Norton Protection Blog

So far, we've uncovered some amazing young people during our search for the next cyber heroes! In our third installment of this series....

As Norton's search for Cyber Heroes continues, we'd like you to meet Joseph Garcia.

Meet Zach Latta, a 17-year-old student who started HackEDU to bring coding to high schools across the country.

If you know anything about online security, you know that your phone is even more susceptible to malware than your computer. It gets worse. Once your phone is hacked, your computer can easily be next. That’s because your total online security is only as secure as the weakest link in the chain.

Most people are unaware of the fact that you don’t have to intentionally download a malicious attachment in order to compromise your computer’s security. Malicious websites and drive-by downloads are just two ways that your security can become compromised by doing nothing more than visiting a website.

At the heart of every Norton improvement is you, real people in real-world situations. Take a look at how our commitment to your security has evolved Norton.

Spear phishing isn’t what you do when you’re on vacation in Hawaii. It’s a targeted attack on your personal information. An updated version of the old trick “phishing,” where scam artists simply ask you for your password or other private information, spear phishing takes this trick to the next level, using social engineering. Before you respond to that email asking for you to verify your address or other personal information, read this article to protect yourself against spear phishing.

Last year was a banner year for cybercriminals and hackers, as there were increases in some of the most dangerous threats on the Internet landscape. Over 317 million new pieces of malware was created in 2014, which equals about 1 million new threats being released on a daily basis. If you’re not scared stiff yet, continue reading.

We’ve previously explained the different types of malware that are prevalent on the threat landscape, which begs the question: How does malware get onto my computer?

While jailbreaking an iPhone seems to open up the device to limitless possibilities, it is actually, in fact, a large security risk for your phone. Jailbreaking can allow users to bypass many iOS restrictions they might consider limiting, such as being only able to download apps from the Apple iOS App Store and other types of personal customizations of the device. However, this also means that cybercriminals have access to a much larger security hole to attack the device. 

The hottest new trend on the Internet isn’t a new social network or app. It’s things. Dubbed “The Internet of Things”  it refers to any object you can connect to with the Internet. These "things" include an array of devices and even systems. Either way, the Internet of Things promises to connect more devices than ever before.

As more of what we do online grows, so does the need for cyber security professionals. Now that everything is connected, criminals are shifting their focus to the Internet landscape, utilizing social engineering and other types of scams to obtain financial and personal data from unsuspecting victims.

"Digital Citizenship" is the umbrella term used to describe the expectations of a digital citizen. If you use the Internet on a regular basis, you are a digital citizen! Just like being a citizen in the physical world, a lot of the same rules apply when you are a citizen of the digital world.

Here are eight elements that embody what it takes to be a good digital citizen:

Digital commerce:

While organizations may have some of the best security in the world protecting their information, there are people who are in charge of creating and handling that information.. Because people’s brains are impossible to secure via software, social engineering plays a key role in allowing cybercriminals to bypass computers and security software to commit acts of cyber espionage.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and we love participating, as it is a way to help further educate everyone about staying safe on the Internet. To kick off the first week, we’re going to give you a crash course in basic cyber security 101. A lot of these topics will come up over the next month, so let’s make sure everyone knows what they mean.

It’s another year and another shiny new iOS for all to enjoy! Apple hits the mark on all the usual exciting, fun enhancements such as a more intelligent Siri, and those new Emojis we’ve all been waiting for.

As a Norton customer, you are always entitled to download the latest version of your Norton product for free during your service period. Existing customers are also entitled to receive free support at http://support.norton.com.

Beginning this month, we will begin automatically updating customers with a new PC client that provides the best usability, performance and protection that we offer to-date. We’re rolling these updates out to users over the next several months, however, you have an opportunity to get these features now.

Ransomware is a form of malware that will lock files on a computer using encryption. Encryption converts files into another format, like a secret code and can only be decoded by a specific decryption key.

Types of Ransomware

Ransomware can present itself in two forms.

Symantec Maximum Repair (SMR) is a brand new security engine that drives our new Norton Power Eraser recovery tool. It combines aggressive heuristics and advanced removal capabilities to combat the newest and toughest threats. I thought I would share with you some of the background on why we developed this new engine.

Why the need?

College is a whole new world. Between the excitement of living on your own, meeting new, interesting people, and picking out classes you actually care about, there are some equally important things to consider while embracing your full-fledged independence.

You’re learning how to drive, looking into potential colleges, getting your first “real” girlfriend or boyfriend, going to dances, parties, making new friends and having fun!  With all of this newfound independence comes amazing new adventures and experiences in your life. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement, but, along with all of your academic studies and extra curricular activities, an education in cyber security can help keep you safe while you keep exploring.

The Internet can be a place of endless wonders. It’s where you learn, talk, shop, and play. Still, the Internet is just like anything else in life- there are important rules that everyone should follow in order to make sure they stay safe while online.

Since most of what we do is now online, from shopping for food to paying bills, the global economy is taking a digital shift. It’s only natural for criminals to follow suit. As criminals consider the economics of what they do, they recognize cybercrime as one of the quickest ways for them to make money. For a hacker, extortion is an easy way to monetize stolen information and provides the shortest path from cybercrime to cash.

Just like everyone else, we’re excited about Windows 10 this year. We particularly look forward to new security improvements that Microsoft brings to Windows with each new release. While this may sound like a strange position for a security company to take, the reason why we welcome these improvements is that every security improvement, no matter how big or small, is bad for hackers and criminals and good for consumers.  Like the majority of customers in the market, we’re also customers of Microsoft Windows and we recognize that Microsoft Windows is an attractive target for criminals.

Even with all of the new features, Microsoft Windows’ “attack surface” continues to grow with each new release. Microsoft-developed security improvements and features can play an important role in helping to reduce the attack surface of each new Windows release.

According to the credit reporting firm Experian, the average Internet user has about 19 different online accounts, for which they only have seven different passwords. In addition, one in ten users never change their online passwords, and one in 20 uses the same passwords for all of their online accounts.

When you think of espionage, characters like James Bond might come to mind- having to travel halfway around the world, pretending to be someone they’re not, infiltrating organizations and stealing secrets. Even though James Bond is just a fictional character, old school spies like that do exist. However, with the advancement of all of our data becoming digitized, we’re quickly becoming introduced to the new school version of spies- cyber spies.

Cybercrime is on the rise, and although it may seem like it is faceless crime, it is not. “In Search Of The Most Dangerous Town On The Internet” takes a deep, personal look into the real world of cybercrime.

The IRS has announced that it will be notifying taxpayers after third parties gained unauthorized access to information on about 100,000 accounts through the “Get Transcript” online application. You can view more about the breach via a statement on the IRS’s website.

I recently explained how the Smart Scheduler feature in Norton 360 works to stay out of your way in deciding when to run tasks. The scheduler is so effective that it's common for users to wonder if we're ever performing scans. Neil Rubenking even noted in his PC Magazine review of Norton 360 that "It's so quiet you might begin to wonder if it's doing anything at all."

The headlines are all too familiar: “Retail Giant Reports Massive Data Breach,” “Russian Gang Amasses Billions of Web Credentials.” Despite the increase in threats, we are moving more and more of our lives on line: from sensitive health and financial data, to precious photos and daily shopping. To complicate matters, our digital lives don’t just reside on a desktop but on multiple devices and platforms. Too many of us remain vulnerable to advanced threats. If we want to free ourselves to take full advantage of our amazing digital, interconnected world, we need to secure ourselves.

We live in a world where we’re constantly connected, including our kids. While the Internet can be an invaluable resource for your child in many ways, it’s nearly impossible to be aware of your child’s online activities all of the time. Of course, you want to educate your child and help them learn about safety and responsibility online, but in today’s busy world, it isn’t always easy to find the time

Spring has finally sprung, and it’s that time of year where a lot of us clean, organize, and simplify our lives. What a lot of people don’t realize is the importance of applying those principles to our digital data as well. We collect, organize and store the things in our lives that are important to us (just ask anyone with a garage).Many of those things packed away in those special storage spaces would be devastating to lose..

Top 5 Tips To Protect Your Identity On Campus

A computer virus, much like a flu virus, is designed to spread from host to host and has the ability to replicate itself. Similarly, in the same way that viruses cannot reproduce without a host cell, computer viruses cannot reproduce and spread without programming such as a file or document.

Tidy Up Your Digital Life

It’s time to delete those digital dust bunnies – that includes programs you don’t use and unimportant files littering your desktop. Here are a few quick tips to get started:

Today’s gaming consoles are independent computers, but they are not yet at the stage where they are susceptible to malware in the same way PCs and other devices are. Even though the consoles are resistant to malware for the time being, there are still ways that cybercriminals will try to gain access to your valuable gaming accounts.

In other posts, we’ve explained the different types of malware on the threat landscape, and some of the less complicated ways your computer can become infected with malware. In this article we’ll talk about the more complicated types of attacks that cybercriminals use to try to get your information.

We talk about software vulnerabilities a lot, and the human versions of those are our emotions. When people are faced with frightening scenarios, their first impulse is to act first and think later. This is the exact “vulnerability” that social engineers depend upon for a successful attack.

Mobile devices are central to the way people experience concerts, events and festivals. From snapping photos, sharing via social networks, to interactive event apps that enhance the experience. Yet, as the role of smartphones expands, so do the security risks. If you're a connected fan, practice good online security habits with these tips:

Online Security at Events

Mobile devices are central to the way people experience concerts, events and festivals. From snapping photos, sharing via social networks, to interactive event apps that enhance the experience. Yet, as the role of smartphones expands, so do the security risks. If you're a connected fan, practice good online security habits with these tips:

Online Security at Events

What is a software vulnerability?

In the world of cyber security, vulnerabilities are unintended flaws found in software programs or operating systems. Vulnerabilities can be the result of improper computer or security configurations and programming errors. If left unaddressed, vulnerabilities create security holes that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Why do vulnerabilities pose security risks?

Norton was presented with the Innovation Award for Norton Mobile Security’s App Advisor for Google Play from AV-TEST during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, because of the unique innovation that has helped provide the next level of mobile protection for the changing digital security landscape.

In busy towns and congested cities, ridesharing apps are quickly becoming all the rage. They’re a new and interesting marriage of technology and commuting that helps us keep up with this “always on” lifestyle. However, they’re also kicking up quite the controversy over how companies handle our real-time location data and overall privacy.

You may have heard in the news recently that an Internet crime group, Carbanak, stole up to one billion USD by targeting the institutions themselves rather than individual customers. They transferred funds to controlled accounts and hacked ATMs via SMS messaging over the last two years. Cyber security experts at Symantec have been tracking Carbanak for some time now.