Avira and Norton are now offering customers the ability to mine cryptocurrency – for a fee.

Both AV vendors have introduced a new service which can mine Ethereum whenever a user’s computer is sitting idle. Customers will then be able to deposit any Ether their computer has mined into their own crypto wallet after giving NortonLifeLock, owner of both Avira and Norton, a 15% share of the proceeds. The crypto-mining services offered by both vendors are very similar, with the same rules applying to both Avira Crypto and Norton Crypto.

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In recent years, there have been many acquisitions of security software manufacturers. This article considers the implications of such takeovers, with regard to cybersecurity, consumer choice and other factors. AV-Comparatives notes that their test results can help uncover any technical changes resulting from AV-vendor acquisitions.

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AV-Comparatives is again supporting the AVAR security conference. AVAR 2021 Virtual is the 24th edition of AVAR’s international conference. The event is taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of December, and registration is free.

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The UK Government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently published guidelines for antivirus software vendors with regard to auto-renewal of subscriptions. These Compliance Principles advise security software vendors who sell to UK consumers how to avoid falling foul of British consumer protection laws. Austrian AV test lab AV-Comparatives supports the principles behind the CMA guidelines. 

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AV-Comparatives is sponsoring this year’s VirusBulletin VB2021 online security conference. This is being held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. The event allows IT-security experts from around the world to exchange ideas on the globally relevant subject of cybersecurity. The conference is taking place on the 7th and 8th of October 2021, and registration is free: https://vblocalhost.com/registration/  

The program of live events includes presentations on threat actors in the Middle East and Africa, protection against kernel-mode rootkits, “insider” targeted attacks, threats affecting Hybrid Active Directory, malware targeting Internet Information Services, the use of Apple’s Endpoint Security framework, and malware that targets the Apple Silicon M1 processor. In addition, a number of other presentations can be streamed on demand during the conference. The full conference program can be found here: https://vblocalhost.com/programme/  

AV-Comparatives will be attending the conference, and virtual meetings with us can be arranged during the two days. Participants wishing to do so can contact us using the form on our website. 

Independent security test lab AV-Comparatives has released a list of compatible consumer antivirus programs for Windows 11. With the new Microsoft OS due to be released to the public on 5th October, anyone planning to upgrade or buy a new Windows 11 PC will need to know how to protect their new system against malware. AV-Comparatives have checked all 17 products in their Consumer Main Test Series, to see if they function as expected under Windows 11. 

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This blogpost offers users assistance in selecting a suitable antivirus product for the Android platform. Eight of this year’s products qualified for certification, by reaching a malware protection rate of at least 99%, with less than 10 false positives, and a battery drain of less than 8%. In the Android 2021 test report, AV-Comparatives gives an overview of the general security-related components, which are summarised in the additional feature list. 

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Digital stalking uses specialized malware, called stalkerware, to gain access to functions of a smartphone, tablet, or PC. The software allows the stalker to listen to and record phone calls, view stored photos and files, activate the camera, read all types of message, log keystrokes and track the victim’s location via the device GPS functionality. Stalkerware thus spies on every action. However, it is most probably not something that you have accidentally installed yourself, but is secretly installed on your device by someone who has access to this. Therefore, as a victim of digital stalking, it will probably only become noticeable when the perpetrator misuses private knowledge for their own purposes.

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In late 2020, Apple started selling laptop, desktop and all-in-one Mac computers with a new type of ARM-based processor, called the M1. It is expected to be the first in a whole new range of such CPUs, collectively known as Apple Silicon. The change from Intel processors is believed to be partly so that Apple had complete control of their entire manufacturing process. However, the new M1 processors bring a number of technical improvements as well.

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If you’re looking for an endpoint protection product to secure your business network, there is a wide variety of solutions available. These include endpoint security (antivirus), and endpoint protection and response systems, which allow you to detect, analyse and respond to suspicious programs, processes and events. How can you select the right enterprise product for your needs? Independent testing labs are the best place to start – here’s why.

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