Author Archives: Avast Blog

The essential guide to ransomware and how to protect yourself

Cybersecurity is a major concern in today’s world, both at the corporate and personal levels. Our computers, our handheld devices, and our smart home and IoT products are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. In 2017 alone, Avast blocked 35 billion security attacks against PCs and 208 million against Android mobile devices. What was one of the biggest security threats? Ransomware.

Headed to South Korea for the Olympics? Pack your internet savvy

As the gargantuan crowd gathers in South Korea for the XXIII Winter Olympic games, the whole world will be watching. Of course, just like any large, multi-national event, there will be security concerns and challenges. According to US government offici…

Protect yourself from cryptojacking

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It’s staggering to realize that Bitcoin, the very first cryptocurrency, splashed onto the scene almost a decade ago. It’s only been over this past year that digital coinage has really gained its tremendous popularity. As of January 2018, there are well over one thousand varieties of cryptocurrency in circulation — Bitcoin, Monero, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, IOTA and many more.

Botnet at large: Avast blocks Smominru miner

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The good news is that Avast users are protected against cryptomining, which includes the current threat terrorizing the world’s Windows servers and computers. The Smominru botnet has torn through hundreds of thousands of servers and computers alike, hijacking their CPU power to mine the cryptocurrency Monero. ZDNet reports that the Smominru botnet mines 24 Monero ($8,500) a day, with a net total to date of 8,900 Monero ($2.8M – $3.6M).

2018 Resolution: Keep Your Tech, and Yourself, Up to Date

As we enter 2018, I encourage everyone to include a simple resolution on their list: make sure you are well-informed about the technology you use, and avoid getting swept up in false narratives and exaggerated claims about its dangers. Let me be clear: there are genuine threats, but they don’t come from the technology itself. As I always say, technology is agnostic. The dangers come from the bad actors that are willing to use any tool at their disposal, including those in cyberspace, to do harm. Our real target should be combating these forces, not demonizing this or that latest technological development. Education about the realities of our digital world is the best antidote against misplaced fears. And, conveniently, it is also the best way to inoculate ourselves against the security issues that technology does indeed pose.

Central Illinois MSP gains edge in security threat battle using Managed Workplace

The customer
Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, Advanced Technology Services (ATS) has been providing IT and managed services for some of the largest brands in the U.S., Mexico, and United Kingdom since 1985. In addition to global enterprises, ATS als…

Looking ahead: 9 threat trends in 2018

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Cyberattacks are continuing to increase in number and severity every year, and 2018 will be no exception. We believe that many of the threats we observed in 2017 will, unfortunately, appear in evolved forms this year to continue threatening our busines…

Arenavision mines cryptocurrency Monero using visitors’ browsers without their knowledge

A popular site used to stream sporting events such as soccer, basketball, and tennis is mining the Monero cryptocurrency using CoinHive, without site visitors’ permission. The site, arenavision[dot]in, is mostly visited by Spanish users, followed by Portuguese, and Mexican users, according to Alexa.

Avast Business Endpoint Protection: A Closer Look At Our VPN Solution for SMBs

Data Privacy Day will be celebrated across the globe on Sunday.  This is a great time to emphasize the role our channel partners and business customers play in ensuring that employees can work safely, securely and privately online.

Online privacy: this is a conversation we all need to have

Ten years ago, the first Data Privacy Day was held in the US and Canada on January 28. Since then, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has commemorated it every year with online privacy awareness efforts aimed at both consumers and businesses. With the recent loss of net neutrality in the United States, this year’s Data Privacy Day takes on greater significance.