Stories about: AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd

The prevalence with which hackers are handing out headaches to IT security pros will have a big upside for vendors in the coming year, according to new figures from Canalys.

Security and antivirus software vendor Webroot has thrown the proverbial gauntlet down to its competitors with the launch of its new consumer-level protection software, SecureAnywhere. The new software is almost entirely based in the cloud and requires only a very small software footprint on consumers' computers, freeing up the system resources often hogged by traditional anti-malware, firewall and anti-virus products.

Malwarebytes this fall expects to release an enterprise-grade anti-malware platform that it says doesn't compete directly with traditional antivirus software because it relies more on observing how the malware acts and less on seeking code signatures.

Malicious software is leaping from PCs to cell phones, as malware makers target the platform in hopes of making a quick buck. Examples include the infected Droid­Dream and Plankton Android apps. An infected app released into the Android Market can infect several thousand users’ phones before anyone discovers the presence of the malware. Though the extent of Android malware has been overstated, it's best to learn now how to protect yourself and your data from attacks, instead of waiting until mobile malware becomes a more serious problem.

Facebook scams are popping up from people looking to exploit Friday's bombing and shootings in Norway. Users should be careful not to click on links they are not familiar with.

The in-house reputation system used in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 is markedly superior at blocking social-engineering attacks than the Google equivalent used by Chrome, Firefox, Apple's Safari, an independent test by NSS Labs has found.

I enjoy being the tech hero. Relatives and friends come to me with their computer problems, and more often than not, I help them. Their problem gets solved, and my ego goes up a notch. (I can vouch for that last one. --Ed.)

Without doubt, there is a core set of applications and tools you need on all PCs, whether it's your own machine or those of users. That set typically includes one or more Web browsers along with messaging, media and imaging utilities, and runtimes for subsystems such as Java, Flash and Air.

Android phones are extremely practical devices, properly wielded: You can use them to cut the time required to do many tasks, such as checking and responding to your e-mail. But your phone's power could become a devastating weapon used against you if your handset is lost, stolen, or compromised by malware. Although you can avoid many problems by following basic security precautions, it's also wise to install an app like AVG Anti-Virus Free (Pro version $5). The AVG app provides continual, automatically updated protection against rapidly evolving Android security threats. It also offers some useful tools, such as data backup, remote phone tracking, and remote wipe.

AVG has launched AVG Mobilation for Android which the company is promoting as the world's first security app specifically designed for Android tablets.