Apple products are protected by an array of built-in security features, but they’re not impenetrable. No one wants to be blindsided by a virus or malware attack — especially on devices with security defenses — so you may be wondering “Do I need antivirus for Macbook?”

All different types of devices can be compromised, even those with built-in protections. To keep your information secure, it’s worth investing in premium protection services and software — no matter what type of device you use.

Can Macs Get Viruses?

Yes, Macs can get viruses, and they can be attacked by other Mac-specific malware, too. It’s a common misconception that Macbooks can’t be infected by malicious viruses and other types of malware. 

Just like any other type of PC, Macs can still fall victim to infection through social engineering attacks. Additionally, it’s possible for a Macbook to have unknown security flaws, which could allow malicious actors to access or infect a device.

How to Tell If Your Mac Has a Virus

Even though Mac infections are uncommon, there are a few telltale signs to indicate whether or not your device has been compromised:

• Pop-ups and ads: If you start noticing an influx of pop-ups or spam-like ads on your device, it may be infected.
• Slowdowns: Computers with viruses or other types of malware frequently run slower than healthy devices. Pages may take longer to load, or your computer itself may take time to turn. 
• Unrecognized programs: Suspicious programs, apps or bookmarked pages may indicate your Macbook is running with a virus.
• Redirections: Viruses and malware may cause your computer to load pages you didn’t open or redirect you to unusual sites.
• Encrypted files: Ransomware attacks may encrypt private and public files housed on your device.
• Hot undercarriage: Background programs can take up space on your computer, but they can also cause your Mac to overheat during use.

Do Macs Have Built-In Protection?

Macbooks are still susceptible to viruses, but they also have a variety of powerful built-in protections. First, every Mac system has small but effective defenses, including:

• Regular security updates
• Protected passwords and passkeys
• Recording indicators
• Pasteboard permissions
• iCloud security and photo protection
• Email protection and privacy
• File encryption
• Storage encryption
• Hardware security 
• Secure system booting
• Data Protection and FileVault

These protections are a device’s first defense, but Macs are also outfitted with multiple state-of-the-art security programs which help protect the device from processes with root certificates attempting to change or affect critical file systems.

XProtect

XProtect is Apple’s specially designed malware scanning and antivirus tool. It automatically runs in the background while a Macbook is in use and it does not need to be configured before working. 

XProtect checks downloads against its internal list of malicious programs and files to verify that new applications and other programs are safe. Additionally, this tool is automatically updated to the latest version, so users do not need to be concerned about the recentness of their scanning tool.

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper is an internal software that blocks programs and downloads from unrecognized developers. This tool also blocks programs from certificate chains without verified signatures. Unfortunately, Gatekeeper can only protect Macbooks from Apple Store software downloads.

Sandboxing

Sandbox is an Apple-approved program that verifies a device’s actions and only allows Macbooks to participate in authentic, allowable activities. This software also separates new downloads from previous ones to lower the possibility that suspicious or malicious programs would infect the downloads currently running on a Mac.

Safari Protections

Safari — an Apple-created browser — also has built-in security features. The system’s anti-phishing technology can identify and warn users about malicious websites. Additionally, Safari’s defenses can disable potentially dangerous sites, and its anti-tracking technology prohibits third parties from collecting and tracking user data.

Virus Protection for Mac: Additional Options

Even with built-in protection, it may be necessary to invest in additional security measures for a Mac. If you’re looking to add supplemental defenses, consider these four options.

Antivirus for Mac

Viruses and malware can still infect your computer, but antivirus software for Mac can help keep your device protected and alert you to any suspicious activity. This is a great additional security feature that can complement your device’s built-in protections.

VPNs

If you plan to use your Macbook to browse the internet in public spaces, consider investing in a VPN. Public Wi-Fi networks are easy targets for hackers, but a VPN can help protect your device wherever you go.

Password Managers

Even if you know how to create strong passwords, keep them private and consistently change them, it’s still possible for them to be stolen or compromised. Using a password manager can help lower this risk while keeping your passwords in one, protected place.

OS Updates

One of the simplest ways to protect your Mac is to ensure your operating system is up-to-date. OS updates are frequently released with bug patches, security updates and other internal protections. Consistently updating these systems can help keep your Macbook protected from new and old vulnerabilities.

While it’s true that the number of threats in Mac’s operating system are lower than other platforms, investing in effective antivirus software can help protect your devices, keep your family safe and create a pleasant browsing experience for every user.

Source: McAfee | Apple | Apple Support

The post Macbook Security: Do I Need Antivirus for Macbook? appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

Rain, sun, snow and clouds — even with great weather, it seems all kids want to do is play around on their tablets or smart devices. Every day can be a battle between outdoor activities and indoor screen time, but what if you could encourage less mindless play and more educational activities — no matter the weather or where you are?

If your child loves deep-sea adventures, creepy crawlers or even music and the arts, there’s an app out there designed just for their interests. Install Panda Dome Family and then grab your charger — it’s time to download some of the best learning apps for kids!

Table of Contents:

• Learning Apps for Kids Ages 0-5
• Learning Apps for Kids Ages 6-8
• Learning Apps for Kids Ages 9+

Learning Apps for Kids Ages 0-5

It’s never too early to start learning about math, science, reading and more! Check out these learning apps that are great for kids ages 0-5.

1. Khan Academy

Khan Academy and Khan Academy Kids is a virtual learning program dedicated to providing world-class education options for anyone. This app features a variety of subjects for kids in preschool, elementary, middle and high school. Plus, the app can be personalized — so you can fill gaps and encourage continued learning.

Best for: All subjects

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Math
• Science
• Art and humanities
• Computing
• Reading and language arts
• Economics
• Life skills

Features:

• YouTube Library
• Self-paced design
• More than 36 languages available
• Foundational and supplemental learning

2. Busy Shapes

Best for younger children, Busy Shapes is designed to help kids learn how objects relate to one another. Users are asked to match shapes with their respective holes, fostering their problem-solving and reasoning skills.

Best for: Problem-solving

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: $2.99

Subjects:

• Problem-solving
• Logic
• Reasoning

Features:

• Hands-on, self-directed learning
• Challenges gradually become harder
• Eight languages available

3. ABCmouse.com

ABCmouse.com (and its app) provides a well-rounded curriculum of school-based subjects, games and puzzles for preschool-age kids. Parents, guardians and teachers can track a child’s progress, and kids receive rewards for correctly completing activities.

Best for: Reading and phonics

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Reading and phonics
• Math
• Science
• Art and colors
• Music

Features:

• Games and puzzles
• Expert-led design
• Available in English and Spanish

4. Prodigy

Set up similarly to a video game, Prodigy is a popular math app for kids. This app is designed to test knowledge rather than teach new concepts, but its fantasy-based play makes it a desirable educational app for a variety of ages.

Best for: Math

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Math

Features:

• Foundational and supplemental learning
• Video game format

5. Quizlet

Multiple choice, true-false questions, flashcards and other testing methods are available on Quizlet. This app is great for studying vocabulary terms and turns learning terminology into a self-led process. 

Best for: Vocabulary

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Any subject, with an emphasis on vocabulary

Features:

• Flashcards and games
• Seven study modes
• Great for students and teachers
• Pre-created flashcard sets available

6. MarcoPolo Ocean

Let your kids take a deep dive into the sea with MarcoPolo Ocean. Kids can build their own submarines, reefs and aquariums while learning ocean facts that will blow all their friends away.

Best for: Ocean concepts

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Sea creatures
• Oceanography

Features:

• Free play to create submarines, reefs and other ocean-based objects
• Underwater facts
• Playful narration and colorful settings
• Ocean vocabulary and deep-sea concepts

7. Peekaboo Barn

Cows, chickens and horses — oh, my! Peekaboo Barn is a great educational app for kids interested in learning about farm animals. Adults can even record their own voices to walk kids through the little bouncing barn.

Best for: Animal identification

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: $1.99

Subjects:

• Animals

Features:

• Animations and sounds
• Language and pronunciation options
• Voice recording available

8. Play and Learn Engineering

Allow your kids to flex their creativity while learning about important STEM concepts like gravity and momentum. Play and Learn Engineering is a gateway to creative problem-solving and science concepts.

Best for: Engineering

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Engineering
• Problem-solving

Features:

• Roller coaster, obstacle course and robot design
• STEM concepts, including gravity and momentum
• Award-winning parent tools

9. Mazaam

Mazaam uses classical music to engage kids with fun, silly and educational games. With the help of cute animals and themed worlds, kids learn to identify musical instruments, pitch, tempo and harmony, among other music-related concepts. 

Best for: Musical concepts

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Musical concepts
• Instrument identification

Features:

• Educational games with 15 to 30 minutes of playthrough time
• No ads
• Five worlds: squirrels, chameleons, lynxes, eagles and sea lions

10. Hopster: Pre-school Games & TV

Kids can’t escape television — and, let’s be honest, they don’t want to. Hopster combines preschool-friendly educational shows with fun, exciting games. Plus, the app will automatically suggest a new activity if too many episodes of a show are watched in a row!

Best for: Phonics and math

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Math
• Phonics

Features:

• Educational games and preschool-friendly shows
• Available offline
• Activities are automatically suggested after three episodes of a show

11. Writing Wizard

Writing Wizard helps make writing and learning letters fun, and the app keeps parents involved with curated progress reports. Kids trace upper and lowercase letters, numbers or words, and interactive games, animated stickers and sound effects keep them motivated!

Best for: Writing

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: $6.99

Subjects:

• Writing
• Letters
• Numbers

Features:

• Data is not collected
• Different fonts available
• Customizable word lists

12. Teach Your Monster to Read

With the Teach Your Monster to Read app, kids design their own monster and then take it through a three-game reading program. This app is designed to complement phonics programs of all kinds, so it’s perfect for both classroom and at-home learning.

Best for: Reading and phonics

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: $5.99

Subjects:

• Reading
• Phonics

Features:

• BAFTA-nominated program
• Customizable monster
• Covers the first two years of reading

13. Thinkrolls Play & Code STEM

Not all problem-solving is as difficult as the labyrinth — but kids still need to know how to solve a puzzle through logic. Thinkrolls Play & Code STEM is designed to introduce these topics to young kids so they’re prepared for other, more challenging problems.

Best for: Problem-solving

Ages: 4+

Supported by: IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Spatial reasoning
• Physics
• Problem-solving

Features:

• 11 languages available
• 1,000+ educational games and activities
• STEM concepts

14. Duolingo

Kids can begin learning a new language from an early age with Duolingo’s audio, word identification and speaking exercises. Plus, this app is also great for parents, which means families can dive into language learning together!

Best for: Languages

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Languages
• Vocabulary
• Grammar

Features:

• 26 languages available
• Lessons for speaking, reading, writing and listening
• Portable language education

15. Starfall ABCs

Help your child become strong and confident in their ability to recognize letters and words. Starfall ABCs introduces learning letters and vowels, and it even helps kids with math and social skills.

Best for: Alphabet

Ages: 0-5

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Alphabet
• Letters
• Language learning

Features:

• Words are found in sentences and games
• Children both see and hear words

Learning Apps for Kids Ages 6-8

Supplement your child’s education with fun and exciting learning apps! These applications are great for kids between the ages of 6 and 10.

16. NASA Visualization Explorer

Let your child explore areas where no man has gone before with the NASA Visualization Explorer app! This application takes cutting-edge space news and turns it into exciting and engaging content. Plus, it includes facts and stories about impossible-to-reach places in space.

Best for: Space news and exploration

Ages: 4+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Space

Features:

• Top research stories
• Connected to NASA’s fleet of research spacecraft

17. Write About This

Let your kids’ writing come to life with Write About This! This app is designed to encourage writing of all kinds — including formal and informal writing — with prompt, photo and voice-over options. Plus, Write About This can automatically publish student work and create writer portfolios.

Ages: 4+

Supported by: IOS

Price: $3.99

Subjects:

• Writing

Features:

• Images and prompts are customizable
• Encourages opinion, narrative, expository and literary responses
• Can be used for formal writing assignments or personal journal entries

18. ScratchJr

With an emphasis on coding and creation, ScratchJr may be one of the best learning apps for kids interested in video games or computers. This app allows kids to create their own stories, design and code characters, and solve problems creatively.

Best for: Coding

Ages: 6-8

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Coding
• Computation

Features:

• Personalized interactive stories and games
• Math and language interactions

19. Kahoot! Numbers by DragonBox

Stack, slice, sort and compare numbers with this math-centric app. Kahoot! Numbers by DragonBox turns numbers into Nooms — monster-like caricatures that bring numbers to life — helping children learn how to add and subtract with numbers between 1 and 20.

Best for: Math and numbers

Ages: 4-8

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free with a subscription to Kahoot!+ Family

Subjects:

• Math
• Numbers

Features:

• 12 languages available
• Nooms make numbers fun to play with
• Four sections of play: sandbox, puzzle, ladder and run

20. Epic – Kids’ Books and Reading

Do you have a bookworm on your hands or hope to encourage your child to read? Epic is a great learning tool for book lovers and learners alike! The app boasts an extensive library of children’s books, videos and audiobooks, which are perfect for readers of all types. Plus, this learning app has books in multiple languages, read-to-me books and reading rewards.

Best for: Reading

Ages: 6-8

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Reading

Features:

• More than 40,000 books, videos and audiobooks
• User-friendly
• Instant, anytime access to the app’s library

21. PBS KIDS Games

Want to help your kids learn healthy habits, be kind individuals and follow daily routines? With PBS KIDS Games, your child can play along with their favorite TV show characters as they develop social-emotional skills and general education concepts.

Best for: Social-emotional learning

Ages: 2-8

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Social-emotional skills

Features:

• More than 250 educational games
• Available in English and Spanish

22. Quick Math Jr.

Make math fun and exciting for kids with the Quick Math Jr. app! This application is designed to help kids learn and enjoy math with features like monster creation, spooky islands and more.

Best for: Foundational mathematics

Ages: 3-7

Supported by: IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Numbers
• Counting
• Addition and subtraction
• Place values

Features:

• Number sequences up to 100
• Unlimited player profiles
• Aligned with international math curriculums

23. HOMER: Fun Learning For Kids

HOMER is an early childhood learning program that is personalizable for each child’s strengths and needs. Fun, vibrant educational games can help prepare school, and parents can follow along or encourage independent play.

Best for: Personalized learning

Ages: 2-8

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Reading
• Math
• Music

Features:

• Up to four customizable child profiles
• Parent resources including printables, learning activities and tips from experts
• Independent play

Learning Apps for Kids Ages 9+

Encourage continued and additional learning of the arts, music and science concepts with these learning apps, designed specifically for middle and high school students.

24. Google Arts and Culture 

Originally designed as a website, Google Arts and Culture’s database is bursting with information about art, history and geography. This app is great for middle school and young high school students — especially those researching culture-based projects.

Best for: Arts and culture-based learning

Ages: 12+

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Art
• Culture
• History
• Geography

Features:

• 28 languages available
• Designed for project research and fun experiences
• Virtual museum tours

25. Stack the States

United States geography is a breeze with the Stack the States app! Kids learn to identify state shapes, abbreviations and state-specific facts with this interactive geographic app.

Best for: State identification

Ages: 9-11

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: $2.99

Subjects:

• States
• State capitals
• Geography

Features:

• Multiple-choice trivia questions
• Jenga-like collection of state pieces
• Animated, googly-eyed states

26. Barefoot World Atlas

Do you have a world traveler on your hands? If so, the Barefoot World Atlas app may be just the thing for them! They can travel across the world without ever leaving home — all while learning historical facts along the way.

Best for: World Geography

Ages: 9-11

Supported by: IOS

Price: $4.99

Subjects:

• World geography

Features:

• Exploration of countries, landmarks and historical facts
• Games and quizzes
• Surprise destination options

27. Seek by iNaturalist

Seek by iNaturalist is an educational app designed to help children identify the organisms in their own backyard. Adults and kids alike will love learning more about their own homes with this app!

Best for: Nature identification

Ages: 9-11

Supported by: Android and IOS

Price: Free

Subjects:

• Plants
• Animals
• Nature

Features:

• The camera can be used to identify real organisms
• Includes plants, animals and fungi
• Awards badges for different species and challenges

Keep Kids Safe on Smart Devices With Panda Security

Technology is an important educational tool for people of all ages, but keeping kids safe online can be tricky. More than 30 million people trust Panda Security to keep their families safe, even as malware threats and technology applications evolve.

If you plan to use any of the best learning apps for kids, always keep your child’s safety in mind. Setting parental controls and investing in powerful protection tools like VPNs can help decrease the cybersecurity risks associated with technology use.

The post 27 Best Learning Apps for Kids and Students This Year [2023] appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

WatchGuard further unifies security services and streamlines deployment capabilities for MSPs while simplifying zero-trust adoption

WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in network security and intelligence, multi-factor authentication (MFA), advanced endpoint protection, and secure Wi-Fi, today announced a series of new capabilities that make WatchGuard Cloud the ideal security platform for managed service providers (MSPs). With a new single, centralized interface for delivering and managing network security, advanced threat detection, MFA, and more, MSPs will benefit from simplified client management while enabling rapid, efficient and profitable growth.

See more here about 10 Things to Love About Firebox Management 

Building on WatchGuard Cloud’s industry-leading centralized security visibility, MSP-specific management interface and advanced executive reporting, the latest version incorporates WatchGuard’s ThreatSync features, advanced Firebox policy management capabilities and authentication policies that enable zero-trust. With WatchGuard Cloud, MSPs can create policy templates for easy, repeatable security deployments across many subscriber accounts. The platform makes it simple to manage and report on Firebox security environments and AuthPoint MFA deployments from a single pane of glass, while its intuitive interface helps MSPs minimize arduous administrative tasks and maximize productivity and profitability.

“Our vision for WatchGuard Cloud has always been to build a powerful, cloud-hosted security platform that directly supports the way MSPs do business, and simplifies every aspect of security delivery for our partners,” said Andrew Young, senior vice president of product management at WatchGuard. “The latest edition brings new levels of simplicity, flexibility and scalability to security deployments, management and reporting. WatchGuard Cloud’s continued evolution is lowering the barrier to entry for MSPs to add security to their portfolios, and solidifying it as the management platform of choice for the security channel.”

Key WatchGuard Cloud Platform Enhancements:

• Advanced Network Security Policy Management – WatchGuard Cloud makes policy creation and management a breeze with one-click security service implementations and pre-configured policies to deploy content scanning, network inspection, content filtering, and other services at scale. WatchGuard Cloud policy templates can apply configurations to appliances across multiple tiers and tenants, enabling MSPs to quickly onboard new customers and scale deployments with group and company policies. Additionally, WatchGuard’s innovative new approach to policy creation reduces the number of rules MSPs must manage. This makes implementing rule changes and auditing configurations faster and easier, with less opportunity for mistakes.
• Risk-Based MFA for Simplified Zero-Trust Adoption – Enabling risk-based authentication is an essential step that organizations must take when adopting a zero-trust approach. The new AuthPoint risk framework policies in WatchGuard Cloud improve identity management capabilities by providing customizable and flexible rules to configure users and devices based on level of risk. With centralized management and repeatable, scalable policy implementation via WatchGuard Cloud, MSPs can easily manage zero-trust authentication policies across multiple customer deployments to prevent external threats and thwart potential data leaks from within, and more. Today the risk framework includes network location policies, and WatchGuard will be rapidly building additional risk policies such as geofencing and correlated time policies into the service in 2021 and beyond.
• Built-in End-to-End Threat Analysis – The platform leverages the ThreatSync service to unify threat intelligence, correlation and scoring across the WatchGuard security stack, from network to user. WatchGuard’s cloud-based telemetry alerts endpoints to attacks against the network and WatchGuard Firebox appliances to attacks against endpoints and specific users for automated remediation.

“Strong authentication has always been a fundamental component of security and today represents a core tenet of the growing zero-trust movement. Every organization needs MFA protection that’s not only powerful but intuitive and scalable to manage,” said Alex Cagnoni, director of authentication at WatchGuard. “This simplified approach to managing authentication within WatchGuard Cloud is the latest example of our continued investment in making MFA more secure, effective and easier to administer with AuthPoint.”

The WatchGuard Cloud Difference

WatchGuard Cloud offers fully integrated network security, MFA and threat intelligence in a single management platform. Unlike many alternative solutions, it is built from the ground up with simplicity and ease-of-use at its core. WatchGuard’s RapidDeploy cloud-based configuration tool gives users a streamlined, zero-touch method to easily set up new security environments. The platform also delivers true multi-tier, multi-tenant management capabilities, enabling MSPs to create and manage an unlimited number of customer accounts with ease. It helps MSPs demonstrate value to customer stakeholders with over 100 customizable dashboards and reports, and offers custom branding options users can leverage to white label WatchGuard services.

“We’re incredibly impressed with the WatchGuard Cloud platform and its new consolidated security and management capabilities WatchGuard has introduced. This simplistic and cloud-based approach can fundamentally transform how we deliver security to our end customers,” said Matt Lee, CISSP, director of technology and security at Iconic IT. “Comprehensive security deployment, management and reporting through a single pane of glass is a major differentiator in this market, which can help us better service and protect our existing clients, acquire new customers and grow our business.”

WatchGuard Cloud is available with Firebox models today. Click here for more information about the platform and how to get started.

Additional Resources:

• WatchGuard Cloud Datasheet
• WatchGuard Cloud eBook
• WatchGuard Cloud Web Demo
• Risk-Based Authentication eBook
• Authentication Risk Assessment Guide
• Firebox Policy Management Datasheet

The post New WatchGuard Cloud Platform Capabilities Usher in the Era of Simplified Security Management for MSPs appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

The long-awaited ARM processor revolution has finally arrived. ARM processors, which started out by conquering mobile devices, suddenly seemed to be an interesting, viable alternative for servers, desktops, and laptops and many companies invested in what was believed to be a surefire future trend in the technology industry. Yet as the years went by, ARM solutions did not fulfil the expectations in this hugely lucrative market. At least not until now.

In 2021, ARM is set to fulfil its potential thanks to the support of Microsoft. This new opportunity will come, according to Bloomberg News, through the effort that the tech giant is making in designing its own ARM processors, chips that are to be used on its servers and cloud infrastructure, as well as in the Surface range of devices.

At Panda Security, a WatchGuard brand, we are aware of just how dynamic the cybersecurity industry is, and that market maturity, pressure from competitors, and cyberthreat evolution has led customers to expect an increasingly perfect response and a truly reliable solution. For this reason, and in our quest to respond and adapt to the needs of businesses and organizations, we have launched a new version of our Endpoint Security portfolio which maximizes the protection and coverage of supported platforms along with many other improvements now available in the XI release of Aether-based cybersecurity solutions for endpoints.

Aether XI release: key benefits

The new version brings a series of new benefits to the Endpoint Security portfolio, including: Adaptive Defense/Adaptive Defense 360​, Endpoint Protection/Endpoint Protection Plus​, Data Control,​ and Encryption​.

–Support for Windows ARM: WatchGuard is a pioneer in offering protection for Windows on ARM

• Our Windows agent can be installed on devices with ARM processors.
• Devices with ARM-based operating systems are displayed on the web console.
• These devices can be identified with filters, through the new ‘Architecture’ field.

–Custom messages in local alerts:

• Customers can display contact details or other information to minimize the impact of certain actions.
• Partners can display promotional or advertising messages.

– Ability to prevent writing to unencrypted storage devices (USB drives):

• New Data Control setting option to enable or disable the policy preventing writing to USB drives if not encrypted with BitLocker.

-‘Authorized Software’ area can be used to proactively and securely circumvent the blocking imposed by our Zero-Trust Application service.

-Support for Big Sur, the latest version of the macOS operating system.

Don’t miss the portfolio of B2B solutions that Panda Security, a WatchGuard brand, offers you. For more details about these new features and the other options that will enable you to strengthen your corporate cybersecurity, you can contact with your usual commercial.

The post Aether XI release delivers protection for Windows on ARM appeared first on Panda Security Mediacenter.

These days, the majority of attacks and exploits take advantage of outdated systems and third party applications, exploiting known vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities that have an update available weeks, or even months before the breach. What’s more, predictions suggest that by 2020, 99% (Gartner) of the vulnerabilities that cause security incidents will be known before the incident takes place, meaning that a timely update will be enough to stop it from happening.

Find out more about Patch Management

Cybersecurity is currently in a situation where the question that needs to be asked isn’t if our organization is going to be the victim of a breach, but when, and how we will be able to detect and respond to the attacker before any serious harm befalls our business.

The risk of being breached by attackers using vulnerabilities – and the possibility that a vulnerability will be the way in for a dreaded zero-day attack – is exacerbated by the difficulty of keeping systems updated. Among these difficulties are the digital transformation; the increase in the complexity and number of vulnerable endpoints, systems, and applications; the decentralization of organizations; and their management on tools that aren’t linked to security systems. If the vulnerabilities found on endpoints are unknown, how are we going to defend them properly?

Taking care of the needs of its clients, and responding to overall market trends, Panda Security presents Panda Patch Management, a solution to manage vulnerabilities and their corresponding updates and patches, both for systems and for hundreds of applications.

Compatible with all endpoint solutions on the Aether management platform, with this launch, Panda Security reaffirms its commitment to incorporating the management of vulnerabilities and patches as an essential part of endpoint security.

Having a solution such as Panda Patch Management is another vital piece in the advanced, flexible security architecture of Panda Adaptive Defense 360. It reinforces not only key prevention capacities, helping to drastically reduce the attack surface on endpoints, but it also facilitates a rapid response, isolating compromised devices and applying updates in real time in just one click from the console of the new management platform, Aether.

“With Panda Patch Management, we’re going beyond maximizing prevention and automated detection, as we have been doing for years with Panda Adaptive Defense 360 and its cloud based, continually evolving machine learning technologies. Organizations need integrated, easy to use management tools, that allow them both to reduce the attack surface opened by vulnerabilities, and to respond to any security incident immediately, patching all vulnerable devices in real time, with just one click, all from a single security and management console,” states Iratxe Vázquez, Product Marketing Manager at Panda Security.

The benefits of Patch Management:

Panda Security’s vulnerability management solution presents numerous advantages:

• Discover, plan, install, and monitor: Provides visibility of endpoint health in real time, in terms of vulnerabilities, patches or pending updates, and unsupported software (EoL).
• Audit, monitor, and prioritize updates on operating systems and applications. Updated in real time, it offers an aggregated visibility of the status of the patches and pending updates for the systems and hundreds of third party applications.
• Prevents incidents, systematically reducing the attack surface created by software vulnerabilities. The management of patches and updates with easy-to-use, real-time management tools that enable organizations to get ahead of vulnerability exploit attacks.
• Contains and mitigates attacks, immediately patching one or several endpoints: The console correlates detected threats and exploits with the uncovered vulnerabilities. Response time is minimized, containing and remediating attacks by pushing out patches immediately from the web console.
• Reduces operating costs: No deployments or updates needed. No effort required as updates are launched remotely from the web console, and it provides immediate visibility of vulnerabilities, updates and EoL applications.
• Helps with compliance with the accountability principle: Many regulations, like GDPR, HIPAA and PCI force organizations to take the appropriate measures to ensure protection of the sensitive data under their control. Panda Patch Management helps you to comply with this obligation.

An evolution of the prevention, detection and response capacities that are so necessary in order to defend your organization from cyberattacks on the endpoint. Strengthen your organization’s security posture with an advanced, adaptive security model, thanks to the advantages that Panda Security’s latest solution has to offer.

Download the data sheet

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In the last few months, we’ve seen many cases of personal data breaches, both from companies and from government organizations. With an average cost of 3.86 million dollars for a data breach, the economic repercussions are significant.  And this figure is likely to increase, since the implementation of GDPR on May 25 and the consequent reporting of data breaches to the pertinent authorities. Given all of this, now is a very good time to protect the personal data that your company manages, to avoid these costs. But, do you really know where it’s stored?

Gemalto has carried out a study of over a thousand IT decision makers in companies worldwide, as well as over 10,000 consumers, to find out the state of data confidence. And the figures are far from encouraging.

The study has revealed that only 54% of companies know where their sensitive personal data is stored. This data includes bank details and physical addresses, among other information, that would mean major problems if it were stolen.  And if a company doesn’t know where its data is, how can if know if it has been exfiltrated? What’s more, how can it know who has access to it? It’s important to remember that theft carried out by malicious insiders is one of the leading causes of these exfiltrations, and without visibility of this data, it’s very difficult to stop it from happening.

These problems when it comes to finding unstructured data could be a question of volume. In fact, 65% of companies collect so much data that they’re unable to categorize or analyze it.  With such a quantity of data, the fact that it is hard to find may be a little less surprising. What’s more, if a company isn’t able to analyze its data, it won’t be aware of the value this data has, or what security measures need to be in place to keep it safe.

Companies don’t adhere to regulations

This year’s data protection regulation par excellence has been the GDPR; but other regulations of this kind have been around for years. Despite the fact that these data protection rules are nothing new, 82% of companies say they have difficulties when it comes to remaining compliant with regulations. What’s more, 68% state that they don’t carry out all the procedures in line with data protection laws. And without these regulations, the risk of suffering a security breach is exponential.

This corporate malpractice is reflected in the level of consumer confidence: only 52% say that they trust organizations to keep their personal data safe. And this figure is even lower for financial institutions: only 41% of consumers believe that they are capable of safeguarding their personal data.

Generalized IT security problems

According to the study, only 48% of IT decision makers believe that the IT security of their company is strong enough to stop an intruder. And what’s more, if a hacker did manage to get into the system, only 43% of heads of IT believe that their company’s data would be safe. This means that there is a very high probability that consumers’ data will be exposed to a hacker.

These statistics clearly demonstrate that there’s still a long way to go when it comes to data security. But, what can be done? With Panda Data Control, the data protection module of Panda Adaptive Defense, you can locate all the unstructured personal data on your company’s endpoints.  This way, you’ll know where this data is. What’s more, it provides visibility about this data, and about the users, employees or collaborators, and the computers or servers who access it.

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How to stay protected without having to renew your subscription

It seems like only yesterday when you installed your Panda Security antivirus protection, and all of a sudden… Oh no! You realize your antivirus protection is about to expire!

Already? How can it be?

Deep inside, you know this is something you have to do if you don’t want to find your computer locked by a nasty virus once again just when you are going to watch Narcos, but, really…

Why should you renew your antivirus subscription?

1. Because hackers have the bad habit of never ceasing to come up with new ways to hijack your identity, files or photos to try and steal your money. So it’s better to keep your computer and software always up to date

via GIPHY

2. Because with the Tuneup feature included in Panda Security’s new product lineup, you can say goodbye to seeing your devices slow down over time.

3. Because the parental controls will help you keep your kids away from inappropriate Internet content.

Plus, there is a simple way to stay protected without having to remind yourself of the need to renew your antivirus subscription. Isn’t it great? All you have to do is click a button the next time you renew your license.
Make sure you select the auto-renewal option when renewing. This way, whenever your subscription expires, it will be automatically renewed and you will remain protected one more year without having to lift a finger.

Plus…. The more you renew with Panda the better conditions you’ll get, as you’ll get bigger and bigger discounts with each renewal to reward your loyalty.

[button link=”http://rshop.pandasecurity.com/cgi-bin/shop/?mode=myaccount&utm_source=mediacenter&utm_medium=smedia&utm_campaign=renewals&utm_content=postgifs&track2=187555″ color=”green1″ icon=”” size=”small”]Renueva mi protección ahora[/button]

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Panda Security’s cybersecurity solutions have been recognized by the independent consultancy Virus Bulletin, which specializes in the prevention, detection, and elimination of malicious software and spam.

The publication, which regularly features analyses of the latest virus threats and evaluations of the leading anti-malware products on the market, has awarded Panda Endpoint Protection the VB100 certificate in the most recent comparative examination of 2016 with Windows 10 Pro.

Panda Security consistently maintains excellent results in the latest tests, placing the Spanish company in a privileged position.

See the complete report with study results here.

Quality Assurance Certification

Windows 10 has become the predetermined OS for Windows launched by Microsoft. There have been various issues which have set off alarm bells for some of the most cautious users.

The first characteristic of Microsoft’s new operating system that we should be aware of is that it has been designed like a cloud service. This means that now, whether you like it or not, you will share more information than ever with Microsoft. Fortunately, there are some things that you can configure to minimize the damage if you consider this to be a threat to your security.

Another of the characteristics of Windows 10 that has caused much debate is the “Advertisement ID”. It is basically a code, a unique identification number, which works like the cookies of a webpage.

For some, the new location options that Microsoft has included may feel invasive. Also potentially invasive is the fact that, as happens with Apple’s Siri or with Google Now, this tool requires access to large quantities of personal information in order to respond to whatever questions a user may ask it.

If this new operating system still hasn’t convinced you, and you’d prefer to keep your information private after installing Windows 10, the most advisable course of action would be to turn to a good cybersecurity solution such as the one offered by Panda Security, compatible with Windows 10 and vouched for by Virus Bulletin.

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We are lately seeing blogs attempting to publicly demonstrate that next-generation protection solutions, like Adaptive Defense, are vulnerable. These proofs of concept aim to demonstrate that there are malicious files that evade detection when reaching a system or attempting to run. The problem with these demonstrations is that the writer expects the malicious files to be stopped before being run. But that’s a mistake, and reveals a clear misunderstanding of this new protection model based on the continuous monitoring of process activities.

To be truly effective, a next-generation solution must provide continuous protection against all types of attacks. This means that it must offer continuous prevention, detection at runtime, visibility into every action taken, and intelligence to block malicious actions such as lateral movements.  It is not enough to provide detection at file level based on a list of malware files. Efficient security means being able to protect systems before, after and during an attack.

The cyber-security ‘war’ goes beyond the ‘battle’ of detecting malicious files when they reach a computer or attempt to run. It will be won by whoever is capable of efficiently, seamlessly and unobtrusively monitoring every process running on devices, blocking those that, despite being apparently and initially harmless, show malicious behaviors. Today’s malware is extremely sophisticated and should never be underestimated. But not ony that…

Protection is not only about detecting threats before, after and during an attack, it is also remediation and prevention.

That’s why a next-generation solution must also include response and remediation capabilities. These products are known in the security sector as EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) solutions, and they incorporate forensic analysis tools capable of tracing every action taken on the endpoint in order to remediate and prevent present and future attacks.

Why past methodologies are no longer effective

Panda Adaptive Defense integrates all of those features into a single Next-Generation protection solution based on continuous monitoring, and which provides prevention, detection, visibility and intelligence to block known and unknown attacks. In addition to continuous monitoring via hundreds of sensors, Adaptive Defense also provides forensic analysis tools for efficient remediation and prevention.

When  you read these proofs of concept, you must understand that they are not real. The fact that a security solution doesn’t detect a file as malware at the time of reaching a system doesn’t mean that it is not efficient. On the contrary, in the particular case of Adaptive Defense, it is perfectly possible that the solution doesn’t detect the file at that time, but it will detect it as soon as it attempts to run, or will monitor and block it during an attack.

Traditional security layers have their place in stopping known attacks or slight variations, but can be defeated by a determined enough adversary, if a malicious file is not classified as malware, it will be allowed to run regardless of the actions it carries out during its life cycle. Adaptive Defense works alongside existing protection to provide businesses with the additional security needed to stop these Advanced Persistent Threats.

Adaptive Defense might also let it run, albeit keeping an eye on it at all times and reporting its activities to our Machine Learning Intelligence platform. This system, which is in constant evolution and correlates data from thousands of endpoints with hundreds of sensors, will determine if the file’s activities constitute malicious behavior, in which case it will prevent it from running. Then, the file will be immediately classified either automatically or by a team of cyber-security experts. This analysis will determine with complete accuracy the nature of the attack. The old model doesn’t provide any of this.

Welcome to the Next-Generation Panda Security!

Know more about Adaptive Defense.

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Panda Security were delighted to attend Computing’s Security Excellence Awards 2016, held in the heart of London on 24^th November, and took home one of the major prizes with Adaptive Defense named best solution against Advanced Persistent Threats.

This first award ceremony from the UK’s leading business technology publication Computing, celebrating achievements of the IT industry’s best security companies, was attended by hundreds of industry notables and disruptors alike.

As well as some mind-melting table magic the audience were amazed by ‘pretty fly’ compère Chris Turner who took suggestions and items from the audience merging them seamlessly into hilarious improv’ raps.

Amongst those handed out on the night, of special note was the award for Advanced Persistent Threat Solution, as stealthy attacks are becoming increasing more common against organisations, requiring solutions to be one step ahead of the game at all times.

Fending off stiff competition in this hotly contested category from Darktrace, Barracuda and Illusive Networks, Panda Security was announced the overall winner with their Adaptive Defense Solution, with the award accepted by Tony Lee, Managing Director of Panda Security UK & Ireland.

The award was judged according to functionality, differentiation and adoption, and the winner Adaptive Defense is just the latest result of innovation from Panda Security designed to work alongside existing security solutions and protect against APTs and other advanced threats such as Ransomware.

For more information on Panda Security’s solutions visit https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/business/

Congratulations to all Finalists and Winners at this first ever Computing Security Excellence Awards, we are excited for next year’s.

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