Symantec warns antivirus is ‘doomed’

According to Symantec, antivirus products are “doomed to failure,” says Brian Dye, senior vice president for information security at Symantec.

From The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, end-point security technology isn’t a “moneymaker”,  antivirus companies need to adjust and adapt.

Antivirus products have been proven to prevent hackers from obtaining your private information from your computer.  Today, hackers are often able to bypass the antivirus’ and get into your computer’s source code.




Antivirus technology scans networks for malicious-looking computer code and spots hackers before there is any real damage.

It’s like an immune system on your computer.

Brian Dye, Symantec’s senior vice president for information security estimates the antivirus catches 45% of cyber-attacks.

Mr. Dye says Symantec’s Norton security suite has evolved beyond antivirus software and searches for suspicious activity that may have come from previous unseen viruses.

The software includes a password manager, spam blocker, and scans a user’s Facebook feed to guard against dangerous links.

Area of concern

China, Iran, and the former Soviet bloc., are the countries whom pose the most concerning threats.





Hackers that were linked to Iran last spring breached the digital perimeters of energy companies and one of the U.S.’s five biggest banks.  They were caught before moving further into the systems.

Last year before the Target Corp. was breached, FireEye security equipment alerted the retailer of the suspicious activity found.  When the company failed to follow up with the warning, they were hacked.

Former Target employees say the reason why the system failed is because they lacked the resources to pursue all posed threats.

The malware market is now declining and hackers are aiming their focus on cyber-attacks.  A few avenues are; denial-of-service assaults, spear-phishing, and network intrusion.





Cyber-criminals previously used mass-emailing to catch millions of people off-guard in order to steal their information.

Now, Symantec has partnered with IBM, with a new cyber-security offering to protect networks and critical data from zero-day attacks, by identifying  irregular patterns in network traffic.

Although cyber-criminals are finding ways around antiviruses, the antivirus market is doing their part in working around hackers.

Are you still unprotected from cyber-crimes?  We can help give you the best protection for your home or small business.  Call us today! 619-325-0990

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+

References:

Symantec calls antivirus ‘doomed’ as security giants fight for survival – ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/antivirus-is-dead-long-live-the-antivirus-7000029078/?s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61
Published May 5, 2014

Symantec Develops New Attack on Cyberhacking – The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702303417104579542140235850578-lMyQjAxMTA0MDAwNTEwNDUyWj
Published May 4, 2014

Protect your PC from malware

Are your Google search results being redirected to annoying ad sites?

Did you know there are plenty of free software programs that will identify and remove malware hiding in Microsoft Windows?

Google’s Chrome browser has been seeing issues with ‘chrome-navigation-error.inof redirect’.  It is suspected of being botnet related.

I use the Firefox web browser with Adblock, and I run AVG anti-virus. Frequently, but not always, when I click on a link in a Google search result, it takes me to a page advertising something instead of going to the page indicated. If I go back to the search results and click the same link, it usually goes to the correct site. I thought this might be malware, but I have scanned with AVG and Malwarebytes, including anti-rootkit, and there is no indication of anything wrong. Researching the problem, I came across concerns that the Chrome browser could have this behaviour, and the suggestion was to disable extensions. I’m not very happy to do this because my various Firefox extensions add functionality I value. Geoff from Google

Apple Mac OS X and Linus users are also seeing this, although, no Firefox users have reported the issue.
When there is malware on your computer, the best way to take care of the situation is to identify it.

Malware is dangerous to your computer because an attacker can use a small security hole to install more malicious software.

Before trying to get rid of malware, make sure you have all your programs and data backed up.

 

Malware Removal

1. Run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware in Safe Mode for faster removal of malware.
2. Reboot your PC and keep pressing F8 before Windows loads.
3. When in the Boot Menu, run Malwarebytes again
4. Keep rebooting and re-running Malwarebytes until there are no longer issues

Using Microsoft’s SmartScreen filter is helpful in keeping your system protected.  The SmartScreen filter creates an SHA-256 hash of executable code and sends it to a Microsoft server.

The bad code or websites is blocked and a message saying “Windows protected your PC,” will appear.
Most malware usually targets the ‘low hanging fruit’ that hundreds of millions of users who never install patches.  Also users who run pirated copies of software with a built-in back door are attacked.

For help with malware removal or information on computer security call us at 619-325-0990.

Don’t miss out on the latest tech news and computer security alerts! Follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet,  “Like” us on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:
How can I remove redirection malware from my PC? – The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2014/mar/13/how-can-i-remove-redirection-malware-from-my-pc

Best Antivirus for Microsoft Windows 8

With Microsoft Windows 8.1 just around the corner, we’ll be updating our software, and trying out the new version of  Microsoft Windows 8.1 platform.  We should make sure our antivirus is also up-to-date.  Having an antivirus on your computer is very important with all the phishing and malware lurking in cyber land.  Here is a list of some great antivirus’ for your Windows 8.

1. Bit Defender Antivirus Plus 2013

The Bit Defender Antivirus Plus 2013, not only gets rid of the spyware, malware, and viruses but saves your infected computer files.  Bit Defender cures your files from the antivirus so you don’t have to delete them from your computer.

• Improves performance and speed
• Stores sensitive credentials, access your most visited emails, websites, and apps
• Autopilot makes security decisions for you, allowing you to still use your PC
• 24/7 credit monitoring
• Social network protection
• Blocks websites that support scams and phishing
• Immunizes Flash Drives from viruses when connected to your PC

2.  Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download for your home or small business.  Your PC must run on Windows to install.  It is user friendly and has an easy interface to navigate through.

• Easily detects malware
• Fast scanning speed
• Rootkit Removal
• Automatic updates

3.  AVG Free 2013

This free antivirus can be found on the Internet.  Keep your computer data safe from viruses and hackers, AVG is a great option.  The viruses and spyware slowing your computer down are easily detected and removed with this software.

• Performance boost for your PC
• Free phone support
• Stops viruses in their tracks

4.  Avast Antivirus 2013

This antivirus can be used on both computers as well as mobile.  Avast antivirus is user friendly with an easy interference and other nifty features.  This powerful antivirus automatically detects phishing and secures your data from hackers.

• Blocks viruses and spyware
• Remote assistance
• Streaming virus database updates
• Enhanced touch screen navigation
• Software updater maintenance tool

5.  Kaspersky Antivirus

Kaspersky Antivirus helps defend your data against Trojans that effect your computer.  This antivirus protects your data from malicious attacks with time-by-time updates.

• Protects against all viruses
• Detects new threats
• Identifies suspicious websites
• Prevents your PC from malware vulnerabilites

References:
Top 5 Best Free Antivirus For Windows 8 – Skyhitech
http://www.skyhittech.com/top-5-best-free-antivirus-for-windows-8/
August 7, 2013
BitDefender Antivirus Plus Download – HermanStreet
http://store.hermanstreet.com/pc-software/bitdefender-antivirus-plus-download/?cmpid=529806&s_kwcid=TC|17163|bitdefender%20antivirus%20plus%202013||S|e|25620204081&gclid=CJPQ8qTo_7gCFc57QgodHVgATQ
Microsoft Security Essentials – Microsoft
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download
Is AntiVirus FREE right for you? – AVG
http://free.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download
avast! Free Antivirus – Avast!
http://www.avast.com/en-us/index
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 -BuyCheapSoftware
http://www.buycheapsoftware.com/details.asp?productID=5789&utm_source=GoogleProductSearch&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ComparisonSite&gdftrk=gdfV23304_a_7c1137_a_7c3520_a_7cKAV1303121USZZ5789

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How to Scan Email File Attachments Without Downloading Them First

As kids we’re taught not to take candy from strangers and as adults we’re told not to take file attachments from strangers.

What if that file is coming from a colleague or friend?

One of the various ways that viruses, worms or other malware have been known to spread is by spamming itself to all of the contacts within a victim’s address book.  So, it's necessary to be cautious with files attached to emails coming from people you know as well.

While it’s true that a lot of email clients have some sort of antivirus software backing them (for instance, Yahoo! uses Norton to scan messages), nothing is 100% and there’s a chance that the scan won’t detect the dangers lurking within.

As luck would have it, VirusTotal offers the ability to run file attachments through a laundry list of different antivirus programs including Kaspersky, NOD32, TrendMicro, McAfee, Panda, and others. Best of all, you don’t even have to download (or open) the file in order to do it!

All you have to do is:

1. Change the “Subject:” field of the email to “SCAN”.


2. Clear out the body of the email, only leaving the file attached.


3. Forward the email with the file attachment to scan@virustotal.com.

Once the file has been processed, a report of the findings will be sent back to the same email address it was sent from.  And since the file will run through such a wide assortment of antivirus programs, there’s a very good chance that any malware hiding inside will be detected.

Just keep in mind that the response time varies on the server load and this only a method to detect malware, not eliminate it.

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