may look like it comes from your bank, doesn’t mean it did. Double check it, and if it looks suspicious, it probably is a fake.

Use BullGuard Internet Security 2013 to safeguard your banking sessions and protect you from online fraud. You are not safe without it!

Mobile Trend: Mobile Devices Preferred Over PCs

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:13:12 PDT

Is the end of computers coming? It’s possible…We’re definitely looking at an era where more and more people are choosing tablets, e-readers, and smartphones over laptops. And experts have predicted that 60% of the market growth for this year will be in those categories.

As our lives become busier, and we try to cram more into each and every day, it’s vital that we have devices that can keep up with us! Laptops just aren’t as flexible as other devices, and while they will remain important in the business category, with the personal area, they are rapidly losing relevance. It’s no surprise then that the tablet market is anticipated to grow by at least 42% this year. A huge chunk of that growth is expected to come from tablets 8” and under, a product category that pretty much didn’t even exist this time last year. This just goes to show how fast the market is evolving and growing.

A big part of this growth is related to the school system. Gone are the days of massive text books – say hello to textbooks on tablets! Many schools are piloting this new expansion this year, and it’s not just about saving the trees! It’s about creating efficiencies, allowing for more frequent updates, and aligning with the times.

None of this should come as a surprise. If you stand on any street corner, you will see a huge majority of people around you interacting with a device of some kind, and none of them will be a laptop!

As we become more mobile, so must our devices. However, with this new mobility comes new risks. Read up on the risks associated with WiFi Hotspots, and privacy. With more and more people using internet on their smartphones and tablets, the need for securing these devices increases.

Get mobile security today. Get BullGuard Mobile Security to guard your every step!

Watch Out! Your Facebook Friend May Be A Social Bot

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:19:14 PDT

Be honest, do you 100% know each and every one of your Facebook friends? Could any of them be online friends? Friends you haven’t met in the physical world? If that’s the case, they could well be social bots! Social bots (short for robots) not only masquerade as real people online, but they post like real people do, secretly promoting products or viewpoints, all while slowly stealing your private information. Botnets are the latest in social media dangers.

What are botnets? Botnets themselves are not new; what makes these social botnets such a threat is their ability to fly under the radar and pass for genuine online users. The new social botnets can also be created surprisingly quickly – we’re talking 250 a day! When controlled by a botmaster, aka cybercriminal, these social bots can really cause chaos and steal information on a huge scale. Consider what thousands could do when working in coordination!

Cybercriminals are catching on to the fact that blogs like the BullGuard blog are doing a great job of educating the public to be wary of email scams; social networks, however, are a fairly unchartered territory when it comes to premium scams. People just aren’t as experienced with spotting scams in social media environments. And the bots don’t make it easy on us. Following a sophisticated set of behavioural guidelines, it’s extremely difficult to identify them and prevent them from accessing and disseminating your personal and private information.

Facebook has acknowledged that they have tens of millions of fake accounts. So watch out! Do you really know all of your friends? And lastly, here’s a funny statistic for you: female social bots get 20 to 30 times the number of friend requests versus their male social bot counterparts.

Be sure to friend people you know and trust, and get the protection you need when surfing the web, socializing, shopping and banking online.

Check out BullGuard Internet Security and its wealth of much needed security features: Antivirus, Safe browsing (including Facebook link Scanner), Spamfilter and more. Try BullGuard Internet Security Free for 60 here!

The Truth About Using Mobile Phones On Planes

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:05:53 PDT

There have been rumours recently that mobile phones may be allowed to be turned on on planes in the near future. So what was the risk of having them turned on anyways? Would the plane really fall out of the sky?

Get BullGuard Mobile Security here!

In reality… no. If mobile phones were really that dangerous to aircraft, we wouldn’t be trusted to bring them along with us. It’s 2013, people! Thinking that mobile phones could make planes drop out of the sky is like believing in the tooth fairy. It’s not real. So why won’t the FAA admit it? And why can’t we be chit chatting our way to our next holiday destination?

In 1992, the FAA studied the impact of mobile phones on planes, and found nothing. However, they chose not to share those findings with their public, instead deciding to play it safe… just in case. In a way, their actions make sense – a lot of the instruments on a plane function via radio waves, so it’s better to have less radiation going on in and around the plane, to reduce the interference on the instruments.

Of course, a much more reasonable argument would be: peace and quiet. Consider the sheer number of people packed into the small cabins of an aircraft, and now imagine 50% of them talking away on their mobile phones – it would be extremely noisy, and it would be nearly impossible to have a personal or any kind of confidential business conversation without at least 6 people eavesdropping, let alone a good night’s sleep or a good old movie sesh.

Last year, Virgin announced that they would be launching the ability to make calls, send and receive texts and surf the web on their London to New York flights. Of course, this new offering is fairly limited – only about 10 passengers will be able to make calls at the same time. There will be additional costs involved, and Virgin is positioning it as meeting a need for business travelers that may need to make an urgent call during the long flight. In other words, this isn’t time to call up your Granny for a catch-up chat.

I’ve just got one question, what will they call it when ‘Airplane Mode’ no longer makes sense? Share your thoughts with us!

Check the BullGuard Blog regularly for the latest news mobile trends and security advice. You can easily subscribe to receive updates here.

How Old Online Scams Still Make Victims

Andreea-Luciana Ostache — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:44:55 PDT

"Con games," "Scam," "Stratagem (deception)," and “Confidence trick” are all terms used to express the attempt to defraud a person after first gaining their confidence. Fraud, in all its forms, has been a very difficult issue to deal with for all countries over the years. And since the internet has become a sort of a big, free and easy to access social network in itself, cybercrooks can easily leverage its perks in order to distribute malicious software and all kinds of scams.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Here are some of the best known scams that cybercrooks started to employ years ago, and that, unfortunately are still making victims as we speak; by learning how they work, you’ll be one step ahead of the scammers:

The '419, Nigeria bank' scam

The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud. Everyone who has ever had an email address has received a 419 scam in their inbox, at one time or another.

How does it work? You receive an email asking for your help to transfer some funds. The amounts are hefty and the commission for participating seems too good to be true (because it is!). What’s the catch? Well, in order for the “legal documents” required for the transaction to be processed you need to pay a fee. This is the amount that enters the scammer’s pocket.

The “419, Nigeria bank” scam is one of the most common, and everything seems very legitimate until you realize you’ve been scammed.

The 'Microsoft Technical assistance' scam

If you are a victim of this type of scam, you will get a call or a Text message (SMS) from someone pretending to be a Microsoft Technician and informing you that your computer is infected and/or damaged. Needless to say, the fake technician offers to solve the problem for you, by connecting to your computer.

Regardless of how serious the message sounds (it is, of course, written in such a way that it will compel you to agree), bear in mind that no real IT company will ever call/email/SMS you about your computer security! The scammers usually pick your phone number from a phone book or find it on the internet (for example, on social networks you’ve listed on), and claim they have it from your internet service provider.

If you are a BullGuard user, remember that our Support team is available 24/7 to help you with any internet security or computer problem you may have, free of charge.

The 'Guaranteed loan or credit card approval'/ 'Lottery win' / 'Make money fast' scam

Typically, the loan scam goes like this: you receive a message informing you that you were pre-approved for a loan or credit and all you need to do is pay a fee to open the account. In the case of the lottery win, you repeatedly receive a message claiming that you won a lottery draw and you would need to pay a fee for taxes, to be able to collect the reward.

The 'Disaster relief'/ 'Cancer victims' scam

This type of scam is the worst one, for two reasons – one: people are scammed into paying good money to help a phony charity, and two: typically, people who’ve fallen for fake charities once refuse to offer their help for a real case of charity, because they fear they might get scammed again.

Regardless of the form of gain the scammers advertise, use common sense. When you receive or come across such “too-good-to-be-true” offers/ messages, ask yourself this:

When did anyone ever come to you to give you money? Every one of us, even the more fortunate ones, need to work for the money in our pockets.
Did you ever register to a lottery, or to get a loan, or to anything that the advertisement is about?
Did you agree to have your computer monitored by anyone?

Do not fall for things that are out of the ordinary! Get BullGuard Internet Security 2013 to guard you from such emails scams and other online threats.

Online Security Tips For A Safe Spring Break

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:08:19 PDT

Spring is upon us, and that means it’s time to start baring those legs and shoulders. It’s also time for BullGuard to share with you some spring break safety and security tips. These tips are especially important to take note of if you plan on taking a Spring Break. So here we go:

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

1. WIFI networks

Free WiFi is everywhere (airports, hotels, train stations, coffee shops), but the majority of them are unsecured wireless connections. In other words, any activity you do while connected to an unsecured network is vulnerable to those around you. Consider carefully when checking anything other than your flight’s status: logging in to Facebook, your email or bank account – that means your personal and private information is at risk. The same goes for the computer in the hotel lobby or in internet cafés; data-stealing malware loves computers in locations like those.

BullGuard recommends not doing anything other than printing your travel ticket and getting out of there. If you can’t avoid using free WiFi or Internet Café computers, be sure you access sites by typing ‘https’ at the beginning of each url.

2. Facebook Etiquette

Your entire social network does not need to know you’ll be in Mexico for the next week. While it’s fun to brag and make your friends jealous, it’s not fun drawing attention around the fact that you’ll be out of town, leaving an unattended home for a few days. We’re not making a judgment on your friends – we’re sure they’re lovely! – but you never know who’s scanning your newsfeed, or your friends. Posting your travel itinerary online is pretty much an open invitation for burglars.

3. Traveling with Devices

Of course you want to bring your new laptop, iPhone and portable hard drive with all your movies and photos on it for the journey. But there are a few things you need to be aware of to make sure these devices make it back home with you in one piece. While you should be backing up all of your devices on a regular basis, it’s especially vital to back up everything before you leave; this way you can be sure that even if you forget your iPhone in the back of a pedi-cab in Cancun, you haven’t lost everything. When you are out and about, bring your devices with you, or store them in the safe in your room. If you don’t have a safe in your room, ask at the front desk to store them in the main hotel safe. It doesn’t hurt to set up passwords on everything either.

4. Life Back Home

Unfortunately while you’re off enjoying the beach, life back home doesn’t stop. We recommend settling any bills in advance of your departure, or setting up automatic bill-pay. This will help you avoid logging in to your bank account via internet cafés or free WiFi networks to pay bills while traveling.

5. Additional Security

To help give you additional peace of mind, it’d be smart to install a security software suite on your devices. BullGuard has a couple security suites. These will not only alert you of potential issues, but also give you the ability to wipe your data from your device remotely, should it become lost or stolen, and throughout your trip, it will be diligently working in the background to keep your content and your device safe.

Follow these security tips and protect your devices with BullGuard while you’re on your spring break. Enjoy!

Have You Heard Of Longline Phishing?

Andreea-Luciana Ostache — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:06:58 PDT

A recent study showed that out of one billion email messages analyzed in a six-month period, dozens had been subject to "longline" phishing attacks. These attacks were so efficient that over 10% of the recipients were tricked into clicking on malicious content capable of taking complete control of PCs and compromising corporate networks.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Phishing refers to email fraud in which criminals send out legitimate-looking emails requesting personal and financial details from unsuspecting people. "Longlining" is a more sophisticated form of phishing, which draws its name from the fishing practice that deploys miles-long fishing lines with multiple hooks on them. By attaching bait to these hooks you can catch more fish with just one throw of the fishing pole. Longlining attacks are based on this idea.

How does longlining work?

In typical phishing attacks, scam messages are sent from one particular address, which can be easily blocked by spam filters. The new technique, longlining phishing, consists in the fact that the attackers vary the location the message is sent from, the email address and the content. This makes it very hard to set a filter to identify the messages as being scams.

How to protect yourself?

No matter how sophisticated these phishing methods become, there are a few steps that you can take to protect yourself from phishing attempts of any kind:

Keep your internet settings to their default values set by Microsoft, unless advised otherwise by your internet service provider.
Do not install any browser add-ons or plug-ins from untrusted sources.
Learn to always open a website by pasting/writing its address into your browser window, and never to click on links received via emails from unknown people. If the address is suspicious, simply forward it to the Support Team of the security company whose security suite you’re using, or to the Support of the site you were trying to reach and ask for further advice.
Install a good security suite. We can never be too careful with so much information and content. A good Safe Browsing plug-in will warn you about the site being suspicious.
Do not open any kind of links/offers/attachments that you receive by email, before you check with the sender that the message is genuine.
Ask yourself if any of your contacts would sent you a message that would say: “Hi, click here: http://linkfromphising”
Make sure that you correctly configure your BullGuard Spamfilter and that you also mark Spam messages, to be added to the blacklist.
Check out this antiphishing guide we have prepared for you: About phishing.

Better safe than sorry! Always put your best interest in the balance when anything seems out of order and double-check everything that’s related with your bank account and credit card number, or any other type of personal information.

BullGuard Internet Security 2013 comes with antiphishing protection, a Safe Browsing and a Spamfilter feature to protect from all those nasty phishing attempts. Try it now for 60 days, free!

Facebook Posts That Can Get You Fired

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:36:18 PDT

We’ve all got that friend on Facebook who shares too much. And maybe you’ve heard of a friend of a friend that got fired for a Facebook post – well it’s true. You can get fired for what you put on your social media profiles.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Take a look at some posts that got people fired – what do you think – should they have been fired?

Several Virgin Atlantic employees posted statements saying the planes were infested with cockroaches, and referred to their passengers ‘chavs’. The posts were all removed and the group was sacked.
A high school teacher was fired for questionable Facebook pictures, including those of her holding wine and beer – she is now suing the school district.
One girl posted, “OMG I HATE MY JOB!! My boss is a total perv, always making me do stupid stuff just to annoy me!” Guess she forgot that she had friended her boss, who promptly replied to that post, retorting, “You seem to have forgotten that you have 2 weeks left on your 6 month trial period. Don’t bother coming in tomorrow. And yes, I’m serious”.
A nun was asked to leave her convent, just for using Facebook!

Perhaps not everyone deserved to lose their jobs, but some definitely took things too far. There are Labor Boards that protect employee rights, and while they are still figuring out how these apply in virtual situations, we can tell you that posting anything relating to unsafe working conditions is typically protected. Posts about wishing to get fired, or how your boss is ugly typically aren’t.

Here are a few pointers to help you post about work, safely:

If you need to get your frustration with your boss out on Facebook, stick to subjects like salary, benefits, working conditions, abusive bosses, discrimination, or withheld wages.
Humor isn’t going to get you off the hook.
You have every right to talk about your company; your company cannot ban you from talking about it.
Think twice before posting – what does it accomplish? Will it get you fired if someone from work sees it? If the answer is even close to ‘maybe’, call a friend to vent instead.

While the powers that be figure out what exactly counts as ‘protected speech’ on social networks, be smart. Keep private things that should be private, and vent to friends and family privately, instead of in a forum where people you don’t want seeing it, might.

Be careful with what you choose to share online and who you share it with, subscribe to the BullGuard Blog today to learn more about safe social networking. And keep your job!

What You Need To Know About Passwords

Elena Ionică — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:45:24 PDT

With all the hacks we’ve been hearing about lately, the need for stronger and unique passwords has become more stringent than ever. Good thing researchers are constantly seeking new ways to enhance the safety and ease of use of online authentication systems. It is possible that in a not so distant future we may even be able to authenticate using pass thoughts instead of passwords.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

But for now, we need to focus on how to secure our online accounts and stay safe on the internet. Weak passwords are often the starting point of online crime.

Why do we need unique passwords?

By using a single password for all your online accounts you expose yourself to security risks. Cybercriminals may harvest your password on a poorly secured website and then all your other accounts are compromised, since they use the same password. Can you imagine what it would be like if you lost access to your email account, social network and online subscriptions in an instant? That spells disaster.

And what is a strong password?

As a general rule of thumb, if you want strong passwords, make them easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess. Unfortunately, it’s not often an easy task to find the right balance. Nowadays, password crackers use sophisticated techniques to break secret access codes. The stronger a password is, the longer the time to crack it.

A glance at password cracking

The most common password cracking techniques involve the so-called dictionary attacks and brute-force attacks. With brute-force attacks, all possible character combinations are tried, starting from simple, to complex. This approach is said to be time-consuming but very efficient. With dictionary attacks, hackers perform successive attempts to discover the password by using a predefined list, called ‘dictionary.’ Cybercriminals build and exchange lists of the most common passwords chosen by internet users.

However, many service providers have implemented supplementary security measures to prevent such attacks, by completely blocking access to accounts for a certain amount of time if successive failed login attempts are detected.

So what should you do?

Here are some tips on how to create a strong password and internet security advice:

set up a password that is at least 8 characters long
avoid using dictionary words such as ‘password,’ your pet’s name or your birthday
avoid using words spelled backwards
never use common character sequences on your keyboard (‘qwerty’, ‘1234567’)
use a combination of lowercase and uppercase, special characters, punctuation and digits
never store passwords in a text file on your computer
use a trusted password manager if you can’t remember them
change your passwords on a regular basis
use strong and unique passwords for each account, no matter how hard this may seem in the first place
confidently use a 2-step authentication process if available; for instance, with Google accounts a unique code that you receive on your mobile phone may be requested in addition to your password
consider adding recovery options to your online accounts.

Creating strong passwords takes you steps ahead of online crime but does not keep you completely safe on the internet. Install BullGuard Internet Security 2013 now to protect you against malware infections and phishing sites!

Is North Korea Training Hackers?

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:54:17 PDT

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve no doubt heard about North Korea’s recent threats of a missile launch. Unfortunately, that’s not their only form of attack. A few weeks ago, South Korea experienced a synchronized cyberattack, but investigators have yet to identify the culprit. Of course, the number one suspect is North Korea.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

32,000 computers and servers at several major TV networks and banks were shut down by malware. North Korea has some of the most restrictive internet policies in the world, and the majority of citizens don’t even have computers, so how could they pose a threat to the affluent South Korea? We do know that over the last few years North Korea has been funding developments in science and technology, and as a result, both South Korea and the U.S. believe North Korea has thousands of trained hackers. This army of ‘cyberwarriors’ makes absolute sense for North Korea; cyberwarfare is cheaper than developing and launching missiles, and because their network isn’t connected to the internet they are not at risk for retaliation.

What is cyberwarfare?

Cyberwarfare is a politically motivated hack to conduct sabotage or espionage. This year, many U.S. intelligence officials believe it to be a bigger threat than terrorism.

So where are they getting these hackers from?

North Korea is recruiting their top students in primary schools to attend an elite school. They move through the system in a pyramid-like system, where they’ll attend the top technology universities. From there, they are sent to China or Russia for a year to study undercover as programmers, before they return home to serve as ‘cyber warriors’. Students are motivated by the regime’s guarantee for themselves, and their families in an elite province along with food subsidies.

With North Korea bolstering their armies of cyberwarriors, it’s imperative that the rest of the world collaborates and educates. While some cyberattacks are hard to avoid, others are easily prevented by installing security software suites, and being smart about your privacy settings, passwords and what emails you choose to open.

Check out this security article: Cyberwarfare and hacktivism vs. internet security to learn more about cyberwarfare and follow BullGuard’s advice! And don't forget: subscribe to the BullGuard Blog today and never miss a beat when it comes to security trends and advice.

How Fake Adobe Flash Updates Put Your Security At Risk

Andreea-Luciana Ostache — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:01:01 PDT

Security researchers have recently discovered a new Android Trojan that can harvest a victim's contact list, send and intercept SMS (text) messages, make phone calls (including calls to premium numbers), and install additional malware packages – all at the same time.

Needless to say, Android users must be on the alert and make sure they install an antivirus for Android to protect them from such threat. However, it’s important that we draw attention to what triggers the infection and makes the Trojan easily spread among unsuspecting Android users: phishing emails that trick them into downloading a fake Adobe Flash Player update. When users click on the link that supposedly installs an Adobe Flash Player update, they end up downloading the evil Android Trojan.

Which prompts us to warn you:

Watch out for fake Adobe Flash Player updates!

Fake Adobe Flash Player update pop-ups are some of the oldest tricks in the book. And internet users still fall for them. In reality, Adobe Flash Player is a legitimate functionality used for video applications, games (many of the Facebook games are using Flash Player), web players (such as Youtube), banners/advertisements and even entire websites. Thus, it is important to have Adobe Flash Player updated at all times. However, cybercrooks often leverage its importance and popularity and create malware disguised as Adobe Flash Player updates.

How do they work?

Unsuspecting users see a notice on a webpage or a pop-up window telling them that, in order for them to continue with what they’re doing, they need to update their Adobe Flash Player. When users click on it, a download immediately starts – sometimes users unsuspectingly start the download themselves or the fake update silently installs itself within the browser.

What are they capable of doing?

Unfortunately, malware is ever-evolving. It changes both in structure and behaviour, so there are many things it could do to a machine it lands on. They are known to steal passwords and take over e-mail accounts (login details and contacts), install other malware, such as the Police Trojan (ransomware) or other infections.

What can you do, if you fall for the fake Adobe Flash Player update trick?

If you are not sure that the update you’ve installed is genuine, you should immediately start a full antivirus scan of your device.
You should also disable any toolbars or browser add-ons that you did not install yourself. Here is a guide to help you: how to remove browser toolbars.
In order to avoid falling victim, always be careful what you click on! Do not open email attachments or links from unknown senders. If you want to update Adobe Flash Player, it should only be done via the Adobe site, or via their update downloader which is installed on your device when you first install Adobe.

Use BullGuard to protect you from sneaky malware and other online threats. Choose the security suite that best suits your needs here: BullGuard security products.

Keep Your Inbox Clean With BullGuard’s Spamfilter

BullGuard — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:46:04 PDT

Are you receiving tons of spam emails and wondering how those spammers got your email address? Well, there may be several possible answers:

1. a friend of yours that has your contact details in their address book got their email account hacked

2. you registered with your email address to a so-called free service that was actually meant to trick you into giving away your precious contact details

3. you posted a message in a forum that gets spammed very easily.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

BullGuard Spamfilter keeps a watchful eye on your inbox and makes sure you get only legitimate emails in your inbox folder and from senders you fully trust. BullGuard Spamfilter is designed to work on Windows Live Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird, Incredimail, Windows Mail, Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook.

How does BullGuard’s Spamfilter work?

When Spamfilter is active, BullGuard closely monitors all sent and received emails. It spots valuable data, such as specific keywords, subjects, links or email addresses and builds a database that will be used to sort out emails. Note that no personal or identifiable information is held or used.

The accuracy of BullGuard Spamfilter relies on data collected from existing emails during the training process and on details collected via the Spamfilter toolbar, as soon as emails reach your inbox. Based on Bayesian filtering, BullGuard Spamfilter is tailored to each BullGuard user and permanently adapts to variations in spam content.

Configuration steps

You may configure BullGuard Spamfilter by selecting Dashboard > Spamfilter > Configure:

Select the email client you want to configure and then click Next.
Select the folder to which spam emails will be moved by BullGuard.
Add or remove contacts from the whitelist generated by BullGuard and click Next.
Pinpoint the folders that contain legitimate emails and click Next.
Pinpoint the folders that contain spam emails and click Next.
Make final adjustments and click Finish.

You can manage all email addresses and domains by adding them to either the whitelist, or the blacklist. All emails and domain names on the whitelist will be excluded from the regular Spamfilter check, whereas all emails coming from addresses on the blacklist will be automatically moved to the indicated spam folder. Here you can find more tips on how to better manage your whitelist and blacklist.

Note that you may configure any of the supported email clients, irrespective of whether the Spamfilter is turned On or Off, but email interception is performed only if the Spamfilter is turned On.

BullGuard’s Spamfilter toolbar is added to each supported email client after Spamfilter has been turned On.

To turn Spamfilter On or Off, select Settings > Spamfilter. Also, you can customize additional features within this section.

Tired of receiving so many spam emails? Install BullGuard Internet Security 2013 now! It includes a powerful Spamfilter component that helps you keep your inbox clean.

Should Internet Security Be Taught In School?

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:13:16 PDT

A recent study shows that higher education is failing to prepare students for cyberthreats. Considering what a large part of our lives is consumed by the internet and our devices, it’s surprising that we’re not teaching our children more about the online world.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

Sure, there’s computer class, which covers typing and how to use Window’s Office, but is that enough? What about how to handle cyberthreats, cyberbullying and how to prevent identity theft, what privacy means in the online world or even the basics, like what is internet security?

So, should internet security trends be a subject at school?

The Personal Level

It’s a fact that youngsters are a prime target for cybercriminals, simply because it’s easier to get information out of them. Children post too much online, and aren’t aware of the risks of sharing personal information, like their birthday, with others. By harvesting the identities of children over time, crooks are able to compile a complete profile of identity information, and potentially destroying their credit score before they even turn 18.

The Corporate Level

Let’s think for a minute what happens when these children grow up, and work for global corporations where cyber attacks threaten the economic security of more than one country. What then? Isn’t the security of their business an important part of running a company? We should be preparing future leaders to face the challenges of modern cyber security. And while there are some universities and schools beginning to explore how internet security fits into their curriculum, they are few and far between. It would appear that the future leaders of our global corporations will no longer be required to simply have experience and degrees in their field, but also expertise in engineering, internet security and other cyber issues.

Here at BullGuard we believe the responsibility lies with both the schools and the parents. With both parties reinforcing the safety message and educating on internet security from both a corporate and personal perspective we can be sure that children will absorb this knowledge and put it to good use.

Products like BullGuard Internet Security can do wonders to protect your digital life, but it’s also important to make sure you teach your kids about internet security. Subscribe to the BullGuard Blog for the latest internet security trends and advice.

What do you think about teaching internet security in schools? We want to hear your thoughts! Share this with friends and talk to them about it too.

The New 2 Step Apple Verification Process. How To Use It Or Not To Use It

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:19:25 PDT

In March, Apple launched a new TWO-step verification security process. Sounds good, but what does it mean? Basically, it’s a new security feature available for your Apple ID – by adding an additional step to your account authentication process, Apple can help keep you and your personal content safe.

With this new step you have 3 security options, of which you must pick two:

Your Password
Recovery Key – an alphanumeric code
Trusted Device – a device such as your iPhone that you’ll set up to receive a four digit code when needed.

Let’s walk through an example of how you’d use it, just to clarify. When logging in to your Apple ID, you’ll use your password to log in, and the code that will be sent to your device. The new two-step process gets rid of the need for security questions, which can also often be guessed, especially if you go with birthday or place of birth. One important point to call out is that Apple will no longer reset your password should you forget it. You will always have to have either your device to which they can send a code, or your recovery key.

The thing is, it’s not automatically set up for you, so you’ll need to enable it yourself. Here’s how:

Log in with your Apple ID, then go to Password and Security – you’ll need to answer your security questions for one last time before proceeding.
The Two-step verification page should come up, click on ‘Get Started’.
Set up your ‘Trusted Device’, i.e. your cell phone. A 4-digit code will be sent to you, and you’ll need to enter that back in on the website to verify it.
Continue to follow the instructions until you get the Recovery Key page. This is very important, Apple will not email you the code, so you’ll need to make a note of it and keep it in a trusted place, before hitting Confirm.

Should you ever want to turn off two-step verification, follow these steps:

Log in to your Apple ID, and select Password and Security, select ‘Turn off two-step verification’.
Enter the security questions that you’d wish to put back in place.

The two-step verification process offers a stronger security measure, especially for those that rely on iCloud. As the iCloud becomes increasingly popular, it’s likely that it will become a bigger target for cybercriminals, especially considering the vast amounts of information they can find stored there.

Have you enabled the two-step verification process yet?

Subscribe to the BullGuard Blog today! Keep up to date on security trends and advancements.

Smartphones Of The Future. What To Expect?

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:33:59 PDT

Remember that? – The brick phone. It was ginormous! And now look at what we’re all carrying around. We’ve pretty much all gotten rid of the flip phone, and now our phones are all screen, and touch screen at that! They’re already basically mini-computers in your pockets, so what on earth will they look like and do for us in the future?

Get BullGuard Mobile Security here!

Looking at the trends in mobile development, here's what we can expect:

Augmented Reality

Use the camera on your phone to point it at somewhere ‘live’ to get information on it. For example, zoom in on a skyline and get information on the buildings you see.

Built-in Projector

How handy would that be? Use your phone to project movies, YouTube videos and picture slide shows onto your living room wall.

Holograms

You know the ‘how-to’ YouTube videos? Those could now become holograms coming out of your smartphone screen, showing you in 3D how to cook your favorite banana bread.

Flexible Screens

They’ve already come up with flexible keyboards, so what about a smartphone that’s bendy like a wrist watch? Fold it up to put it in your pocket, and unroll it when you need to type a long email!

Crazy stuff! Who knows if any of these things will come to fruition? Although work has already started on built-in projectors and flexible screens probably aren’t too far off. How do you think the masses will react to new smartphone capabilities like these? It’s fun to think about it, isn’t it? What do you think we can expect to see in our future phones?

In the meantime, don’t forget to protect your current smartphone with the smartest mobile security suite from BullGuard.

Sim City: Sir Winston’s New Home

Sir Winston — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:22:37 PDT

Chaps,

Sir Winston here! And I’m thrilled to chat to you about SimCity, arguably the most anticipated game ever. I was obsessed with it as a pup, so the question is – am I obsessed with it now?

SimCity launched on PCs in March with a few hiccups (server problems that have since been resolved) and will be available on Macs on June 11^th. And let me tell you, it is fantastic! The game is as complex as ever and crisply beautiful. Unfortunately you do always have to have an internet connection when playing, but I’m willing to give up some things just to have this glorious game back! Mayor Winston has quite a ring to it, don’t you think? There’s nothing like building a city, with no check on power – I will bulldoze your house or launch a tornado in your area if I so please. The user-friendly tools, and cleanly designed interface make it so easy! However, I do have 2 major issues with it.

Issue One:

I do have a small issue with the roads, but I suppose it’s one I’ll have to learn to adapt to. A structure can only be built when directly attached to a road, and for the duration of its existence it belongs to that road. That means that if you build an expensive power plant by a single lane road in the beginning stages of the game, and then want to evolve that road to a multi-lane highway, you either have to bulldoze your powerplant, or forgo the road.

Issue Two:

My second issue is the size of the maps we’re playing on. They’re just not big enough when you add in hills and dales – I like my landscape to look like the English countryside I was raised in. The worst part is just as you’re really getting into it, the invisible land barrier pops up and you’re stuck! Yes, the ultimate goal is for Maxis to adapt this into an online and social game, where cities can share resources and utilities. While it’s not working reliably right now, it is spectacular when it does work as it should, as it allows you to rely on the resources of your neighbour so you can focus on design – something that usually you have to wait until your city is quite developed for!

All in all, I love it – just in case that point hasn’t come through here. But you should be aware that you will hit some frustrating roadblocks, such as the two I’ve mentioned above. But does that stop from playing hours on end? Not one bit.

BullGuard Internet Security protects your computer without interrupting you game time – all thanks to Game Mode incorporated. Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days and see how it works!

Cheerio,

Sir Winston.

BullGuard Receives The Highest Certification From AV-Comparatives

BullGuard — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:04:24 PDT

‘Tis the season to receive awards!

Last week we were announcing that BullGuard Internet Security 2013 achieved the perfect score in Protection from the AV-TEST Institute. Today, we have yet another exciting announcement to make: in the latest on-demand test performed by Av-Comparatives on 20 antivirus products, BullGuard registered one of the highest malware protection rates, worthy of the highest distinction awarded by the independent testers: The Advanced + Certificate.

The experts installed the products on the Windows 7 (64-bit) platform and tested them against 136610 samples of the latest malware (gathered up until 22^nd of February 2013). Noteworthy is that they only evaluated the static file scanning engine sub-component of the antivirus products submitted. In other words, they assessed only a subset of the total protection provided by the security products. However, in awarding the certification, the experts also took into consideration the false alarms rendered by the products during the testing – the lower the number of false positives, the better! Here is an overview of the AV-Comparatives’ testing process: File Detection Test of malicious software (includes false alarm test).

The AV-Comparatives experts have also provided a sneak peek into their up-coming Real-World Protection Test – currently the most comprehensive and complex type of test. A full detailed report will be released in July. Until then, here are the March results:

As you can see, BullGuard is ranking high in the protection rates chart.

Let BullGuard Internet Security 2013 protect you!

It comes with behavioural-based detection that identifies new malware by analysing how it acts on your computer, signature-based detection that deals with known malware, and tons of other security and PC optimization features, including: Safe Browsing, Spamfilter, Firewall, Parental Control, 5GB of Online Backup, Game Mode, PC Tune-up. All wrapped up in a simple user-friendly interface!

We keep you safe and we keep it simple. Try BullGuard FREE for 60 days NOW!

Source: AV-Comparatives, Real-World Protection-Test Factsheet March 2013

Your Mobile Location Is Giving You Away

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:04:46 PDT

Did you know that your activity on your phone can be tracked without your knowledge and used to identify you? Consider for a minute all of the information you have posted, listed, registered and shared about yourself across all of the different websites you frequent, and then think about what would happen if this information was aggregated and put in the hands of a cybercriminal. Not good, right?

Get BullGuard Mobile Security here!

Mobile location tracking begins the moment your phone is turned on – by connecting to the network, your position and movement can be tracked. So, who is receiving this information? Mostly third parties that then sell it to advertisers. BUT you’ll be pleased to hear that the data used in these transactions is typically ‘anonymised’. Unfortunately, we are all so predictable that our behavior patterns give us away, and even though no personal information or mobile numbers are associated with the data, it can still be tracked back to a specific individual when combined with other forms of data – such as your Twitter posts.

While mobile location tracking does have its positives – think BullGuard Mobile Security’s Antitheft capability: track down your stolen phone, lock it or delete all the data – protecting your personal information, passwords and financial data from would-be criminals. Mobile phone tracking also has some questionable applications. Because this area has developed so quickly in recent years, researchers are still behind in terms of understanding the privacy implications of this data. While they won’t stop collecting it, they are gaining insight into how personal this anonymous data is. Moreover, a recent study shows that mobile phone apps are accessing users’ private data far more than strictly necessary.

It’s important to consider your privacy when putting any personal information online, even something as simple as a Facebook check-in at your local gym. You never know who might be collecting this information or how they might use it in combination with other data you’ve put out on the world wide web.

Subscribe and check out the BullGuard blog regularly for the latest news and trends in mobile security.

New Mobile Vulnerabilities Discovered Part 2

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:05:25 PDT

Androids are suffering from yet another mobile security issue that you most definitely should be aware of. What is your first line of defence against cybercriminals and snoopers? Good guess, but no, it’s not BullGuard Mobile Security… it’s your handset’s lock screen. It’s a security measure that should be employed by all to protect your mobile device; in fact, some companies mandate that their employees have their phones on password protection if they have work email on that device, to ensure mobile privacy.

Unfortunately, an Android researcher discovered a bug last week which preys on this safety tool.

Get BullGuard Mobile Security here!

As any Android user would know, you can skip the password screen by going over to the emergency call feature on the phone. This is the entry point for cybercriminals bypassing the password protection feature. To clarify, this type of scam only works on Samsung phones. The reason behind this is still being explored. Once through past the lock screen, any and all information within the device can be viewed and copied. Just think of all of the private information you keep stored in your phone – friend’s home addresses, your bank information, emails (work and personal), birthdays and so on – all of which is valuable information for cybercriminals to commit identity fraud.

With approximately 53% of market share owned by Android, this new bug could affect a lot of you, and it’s this popularity that attracts cybercriminals to this mobile operating system.

So what can you do protect yourself?

Despite cybercriminals working their way around the password lock on your phone, we still recommend utilizing this safety measure. Make sure that your password is unique, in other words don’t use it on other devices or accounts, it’s important to diversify. Explore locking apps such as App Lock and Fingerprint Locks, for additional protection.
Back up your phone on a regular basis. Losing the information and contacts you have on your phone is extremely inconvenient and unless you have this information backed-up, you will never see it again if you lose or damage your phone.
Invest in a mobile security software suite that comes with backup and antitheft features, like BullGuard Mobile Security. Phones these days aren’t just phones… they’re really computers that fit in your pocket, that also make phone calls. Just like your computer, they need to be protected.

Android vulnerabilities are important to be aware of. Get BullGuard Mobile Security today to ensure your mobile security remains intact!

Internet Tax… What’s That?

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:54:34 PDT

It’s no surprise really that it’s the United States leading this charge. They love their taxes, and now they’re trying to tax the internet. So, what does it mean to tax the internet and how might it affect you, should this pass through legislation and expand as the norm across the globe?

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

There are many different types of internet taxation, so it’s important to be clear on the definition of each one:

Internet Access Tax

This tax relates to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the charges they levy on their users.

Telecommunications Tax

This is dependent on how you access the internet, whether by phone, ISDN, DSL, cable, wireless or satellite.

Bit Tax

Taxation based on internet usage by volume.

Email Tax

Estimated to raise $70 billion a year if implemented globally, this tax is based on the volume of email sent and or received.

As of right now, the majority of these taxes are banned by the U.S. Internet Tax Freedom Act, but the fact that all of this may be up for debate again means we may have to reconsider our internet usage. But for now, the only internet tax up for debate is one seeking to equalize the playing field between bricks-and-mortar shop tax regulations and online shop tax regulations. Currently, online retailers don’t collect sales tax at checkout, giving them an unfair competitive advantage over other stores that do have to charge sales tax. In March, Senators voted to endorse internet sales taxes onto the Democratic budget bill, with opponents shouting that the idea is antibusiness; all we can do now is to wait for more updates.

Have you heard rumblings in your area about internet tax? What are your thoughts?

Subscribe to the BullGuard Blog for the latest security news and advice. Stay tuned for updates on the internet tax legislation issue!

BullGuard Gets Perfect Score in Protection from the AV-TEST Institute

BullGuard — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:57:28 PDT

New antivirus test scores are in and we’re thrilled to announce that BullGuard has yet again beaten out the other products with a near perfect score!

It wasn’t too long ago that we were sharing BullGuard’s impressive results in the AV Comparatives’ tests, and now, it’s time for the AV-Test Institute to release its quarterly test results.

Over the last 2 months the German independent testing body conducted its rigorous test on 26 of the best security software products on the market, including BullGuard’s Internet Security 2013. The AV-Test experts installed the latest versions of the security products on Windows 8 and tested their capabilities against serious real-world threats. By focusing on realistic test scenarios, AV-Test Institute was able to accurately assess the products based on the following:

Protection against widespread and prevalent malware, such as aggressive viruses, worms or Trojan Horses and 0-day malware attacks including web and email threats
Performance of the security product based on the speed of the computer in daily use
User Experience based on disruptions caused by false or unnecessary detections or warnings messages.

The results are in, and we’re pleased to announce BullGuard Internet Security 2013 made the highly coveted ‘Top 3 best security products’ list.

So how did we fare in each category?

Protection: BullGuard Internet Security 2013 received the maximum number of points (6 out of 6) in this category, ranking better than most well-known security products.
Performance: 5 out of 6 points
User Experience: 5.5 out of 6 points.

Total score puts BullGuard in the top 3 security products with 16.5 out of 18 points. For more details, here’s an overview of the AV-Test results for all products tested.

We congratulate BullGuard for the excellent results in our first Windows 8 review. The product passed all tests with flying colours and archived the best possible score in the 'Protection' category, said Andreas Marx, AV-Test CEO.

What's behind these exciting results?

Hard work, a keen desire to make the web a safer place and, of course, state-of-the-art technology that’s simple to use! BullGuard Internet security 2013 includes behavioural-based detection that identifies new malware by analysing how it acts on your computer, signature-based detection that deals with known malware, and tons of other highly efficient and award winning security features. Together, they make up a unique and multi-layered defence system for your PC that’s virtually impenetrable.

We keep you safe and we keep it simple. Try BullGuard FREE for 60 days NOW!

How Pirated Software Can Put You At Risk

Elena Ionică — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 03:57:23 PDT

Have you ever attempted to download for free a piece of software that usually sells for large sums and you entered an infinite sequence of clicking on download buttons or on links that claimed your download should start immediately? You soon realized it was all a scam and you ended up with no application instead and your email address included in a spammer’s database.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

A recent survey conducted by IDC on behalf of Microsoft has revealed that counterfeit software installed on both consumer and enterprise PCs was actually meant to spread infections, steal valuable information, slow down systems or even record keystrokes and report back to cybercrooks’ command servers.

The most common sources of pirated software are unauthorized offline distributors and online platforms, such as Peer-to-Peer networks, torrent distribution systems, or websites that claim to offer free copies of paid-for legitimate software.

The hidden internet security threats

Why would anyone give you something for free and expect nothing in return? Usually, counterfeit copies of legitimate software replace original items that sell for considerable amounts of money. The truth is that you expose yourself to severe malware infections, data loss and even identity theft.

Using pirated software may seem a cheaper solution at first, but as with most catchy promises, dreadful threats may lurk behind it. Cybercriminals may trick you into giving away your personal details and then redirect you to malware-hosting or phishing sites.

Legitimate software, a must-have for both your online safety and your PC’s health

The survey I mentioned before revealed that after installing pirated software consumers faced various issues, ranging from major PC slowdowns, flawed application functionality, malware infections and annoying pop-ups, to hardware failure and massive data loss. Most of the consumers ended up by uninstalling the malfunctioning software.

Pirated antivirus software may also prove troublesome. It may not have access to the latest security updates, thus leaving you exposed to malware, or it may even come virus-laden. Once downloaded to your PC, it may suddenly develop unexpected behaviour by spreading severe infections or by simply wiping everything you stored on your disk.

By rejecting counterfeit software you:

enjoy the benefits of full functionality and get professional advice from trained experts whenever you need it
prevent hidden infections from entering your system
save money and time that you would otherwise put into recovering your system
avoid legal issues, as software packages are protected by international copyright laws
benefit from security patches released to protect you against the latest online threats.

BullGuard’s security advice:

always think about the safety of your PC and your internet security, and stay away from pirated software
if you run into offers that look too good to be true, make sure you double-check them
it is highly recommended that you buy legitimate software from trusted vendors in order to stay out of trouble.

Subscribe to the BullGuard Blog to learn more about internet security threats and how to avoid them.

New Mobile Vulnerabilities Discovered

Kirsten Dunlaevy — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:25:25 PDT

If you are a cloud user, your smartphone is vulnerable than most. Yes, your mobile security is once again at risk – it just never stops! The crux of this latest mobile vulnerability: residual files remain on your smartphone even after the files have been uploaded to the cloud. So what does that mean? Hackers may be able to utilize these residual files to gain access to your cloud and the files saved within it.

Get BullGuard Mobile Security here!

Aside from the obvious issues of hackers wreaking havoc on your personal life by gaining access to important personal files via your phone, there are substantial risks associated with this for big companies. Companies that issue smartphones to employees but don’t put a block on personal usage on the device are leaving themselves wide open for an attack. Researchers have found that they were able to recover email addresses, logs of which files were uploaded to the cloud and even the URL of the cloud itself. In some cases, deleted files were still accessible as well. Before you become completely hopeless, there are some...

Simple things you can do to protect yourself and your cloud:

First of all, always ensure that your mobile applications are up to date; the examples detailed above occurred on Android Version 1.6.7. Encryption tools can also be purchased by companies to help protect smartphones from being attacked by hackers – talk to your IT department to find out if your company has explored this extra layer of protection for you.

In sharing all of this, it’s important to note that cloud services offer many advantages to your daily personal and corporate lives. It’s smart to stay educated on the risks and benefits of all your technological needs so that you know how to get the most out of them.

Here are a few pointers when working with cloud services:

Keep your email, contacts and calendar available on the cloud. Sync your devices, so you don’t need to drag your laptop with you everywhere.
Use Google Docs cloud services to write, edit and review documents, spreadsheets and even powerpoint presentations.

With seemingly never ending mobile vulnerabilities, be sure to invest in mobile protection for your Android, like BullGuard’s Mobile Security app.

Get the complete mobile protection you need: mobile antivirus, antitheft, parental control, backup and 24/7 free support, all in one package. Download BullGuard Mobile Security TODAY!

Explore The Web In Full Safety With BullGuard’s Safe Browsing

BullGuard — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:43:15 PDT

You heard a lot about malware or phishing sites that pose great danger to your personal and internet security. BullGuard’s Safe Browsing tool keeps an eye on your online activity and warns you immediately if you are about to access links crafted by cybercrooks or websites that deliver malware code or host phishing attempts.

Try BullGuard Internet Security 2013, free for 60 days, here!

By using BullGuard’s Safe Browsing tool you can be sure the websites you visit are safe. It comes into play whenever you access links received via email or displayed on a webpage, or while simply browsing through the search results retrieved by trusted search engines.

Safe link. Checked!

BullGuard signals safe links with green check marks and unsafe links with red check marks.

Once you install BullGuard on your PC, go to Settings > Real Time Antivirus > Browsing, make sure Safe Browsing is enabled and mark the websites you want to see safe results on. BullGuard highlights safe and unsafe links on Google, Bing, Yahoo and Facebook.

When you hover your mouse cursor over the check mark next to each link that appears in your search results or posted on Facebook, a pop-up is displayed. It tells you what kind of site it leads to and the threat level it poses. A detailed description is provided for each malicious link.

BullGuard has grouped websites based on the categories they belong to: links to malicious sites, phishing and fraud, botnet, command and control centers, malware call-home, malware distribution point or spyware and dubious software.

Accessing a link that has been flagged as malicious by BullGuard will display the following warning:

Select Leave website to return to the previous page.

Select More options and then Continue to website. NOT RECOMMENDED to visit the requested webpage at your own risk.

Safely download files to your hard drive

BullGuard closely monitors all the files you access on the websites you visit, or attempt to download to your computer. Files are scanned and the download is stopped immediately if viruses are detected.

Select Settings > Real Time Antivirus > Browsing and check Scan web traffic option.

A pop-up message warns you in case the file you attempt to download is harmful.

You can enable the pop-up message from the BullGuard application, by selecting Settings > Real Time Antivirus > Infections and check Display a pop-up under Alerts.

Tell us about it

Whenever you encounter websites that host malware or spyware, don’t hesitate to tell BullGuard about them, by using the toolbar button. BullGuard will analyze all received requests and update its databases accordingly. BullGuard Toolbar Button works on Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers.

You can easily enable the Toolbar Button, just:

1. Select Settings > Real Time Antivirus > Browsing and make sure the Safe browsing option is checked.

Note: If you are using Mozilla Firefox, you need to follow all the steps below.

If you are using Internet Explorer, you need to follow steps 1 and 2 only.

2. Open/ restart your browser.
3. Check Allow this installation.
4. Select Continue.
5. Select Restart Firefox to complete installation.

You should be able to see BullGuard logo on your browser toolbar right away.

You can also use it to share your findings with BullGuard. Every time you land on a page that you believe to host malware, you can notify BullGuard, by simply clicking on the Toolbar button and then on Report malicious website.

BullGuard examines all received requests, updates its databases and warns all users as soon as possible if needed.

Stay safe online with your trusted browsing companion. BullGuard’s Safe Browsing tool is reliable and ready to provide you with a secure Internet surfing experience. Install BullGuard Internet Security 2013 now!