Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced a new and improved version of its beta for Panda Global Protection 2013, its comprehensive solution for protecting the information and digital life of home computer users. The new beta, which includes many of the improvements suggested by the Panda Security beta testing community, can be downloaded for free at http://www.pandasecurity.com/promotions/betatest/.

The first beta of Panda Global Protection 2013 was tested by users from 129 countries and recorded 23 percent more activations than the 2012 version beta did. The countries with the most activations were Spain, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Peru, India, UK, Argentina and Vietnam.

The updated beta aims to reflect the constant search for continuous improvement in Panda Security’s products, as well as market a high-quality solution that has been tested and improved upon with the help of Panda’s beta testers. As a result of the feedback from Panda’s global community, the company has been able to implement numerous activation, interface, design and usability enhancements from the original beta that was launched in April.

The new version includes the following improvements:

• Better malware detection
• Improvements for several technology modules (TruPrevent, Web proxy and firewall)
• Simpler and faster installation and activation processes
• Improved interface: Inclusion of new update buttons and the ability to access reports and statistics from the scan screen
• Better disinfection capabilities on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (Consumer Preview)
• Improved on-demand scanning by leveraging all the CPU cores

Unlike the first version, the new beta release of Panda Global Protection 2013 is available in 21 other languages besides English and Spanish.

All users testing the Panda Global Protection 2013 Beta, both the new and the previous version, will receive a 50 percent discount on the purchase of the final product, and the ten beta testers suggesting the most helpful improvements will each receive a $200 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Panda Global Protection 2013 is the most comprehensive solution in Panda Security’s new retail product lineup. The product leverages Panda’s unique Collective Intelligence technology to collect threat intelligence from millions of computer users and deliver automated, instantaneous protection against known and unknown malware.

The new release builds on the core functionality that has positioned Panda Global Protection as the preferred solution among PC users. This includes a highly effective antivirus engine to protect against known and unknown malware; a firewall with Wi-Fi security to block intruders and hackers; Panda USB Vaccine to prevent USB devices from spreading infections; confidential information filters to keep personal data safe; backup and system recovery; and PC performance tuning. The new version includes a password manager: an encrypted password repository that protects users’ digital identity and allows them to log into websites with just one click.

To download the free beta, please visit: http://www.pandasecurity.com/promotions/betatest/. In addition, an image of the Panda Global Protection Beta home screen can be accessed at:  http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/PCAVHomeENG.jpg

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the launch of Collective Intelligence, its cloud security system which automatically detects, scans, classifies and disinfects all new malware received every day at PandaLabs. The system has processed more than 1.7 billion files since its launch five years ago. The Collective Intelligence database currently occupies 25.2 TB and generates 500 GB of logs every day.

Collective Intelligence launched in 2007, after two years of development, and became the pioneering foundation behind the company’s entire line of cloud-based protection solutions. As the first company to bring cloud-based security solutions to the market, this widely-acclaimed protection model has led the way for the rest of the industry. Since its launch, it has provided users with key benefits including investment costs reduced by 50 percent, reduced local server and desktop resource consumption, and greater overall protection in real-time.

Every day, Collective Intelligence receives more than 3 billion data requests from users of Panda solutions and processes more than 150,000 new files to determine whether or not they are malware. Currently, approximately 73,000 new, unique strains of malware appear every day. According to the PandaLabs Q1 Report, this malware avalanche has elevated the average number of infected PCs across the globe to 35.51 percent, with China leading the ranking of most affected countries (54.25 percent of infected PCs), followed by Taiwan (47.15 percent) and Turkey (42.75 percent).

Following is a brief look at the events leading to this five-year milestone of Collective Intelligence:

• Panda ActiveScan, scanning from the cloud since 2007.
• For home users, cloud scanning was implemented in the 2008 consumer solutions, and in the first antivirus designed specifically to protect from the cloud, Panda Cloud Antivirus in April 2009.
• For businesses, cloud-based scanning was offered through Panda Cloud Protection in November 2009, delivering protection for the three major infection vectors: servers and desktops with Panda Cloud Office Protection; email with Panda Cloud Email Protection; and Web traffic with Panda Cloud Internet Protection. Additionally, all solutions can be delivered through the SaaS (Security-as-a-Service) model.

For users interested in trying out its security solutions, Panda Security offers free trials of the following products:

• Panda ActiveScan for on-demand scanning and disinfection is available at www.activescan.com.
• Panda Cloud Antivirus (www.cloudantivirus.com) offers permanent protection and was the first free, cloud-based security solution on the market for consumers.
• Panda Cloud Protection for corporate workstations, servers, email and Web traffic. Free trials are available from http://cloudprotection.pandasecurity.com.

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced the release of Panda Cloud Office Protection 6.0 (PCOP), the only Software-as-a-Service endpoint security solution that includes Device Control technologies designed to prevent the spread of malware through the improper use of external devices. Panda Cloud Office Protection 6.0 is a cloud-based security service for PCs, servers and corporate laptops that is managed remotely from anywhere through its Web-based console.

Panda Cloud Office Protection 6.0 features Device Control which enables organizations to improve productivity by enforcing policies to deny access, force read-only access, or grant total access on multiple device types (USB flash drives, digital cameras, DVDs and more) through the PCOP Web-based console. The new version of software also includes Malware Freezer, a module that ‘freezes’ detected malware for seven days by placing it in quarantine. This tool ensures system stability, restoring false positive files.

Panda Cloud Office Protection’s infrastructure is fully hosted in the cloud, eliminating the difficulties in managing remote users and hardware costs associated with a client-server security model. As always, Panda’s endpoint security service can be installed remotely, either through a distribution tool or email, without requiring the installation of a remote access add-on. The solution also offers group policies for advanced configuration of protection levels; concise and informative malware and threat reports; and a unified, centralized quarantine.

The new version is hosted in Windows Azure, a cloud platform hosted in Microsoft data centers and designed to support highly available, scalable and reliable applications. Windows Azure uses a set of privacy and security controls that ensure maximum protection of its hosted data and applications.

For more information, please visit http://www.pandasecurity.com/enterprise/solutions/cloud-office-protection/

PandaLabs, Panda Security’s anti-malware laboratory, today published its Quarterly Report for Q1, analyzing the IT security events and incidents from January through March 2012. In the first quarter of 2012 alone, six million new malware samples were created, following the trend of increasingly prevalent malware statistics of previous years. The full report is available at http://press.pandasecurity.com/press-room/reports/.

Malware Statistics

Trojans set a new record as the preferred category of cybercriminals for carrying out information theft, representing 80 percent of all new malware. In 2011, Trojans ‘only’ accounted for 73 percent of all malware; worms took second place, comprising 9.30 percent of samples; followed by viruses at 6.43 percent. Interestingly in 2012, worms and viruses swapped positions from the 2011 Annual Report, where viruses stood at 14.25 percent and worms at 8 percent of all circulating malware. To see a graph of new malware distribution in Q1 2012, please visit: http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/NEW-MALWARE.jpg.

When it comes to the number of infections caused by each malware category, the ranking supports the hierarchy of new samples in circulation with Trojans, worms and viruses occupying the top three spots. Interestingly, worms caused only 8 percent of all infections despite accounting for more than 9 percent of all new malware. This is quite noteworthy as worms typically caused many more infections due to their ability to propagate in an automated fashion. The figures corroborate what is well known: massive worm epidemics have become a thing of the past and have been replaced by an increasing avalanche of silent Trojans, cyber-criminals’ weapon of choice for their attacks. A graph depicting these figures is available at: http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MALWARE-INFECTIONS.jpg

China Tops List of Infections per Country

The average number of infected PCs across the globe stands at 35.51 percent, down more than three percentage points compared to 2011, according to Panda Security’s Collective Intelligence data. China once again led this ranking (54.25 percent of infected PCs), followed by Taiwan and Turkey. The list of least infected countries is dominated by European countries with nine out of the first ten places being occupied by them, the top three being Sweden, Switzerland and Norway. Japan is the only non-European country among the top ten nations with fewer than 30 percent of computers infected. To see a graph of countries with the most malware infections, please visit: http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/COUNTRIES.jpg.

The Quarter at a Glance

In the report, PandaLabs highlights several top security incidents that occurred during Q1. There was a marked increase in ‘ransomware’ attacks over the past quarter due in large part to the so-called ‘Police Virus.’ The virus displays messages with logos of international law enforcement agencies to trick users into believing that their computers have been locked by the police for visiting inappropriate websites or making illegal downloads. To unlock it, users have to pay a fine, usually in the range of one hundred euros, dollars or British pounds (depending on the target of the attack). These messages are coming from the Trojans themselves. To view a screenshot of this ‘Police Malware,’ please visit: http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/POLICE.jpg.

The report also covers the latest attacks on Android cell phones, distribution of malware via Facebook, the Megaupload case, cyber-war and the latest activities of the Anonymous and LulzSec hacktivist groups.

Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, states, “Although it’s still early in the year, so far what we have seen in 2012 is a continuation of past trends. Cyber-criminals are still trying to steal users’ information and money by any means possible.”

PandaLabs advises all users to keep their computers adequately protected with a solution like Panda Security’s free Panda Cloud Antivirus.

The quarterly report can be downloaded from: http://press.pandasecurity.com/press-room/reports/.

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced that Panda Cloud Antivirus, the world’s fastest growing cloud-based antivirus, has achieved the Advanced+ rating in the latest “On-demand Detection of Malicious Software” test from AV-Comparatives.org, the independent review lab. The full report is available at http://www.av-comparatives.org/en/comparativesreviews/detection-test.

The test compared Panda Cloud Antivirus to 19 other antivirus programs. Panda Cloud Antivirus successfully detected 98.6 percent of the more than 300,000 samples used by AV-Comparatives.org, performing better than free solutions from Avast, AVG and Microsoft, as well as paid programs from Eset and Trend Micro, reinforcing the product’s powerful protection capabilities.

The AV-Comparatives.org test also examined false positives and found that Panda detected all but ten clean files as malware, whereas other antivirus solutions reported 54 false positives on average. AV-Comparatives recommends that false positives are considered when evaluating products since they can oftentimes cause as much trouble as real infections.

This is the second Advanced+ certification awarded by AV-Comparatives to Panda Cloud Antivirus in its ‘On-demand Detection of Malicious Software’ evaluation. The first certification was given to Panda Cloud Antivirus in September 2011: http://press.pandasecurity.com/news/panda-cloud-antivirus-achieves-advanced-rating-in-its-first-participation-in-av-comparatives-tests/.

This recognition follows AV-Test.org’s recent ranking of Panda Cloud Antivirus as a ‘Best Performing Free Antivirus’ solution: http://press.pandasecurity.com/news/panda-cloud-antivirus-ranks-as-best-performing-free-antivirus-in-recent-av-test-evaluation/.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.5.2, which launched last February, includes performance improvements as well as new features suggested by Panda Security’s user community. Since Cloud Antivirus’ initial release in 2009 as the first free “in the cloud” security service for home users, millions around the world have benefitted from its award-winning free antivirus protection and incredibly lightweight footprint. The latter is a major benefit of Collective Intelligence, Panda’s proprietary technology for automatically collecting and processing millions of malware samples in the cloud instead of locally on the user’s PC.

For more information about Panda Cloud Antivirus or to download the product, please visit: http://www.cloudantivirus.com.

A logo of the AV-Comparatives ranking can be accessed at: http://press.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/logo_od_ADV+_mar2012.jpg.

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced the beta release of Panda Global Protection 2013, its comprehensive solution for protecting the information and digital life of home computer users. The beta can be downloaded for free at http://www.pandasecurity.com/promotions/betatest/.

Along with the release of the beta, Panda also announced the launch of a beta testing competition. All users testing the solution will receive a 50 percent discount on the purchase of the final product, and the ten beta testers suggesting the most helpful improvements will each receive a $200 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Panda Global Protection 2013 is the most comprehensive solution in Panda Security’s new retail product lineup. The product continues to improve upon previous versions, providing even better protection against all kinds of threats.

The product leverages Panda’s unique Collective Intelligence technology to collect threat intelligence from millions of computer users and deliver automated, instantaneous protection against known and unknown malware. By gathering information on malware from the worldwide Panda community, Collective Intelligence continuously improves protection levels and offers more rapid response to new malware attacks.

The new release builds on the core functionality that has positioned Panda Global Protection as the preferred solution among PC users. This includes a highly effective antivirus engine to protect against known and unknown malware; a firewall with Wi-Fi security to block intruders and hackers; Panda USB Vaccine to prevent USB devices from spreading infections; confidential information filters to keep personal data safe; backup and system recovery; and PC performance tuning.

Panda Global Protection 2013 is specifically designed for highly-active users with the most demanding protection needs. TheThe Panda Safe Browser preserves user security and privacy on the Internet and specifically social networking sites. It also lets users encrypt private files and folders to prevent theft of personal, banking and financial data as well as any kind of valuable multimedia content.

Benefits of the new Panda Global Protection 2013 also include:

• New user interface look and feel, making it easier than ever to use the tools included in the 2013 lineup
• Improved antivirus engine with better detection and disinfection capabilities
• New password manager: Encrypted password repository that protects your digital identity and allows users to log into websites with just one click
• New installer that makes installation easier and faster than ever
• New feature to automatically shut down the computer after completing a scan
• Compatible with Windows 8 Consumer Preview, the beta version of Microsoft’s new operating system
• New system for sending questions to Tech Support for resolving queries faster
• Improved operating system vulnerability detection

To download the free beta, please visit: http://www.pandasecurity.com/promotions/betatest/.

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced that Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition, the world’s fastest growing cloud-based antivirus, has been ranked first in performance tests run by the prestigious AV-Test.org independent lab. This is the fourth consecutive AV-Test.org certification for Panda’s free antivirus solution.
The institute evaluated the protection, repair, usability and performance impact of 23 home user and eight corporate antivirus products in Windows 7 in January and February 2012. To see a graph of the test results, please visit: http://prensa.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/av-test-201202.jpg.

Both Panda’s free antivirus solution and Panda Internet Security 2012 have been certified by AV-Test.org with an overall score of 14.5. Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition was the best free antivirus software, outperforming multiple paid solutions and achieving top rankings in usability (5.5 out of 6 points). In terms of accuracy, Panda Cloud Antivirus recorded only one false positive – a legitimate file erroneously tagged as malware – out of the more than 500,000 test files, whereas other products tested averaged six detections. In addition, it obtained an excellent score in protection (5 points), well above the average compared to other solutions.

AV-Test evaluations measure how much each solution impacts overall system performance while still delivering good levels of protection. Of all products tested, Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition had the least impact, registering 40 percent below average for other products analyzed. The full report is available at: http://www.av-test.org/en/tests/test-reports/.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.5.1, the software version tested by AV-Test and launched in June 2011, includes performance improvements as well as new functionality requested by Panda Security’s user community. Since Cloud Antivirus’ initial release in 2009 as the first free ‘in the cloud’ security service for home users, millions of PC users around the world have benefitted from its award-winning protection and light footprint. This low resource usage is a primary benefit of Collective Intelligence, Panda’s proprietary technology for automatically collecting and processing millions of malware samples in the cloud instead of locally on the user’s PC, as is the case with traditionally architected antivirus solutions. The current version is 1.5.2. For more information, please visit: http://blog.cloudantivirus.com/2012/02/27/panda-cloud-antivirus-1-5-2/.

For more information about Panda Cloud Antivirus and to download the product, please visit http://www.cloudantivirus.com.

The ‘Certified’ seal image is available at: http://prensa.pandasecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/AVTEST-JANFEB12.jpg.

– Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced its ongoing partnership with Konica Minolta, a leading provider of IT and office equipment. Konica Minolta has been working with Panda Security to help protect its highly distributed workforce in Portugal for more than eight years.

For Konica Minolta, the benefits of being able to manage the protection of the entire network remotely are of special relevance because of its dispersed IT infrastructure. By eliminating the need for local teams to dedicate their time to security or constantly traveling between the branches to provide internal IT support, Konica Minolta is able to focus on its core business. Konica Minolta’s IT infrastructure is made up of approximately 200 computers mainly concentrated at its headquarters in Prior Velho, Lisbon, with offices in three other strategic cities (Porto, Coimbra and Faro).

“The antivirus solution Panda Security for Enterprise guarantees the protection of all workstations and servers, which are easily managed from a single location through the Panda AdminSecure tool,” said Delfim Oliveira, IT Manager of Konica Minolta Portugal. “Our security decision was strongly motivated by Panda being the most innovative company on the security solutions market.”

Panda Security’s ability to secure Konica Minolta’s widely distributed workforce gave Panda an advantage over its competitors and throughout the past eight years, has met all of Konica Minolta’s needs. “Since installing Panda’s products we haven’t had any infection issues, which provides us with significant peace of mind,” added Oliveira.

One of the most outstanding features of Panda Security for Enterprise is “the ease of management provided by the AdminSecure centralized console,” which sets it apart from its competitors.

Konica Minolta’s relationship with Panda Security exemplifies Panda’s mission of providing the highest quality service to its customers. “Whenever it was requested, Panda Security support displayed technical competence and professionalism, solving incidents with either a remote fix or in some cases an onsite visit,” explained Oliviera. However, he clarified that “The stability of the Panda solution installed on our systems ensures no current incidents, and the experience we have gathered during our years of partnership allows proactive protection against new threats”.

Panda Security for Enterprise provides the most advanced proactive protection in a multi-tier flexible architecture covering all network layers. Its functionalities include network access and application control. Panda Security for Enterprise provides complete protection against known and unknown threats, based on a combination of the most advanced proactive technologies and comprehensive, periodic audits.

Panda Security’s solution combines unauthorized Internet access filtering, anti-spam and anti-malware protection, content filtering and detailed reports.

For more information about Panda Security for Enterprise, please visit:  http://www.pandasecurity.com/enterprise/solutions/enterprise

For more on Konica Minolta’s customer success story, please visit:  http://press.pandasecurity.com/press-room/case-studies/

About Konica Minolta Portugal

With offices in Prior Velho (Lisbon), Porto, Coimbra and Faro, Konica Minolta Portugal is a pioneering manufacturer of office equipment and digital imaging solutions.

More information at http://www.konicaminolta.pt

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced the launch of its new channel partner recruitment campaign, “Security to the Power of the Cloud.” The campaign includes a webinar series demonstrating the benefits that the company’s cloud-based solutions offer to resellers. Partners can sign up for the online seminars at http://securitytothecloud.pandasecurity.com.

The training sessions will mainly focus on Panda Cloud Partner Center, a new management console for partners, with a demo of the product. These seminars will run in both the morning and afternoon at 6:00 AM EDT and Noon EDT, respectively. The first webinars will be held on April 3^rd and April 5^th.

“Our concept of ‘Security to the Power of the Cloud’ is based on three major pillars for channel partners: Simplicity, Margin and Control,” said Paula Quiros, Director of International Marketing and Communication at Panda Security. “Partners demand easy-to-use tools that make their jobs simpler, return the expected margins and help keep sales processes under control.”

With Panda Cloud Partner Center, partners can manage all channel activity online in real-time, while remotely enabling protection for customers’ email and endpoints, such as servers, PCs and laptops.

Additionally, the Panda Cloud Partner Center lets partners manage and monitor customers’ lifecycles and take better advantage of new business opportunities through better insight into license extension and cross-selling opportunities. It also simplifies the renewal process for service providers with customizable tools to streamline channel management, enabling them to assign new and existing customers trial versions of new products.

Partners interested in attending these free webinars can sign up at: http://securitytothecloud.pandasecurity.com.

Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, today announced the beta release of Panda Antivirus Pro 2012 compatible with Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Users who have installed the beta version of the new Microsoft operating system will benefit from the best protection against malware. Consumers can download it free from http://www.pandasecurity.com/windows8

Panda Antivirus Pro 2012 is the easiest-to-use solution in Panda’s 2012 consumer product lineup, designed specifically to offer maximum protection with minimum resource consumption. Panda’s 2012 solutions leverage Collective Intelligence, the company’s exclusive cloud-computing technology that uses threat intelligence from millions of computer users to deliver automated, instantaneous protection against known and unknown malware.

Each day, PandaLabs receives nearly 73,000 new files that Collective Intelligence automatically analyzes, classifies and remedies. By gathering information on malware from the worldwide Panda community, Collective Intelligence continuously improves protection levels and offers more rapid response to the newest and most dangerous malware attacks.

“Making our 2012 solutions compatible with Windows 8 was important for ensuring that users of Microsoft’s new operating system are fully protected,” said Enrique Aguilera, Vice President of Consumer Sales & Marketing, Panda Security. “For more than 20 years, Panda Security has been innovating and developing new technologies to protect our customers from all kinds of threats and we are excited to provide robust security for yet wanother population of customers.”

For more information and to download the free beta, please visit: http://www.pandasecurity.com/windows8