AVG Technologies is launching AVG LinkScanner as a free standalone product to protect users against random, invisible online threats.

Everyday two million web pages are poisoned by hidden threats and 60 percent of those threats shut down or move to a different destination on the web making real-time link scanning crucial. Any type of site can be affected and if a user simply visits one of these poisoned web pages they don’t even need to click on anything to get into real trouble, to lose their credit card details, their ID or other valuable information or files. Regular anti-virus software alone cannot protect against this type of threat.

AVG LinkScanner gives users an additional real-time layer of protection apart from their existing security software. It works by looking at the web page behind a link or a web address typed into a browser and analyzing whether it harbors a threat. If it does, then AVG LinkScanner stops the user from downloading that page.  This means that Windows XP and Vista users can now know whether it is safe to click on a link when they click on it.

AVG LinkScanner also applies this targeted analysis of web pages to search results from Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Whenever users search using these search engines, they will see safety rankings for all ‘organic’ search results. In addition, the AVG LinkScanner will scan your bookmarks as well as links contained in instant messages and emails before you open them to ensure they are safe.

AVG LinkScanner’s ability to analyze web links in real time enables AVG to deliver more accurate and relevant protection than other safe-surfing solutions. AVG LinkScanner analyzes individual pages on a web site to generate a rating for those pages.

“The Web has become the primary distribution mechanism for viruses (and other malware), drive-by downloads and other stealthy web threats which represent vast majority of attacks,” said AVG Technologies CTO Karel Obluk. “So we’ve evolved our product range to put greater emphasis on combating this more insidious and dangerous form of attack. AVG LinkScanner is at the front line of this additional protective layer. It’s our goal, by making this layer freely available, to give users the confidence to always feel safe when they go online.”

AVG’s “neighborhood watch” approach to AVG LinkScanner research also increases the product’s ability to provide relevant protection to users – putting the protection where users actually go and when they go there, rather than trying to map and secure the entire Internet.

The software is free for use on any personal home computer for non-commercial purposes. It can be downloaded from http://linkscanner.avg.com . Support is available through a free online forum hosted by AVG at http://freeforum.avg.com

AVG LinkScanner runs under all current versions of Windows XP and Vista, both 32- and 64-bit. The software is compatible with all major security software and with Internet Explorer 6 or later and Firefox 2 or later browsers and is available in English.

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AVG Technologies, developers of the free anti-virus software has announced the availability of its various anti-virus suites in several large format retail stores in India. Operating in India through distributor, Milestone Interactive, AVG Technologies has made its products available at retail outlets such as Croma, HyperCITY, Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, Landmark and P3.

AVG’s Internet Security will be made available at Rs. 1,999 for 1 user and Rs. 2,499 for 3 users, while the basic Anti-Virus package will be made available at a price of Rs. 999. AVG is also offering a unique product in Identity Protection – you can surf, search, bank, pay bills, shop and play online – safely – at a price of Rs. 499.

“The Indian customer is amongst the most tech-savvy in the world. In order to suit their needs we have developed a product range that uses groundbreaking technology to protect one’s PC while utilizing minimal resources, thus delivering value for money. And now, we have made this effective product range come within the grasp of millions of Indian consumers by harnessing the reach of these large format retail stores,” said Peter Baxter, Vice President – Business Development, AVG Technologies.

Jayant Sharma – Chairman and CEO of Milestone Interactive Group said, “It is essential for us to make AVG’s anti-virus products range easily available to our target consumers and LFRs offer us an ideal platform to present the range in a suitable manner. Additionally, these stores are very particular about their merchandize and insist on stocking only the latest and the best technology products. I am glad that AVG products compliment this desire.”

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Spyware is a general term used to describe software that performs certain behaviors, generally without appropriately obtaining your consent first, such as:
•Advertising
•Collecting personal information
•Changing the configuration of your computer

Spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements (called adware) or software that tracks personal or sensitive information.

Trading tracking for services
That does not mean all software that provides ads or tracks your online activities is bad. For example, you might sign up for a free music service, but you “pay” for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads. If you understand the terms and agree to them, you may have decided that it is a fair tradeoff. You might also agree to let the company track your online activities to determine which ads to show you.

What spyware does
Other kinds of spyware make changes to your computer that can be annoying and can cause your computer slow down or crash.

These programs can change your Web browser’s home page or search page, or add additional components to your browser you don’t need or want. They also make it very difficult for you to change your settings back to the way you had them.

Know what you’re installing
The key in all cases is whether or not you (or someone who uses your computer) understand what the software will do and have agreed to install the software on your computer.
A common trick is to covertly install the software during the installation of other software you want such as a music or video file sharing program.

Whenever you install something on your computer, make sure you carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement. Sometimes the inclusion of unwanted software in a given software installation is documented, but it might appear at the end of a license agreement or privacy statement.

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Symantec has announced the release of Norton 360 version 3.0, all-in-one security solution for consumers’ PC and all their online activities in India.

This latest version of Norton 360 extends protection to online activities with the full-featured version of the new Web site ratings service, Norton Safe Web.

Norton Safe Web, a web site rating service, is designed to extend protection to the users’ online experience – whether browsing, searching, shopping or interacting. Norton Safe Web leverages  targeted crawling, a unique Intelligent Aging Algorithm and the 20 million member Norton Community Watch. In addition, Norton Safe Web also extends protection by providing ecommerce safety ratings that enable users to make informed decisions about whether to conduct a transaction with an online vendor.

“Norton 360 has become one of Symantec’s most popular consumer offerings in just two years due to the all-in-one convenience it delivers and the solutions value we have built directly into the suite,” said Gaurav Kanwal, Country Sales Manager, India, Consumer Products and Solutions. “With version 3.0, we are combining the unmatched performance of our 2009 security products with Norton Safe Web to create even more convenience and value for our customers.”

Norton 360 version 3.0 has an average install of approximately one minute and uses less than 10MB of memory. The latest version includes all of the performance and security enhancements of Norton Internet Security 2009, such as Norton Insight and pulse updates that result in intelligent scanning and the industry’s most frequent protection updates.

In addition to technologies like Norton Insight, Norton 360 includes Norton Identity Safe, which securely manages online identities, stores usernames and passwords for convenient online shopping, banking and browsing, and prevents eavesdropping programs such as keyloggers from capturing private information.

Norton Backup Drive enables users to manage backup through the Windows Explorer interface, while Backup Source Selection and File Type Management provide maximum flexibility. In addition, users can backup files to multiple destinations such as USB flash drives, iPods, CD/DVDs, Blu-ray media or secured online storage.

Smart Startup Manager turns off or delays unnecessary programs that slow startup time. It notifies users about new start-up items and measures the performance impact of each item. Norton 360 Version 3.0 also provides an enhanced Diagnostic Report showing a comprehensive system snapshot with recommended tips to keep the PC running at its best.

It now features free web, email, chat or phone support for a period of one year. Additionally, users can access One-Click Support to get help immediately and directly from the product’s interface.

Norton 360 version 3.0 will be available for purchase through the Symantec online store at http://www.symantecstore.com/sg. It will be available for purchase at various retail locations from mid-April 2009.

The standard edition of Norton 360 includes 2GB of secured online storage, and additional online storage can be purchased. Current Norton 360 customers with an active subscription can receive an update with the new features at no additional charge by visiting the Norton Update Centre at www.symantec.com/nuc. Additionally, Symantec has been testing Norton 360 version 3.0 to be compatible with Windows 7, and Norton 360 customers will be eligible to receive a free online update for Windows 7 after the final version of the operating system is made available.

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