Panda Security Insight

Over the last few days we have been presenting in Spain the results of a survey we carried out from January to May asking parents (with children up to 18 years old) and teenagers-youngsters (up to 20 years old) about their Internet browsing habits. This study is part of a campaign we have been carrying out in various countries over the last two years.

Once again, and despite the awareness and education campaigns conducted by security companies and other entities, the study has revealed some surprising facts:

• 1 in 3 teenagers has met a stranger on the Internet, even though 30% consider it dangerous.
• 99% of young people in the survey use some social networking site or some kind or direct communication system on the Internet. Only 47% of parents are aware that their children visit these websites, and in many cases they don’t know exactly which ones they are or what their children’s profiles are.
• There is a general sense of security among parents (72% of them claim to know how to stay protected) and children (83% of them say they feel safe on the Web). Only 44% of children in the survey say they have received information about how to use the Internet safely. This contradicts parents’ responses, as 79% of them say they have discussed Internet security issues with their children.
• Parents and children agree that the Internet’s greatest dangers are contact from strangers, followed by viruses and data theft.

Even though some months have passed since we released these videos, they are still perfectly valid to illustrate the reality we are facing http://vimeo.com/3721066 and http://vimeo.com/3722519

The debate is mainly focused on the way social networking sites are used, and their risks. In my opinion it is a mistake to think of the Internet as something “evil”. The Internet is a fantastic tool that opens up a world of possibilities, and as such there is no doubt that it will gradually become a more extensive part of our lives. Nevertheless it is important to take some basic precautions when using it. Social networking sites are fun and a great way of socializing and staying in touch with people. However, we cannot ignore the fact that they can also pose a series of threats:

• Risks and threats to data privacy and integrity. This greatly depends on the security awareness and education of minors (and adults as well).
• Security flaws:  The hackers’ favorite target to spread their creations and to attack databases and exploit platform vulnerabilities to get private data and take advantage of it.
• Identity theft.
• Sometimes we forget the fact that we are actually exposing our private lives on the Web: personal information revealed, online or offline targeted attacks (E.g. FourSquare) or theft of data for distribution (E.g. Pictures of celebrities that sometimes end up in the media).

As security awareness increases the situation will improve. From Panda and all the security forums we participate in we will keep asking for collaboration from both private and public institutions to inform about the risks (and benefits) of these tools. 

Luckily, the new generations are growing up “digital”. They have made the use of computers part of their everyday lives so it shouldn’t be difficult to incorporate computer security issues into their learning processes. It is just a question of all parties involved -parents, teachers, companies and public institutions- taking the issue seriously.  It is worth for them… and for us who are responsible for their education and protection.

Tweet This Post 

Uncategorized

Just over a year ago, coinciding with the launch of the first Beta version of Panda Cloud Antivirus,  I wrote a post about the freemium business model. This launch had a major impact on the market, largely because, in addition to being the first cloud-based antivirus, Panda Security was a company with a traditional business model ‘daring’ to offer a free solution. 

Back then I explained the reasoning behind our ‘Free’ strategy.  And one year on, what was then just a theory, has become a reality, and our decision to go with this solution has helped us in many ways:

a)      Our brand recognition has increased considerably, thanks to the launch of a pioneering and revolutionary product which, in addition, is free.

b)      We have a large user community taking advantage of our product, who increasingly help to improve it and prescribe it to others.

c)       Thanks to this strategy, Collective Intelligence, our automatic system for detecting, scanning and disinfecting new malware, has benefited enormously. It now receives more knowledge from an enlarged user community, and this in turn has positive repercussions for the protection delivered to clients and users of other Panda solutions.

I also said at the time that such a model is only sustainable if there is a monetization strategy behind it, albeit one in which the return on investment is over a longer term. Now is the time to take the next step. We are now immersed in the launch of Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro, a pay version that will allow us to continue advancing our strategy of providing free security for all users who want it, as well as offering additional functionality for those who want to buy the Pro version.  

A year ago we were convinced that the sector would evolve in this direction. And now the data confirms this: Morgan Stanley has recently published a report indicating, on the basis of a study carried out in the United States, that 46% of home users use free security solutions (and an additional 13% intend to “switch to free” when their license expires in the coming months). 

IT security is evolving rapidly and this evolution will affect the entire sector.  At a time when it is more critical than ever to be protected against malware, it is paradoxical to see how this protection can now be obtained for free… this is good news for users and explains the success of solutions such as Panda Cloud Antivirus.

Tweet This Post 

Uncategorized