Norton Protection Blog

With the wealth of information available online, this makes it easier for Cyberstalkers to gain access to their victims. Read on to learn about ways to keep your personal information hidden from unwanted eyes.

Identity theft is a growing threat on the Internet landscape. 9 million identities are stolen in the US every year. Learn how to protect yourself from becoming one of those 9 million.

Phishing scams have one objective- gaining access to your money. Cybercriminials are always trying different tactics to try to trick you out of your personal information. Read on to learn how to spot a scam and protect yourself against scams and spyware.

Strong, secure passwords are one thing that stands between you and a potential data breach. Here are some tips on how to make your passwords more secure and ways to manage them all.

Introducing the New Norton. Norton Security has combined our greatest features into one, all-inclusive, easy to use product. Offering you complete protection against threats in today's cyber landscape.

We're sure you've heard about the multitude of celebrity photos that were leaked from iCloud accounts. Read on to find out how it was done, and how you can secure your own iCloud account to make sure something like that doesn't happen to you.

A new Android vulnerability, which could allow attackers to view open Web pages on the victim’s Android Web browser or hijack their online accounts, has recently been uncovered, and may impact an estimated 75 percent of android users.  

You may not always be aware of the multitude of threats out on the Internet. Read on to find out how to keep yourself protected from lesser known threats lurking on the Internet landscape.

Introducing the new Norton Security. At Norton, we understand that as a busy family in today's connected world, you don't have a lot of time to spend researching Internet Security. That's why we've created the new Norton Security. One comprehensive product, that protects all of your devices. 

Certainly there has been quite a bit of buzz over Apple's latest product announcements. We've taken a look at all of the new technology so you know how to stay safe while you play with your shiny new Apple toys!

There have been several high-profile data breaches impacting millions of consumers in the past year. And along with the details come the constant reminder to be vigilant. Consumer security expert Gerry Egan says awareness is key, but so is understanding what the thieves are after, so you can make it harder for them to win.

Egan answers some commonly asked questions about shopping and credit card safety:

Mac users may not be aware that their computers are more susceptible than they realize to the threats of malware and viruses. Read on to learn about the threats you should be aware of, even though you’re on a Mac. 

The New York Times has reported the largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials by a Russian crime ring.

We are sure you’ve seen them lurking in your news feeds- breaking news reporting a celebrity’s death, photos of natural disasters striking major cities, video footage of riots and outrage over an accidental shooting- all seemingly legitimate news stories. However, this “news” may not be what it seems.

In today’s fast-paced world, you can be sure that most universities have gone digital. As a result, more students are saving their important papers on their computers and external hard drives. However, from what I’ve seen, that’s about as far as most students go to safeguard their work.

Just because an app is in the Google Play Store doesn’t mean that it is a legitimate app. Google is constantly removing fraudulent apps from the Android marketplace, such as fake antivirus, browsers, and games. 

Children today can access more information than any generation before. Because of the Internet they now have a wealth of information that can enrich their lives in new and wondrous ways. But the Internet also has the potential to harm us, and the people we love. Too often we read about another company falling victim to a cyber attack, or a friend’s email or social network account being hacked. These dangers are real.

Technology and education now go together more closely than ever, with laptops and tablets now regular sights in classrooms. The range of educational apps in both the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store is huge and growing all the time, and the cloud has made it possible to learn across multiple devices with ease.

Modern day computer virus origins may surprise you- their goals were not quite the same as they are today.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security reported that around 600 businesses fell prey to a Point of Sale malware, called “Backoff”, that steals customer payment details through remote access applications. Most of the businesses affected were small, independent brick-and-mortar retailers, but some larger chains were impacted as well. The scope of the attacks could widen as more affected businesses are discovered.

Recently, Symantec Security Response experts conducted an in-depth study on wearable health tracking devices and apps and found that there were multiple vulnerabilities with these devices, which hackers could exploit to gain access to your personal information. 

Mobile security firm, BlueBox has detected a security bug, dubbed, “Fake ID”, in all Android operating systems (OS) beyond version 2.1. This vulnerability could allow hackers to steal personal information, such as passwords or financial information, from Android users by creating an app that uses fake security credentials to access other apps on a user’s device.

Today marks the 15th annual System Administrator Appreciation Day, and Norton wishes all those who keep our world of information up and running a big thank you and much deserved rock star recognition. To celebrate the day here are a few of the top reasons to say thanks.

Thank your SysAdmin on System Adminstrator Appreciation Day!

As reported by BBC, scammers are capitalizing on the destruction of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 via social media posts promising video footage of the incident. Instead, these posts are linking social media users to spam or offensive content.

Obesity is a known topic of conversation in the United States, with one in three U.S. adults being categorized as overweight. Most of us have come across posts claiming to promote a new weight loss "miracle" in our online experiences. Healthcare experts are constantly reporting that there is "no such thing" as a miracle diet, but, much like a fabled lake monster, or a giant hairy beast in the woods, legends die hard.

Social media is a hugely important tool for growing your business’s brand, and the last thing you want to do is expose your customers to spam. Yet we’ve all seen it: the tweet promising thousands of new followers or the Facebook post teasing a way to lose weight or earn easy money – of course only if you’ll click on a link. It’s an issue that’s not going away any time soon, and it must be handled in the right way.

New research from Symantec uncovering a cyber-espionage campaign that has affected 1,018 unique organizations across 84 different countries has demonstrated the impact of sophisticated phishing attacks and watering hole techniques.

In a small business, your top priority when dealing with customers is trust. Recent high-profile security breaches have eroded consumer confidence, and it’s more important than ever to reassure your customers that they’re safe shopping with you.

Symantec security expert, Candid Wueest, investigates the security implications of Amazon's new Fire Phone. For the original article, and to catch the latest security intelligence information, check out Symantec's Security Response blog: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/will-amazon-s-fire-phone-burn-users

Fans around the globe have all eyes on epic soccer matchups cheering for wins and grimacing at errors. One error off the field has also been receiving attention – the World Cup Security Center’s Wi-Fi password reveal.

The last few years have been all about BYOD – or bring your own device – an IT revolution that freed employees from the shackles of dated or unsuitable hardware in favor of, well, whatever they wanted to use. The benefits are obvious: most employees have their own computers at home and know how to use them, so they can spend more time getting down to business and less time trying to work out why this application doesn’t have that feature.

Small Businesses (SBs) often experience a greater risk from hackers, malware and other security threats.

You can’t always keep track of what your children are doing online. For the most part it will be harmless fun, but there’s always the danger that they could stumble into areas they shouldn’t without realizing. Unfortunately, those areas can be the most innocent-seeming ones, such as social networking or mobile apps.

Today's social media is a crucial tool for business,  Companies that use Twitter, Facebook and other tools in an organised and efficient manner can achieve incredible engagement for relatively little cost, and (with a healthy dose of good fortune) a strong social media campaign can take off around the world and do more for brand recognition than traditional advertising.

Summer’s finally here, so whether you intend to take a picnic to the park, play with the children in the garden or jet off to somewhere even sunnier, some simple precautions will keep you and your devices safe this summer.

Watch your devices

We’re always hearing about the connected future, an “Internet of Things” (IoT) where our smartphones and tablets are joined online by ever more devices: cameras, TVs, microwaves and fridges, even baby monitors. It sounds great, but every one of those internet-connected devices is another security concern, as Symantec’s 2014 Internet Security Threat Report demonstrates only too clearly.

Claire Dean, Sr. Director of Global Marketing for Norton Zone, took a moment to address customer questions and concerns regarding the recent decision to remove Norton Zone from Norton's product line-up. 

Norton is dedicated to empowering you to Go Boldly, Not Blindly, in every aspect of your life. We want you to take on all the world has to offer. That’s why over the next 5 weeks, we’re celebrating the ones with tremendous goals and the ones who never stop seeking more. The ones who Boldly Go.

Here’s how it works, 3 simple steps to enter to win:

It’s Father’s Day once more on June 15th, but this isn’t any old Father’s Day – this one might as well have every dad’s birthday and Christmas Day rolled in as well. Yes, Father’s Day in 2014 falls right at the start of the World Cup in Brazil and on the final day of the US Open golf championship, which makes it all the more likely that dad will be settling down in his armchair to enjoy that new Smart TV he’s had his eye on.

We all know that the Internet can house all kinds of cyber scams and exploits, but did you know that certain kinds of websites are statistically more likely to host malware than others? You might think avoiding the obviously dodgy corners of the Internet is enough, but in fact approximately 67 percent of websites used to distribute malware are legitimate but compromised sites. You could be visiting them every day.

Consumers often shun software with even modest price tags in favor of the next tempting giveaway. But stop and think for a second and it’s pretty obvious these free downloads can’t really cost nothing, or the skilled people who make them wouldn’t be able to earn a living. No, free rarely means free, and you should always be wary of downloading more than you expected.

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Malware apps

Mobile apps have transformed the way we interact with our smartphones and tablets. If you’re looking for a quick way to access your bank accounts, a tool to make you more productive while on the move, or a game to help pass the time while you’re waiting for a bus, there’s an app for that.

There’s no doubt that technology has made many areas of our lives simpler. We can now access files from any device, anywhere, and we can take full advantage of fast internet speeds to do things that weren’t possible just a few years ago. But as we use more technology, that simplicity can be eroded as our devices demand monthly, weekly, even daily updates.

Are you doing enough to keep your information safe? With today’s sophisticated cyber threats you need more than just traditional antivirus (AV) software to stay protected. AV software can prevent, detect and remove malicious computer programs, and while more traditional viruses and email spam still exist, people now have more complex threats to worry about – and more important information to protect. 

Information security is more important than ever when it comes to safeguarding small business. According to the Symantec Internet Security Threat Report a noteworthy 30% of all spear-phishing attacks were aimed at small businesses in 2013, while one in five small businesses received at least one targeted spear-phishing email. In 2014, we identified a few technology trends that will have a direct impact on small businesses and the way they protect business critical information.

Some media outlets are sounding the alarm about the recently discovered Covert Redirect flaw in OAuth and OpenID being “the next Heartbleed.” Symantec experts have assured people that it’s not.

What is Heartbleed? Symantec is continuing to track this OpenSSL bug discovered recently and its implications for consumers. Symantec has created a site devoted to Heartbleed for further information.

Watch to learn more:

How safe was your family online in the last year? According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report 2014, they weren’t as safe as you might think.