Essential Features of a Mobile Antivirus

Your smartphone goes everywhere and does almost everything with you, from collecting all kinds of personal information, to contacts, photos, financial account details and private messages. Smartphones have almost replaced PCs and laptops. Just like PCs and laptops are prone to security threats, so is your smartphone. The one thing that can't be refuted today is that the amount of malware for the Android platform has skyrocketed. After all, it's only natural for malware authors to target one of the most popular and fastest growing mobile platforms.

There is still a perception that Android is the ‘Windows of smartphones’ even though it is ensuring maximum safety with every new release. Like Windows for PCs, Android is prone to the various malwares and viruses, that can be combated only by installing a mobile antivirus app. While the Android virus and malware problem is nowhere near as bad as Windows as yet, it’s always better to be secure.

There are numerous android antivirus apps on the Play Store that offer comprehensive security with additional features like performance booster, phone finder and other security features. Antivirus for Android secures against unwanted phishing, malware, spyware, and malicious viruses such as trojans and even against loss or theft.

Enlisted below are some of the must have features in antivirus for android apps:

 

Device Scanner

A flexible scanning feature that can run various types of scans including customized and scheduled scans. This also helps remove viruses.

 

App Manager

This feature helps determine if apps that are being downloaded from the Play Store are genuine enough and safe. It warns against potentially unsafe apps. Also offers the app lock feature that deters other users from opening or using apps like mobile banking apps.

Antitheft

This android antivirus feature, essentially a mobile tracker, helps remotely lock the device, locate it or wipe all data. There’s also a ‘ring’ function to locate the device. The SIM protection feature sends out a notification if the SIM is replaced. The user can then either lock down the device or wipe its data.

 

Parental Control

This feature enables parents to discreetly monitor their child’s use of the mobile device. It blocks malicious and potentially dangerous websites. With this feature, you can block a particular website's URL or websites based on their category such as adult, gambling, violence, etc.

 

Call & Message Filter

This Android security feature helps you block incoming calls and SMSs from unknown or unwanted numbers. You can also block numbers starting or ending with a particular series.

 

Message Exception List

This list displays non-numeric senders that are excluded from SMS blocking.

Regular Automated Virus Database Updates

This mobile antivirus feature helps you receive regular automated security updates. This helps protect your device and data from new and emerging threats.

Antivirus for android also helps improve device performance by enabling you to check the functioning of your device, extend battery life, speed up device performance, and view performance reports. Quick Heal Mobile Security offers all the essential features of mobile antivirus to protect Android devices from malware and threats of all kinds.

About Author: Dhanya is extremely passionate about expressing her thoughts through words by writing on myriad subjects, including IT security technology. Through her articles, she aims to help readers stay on top of emerging technology trends.

The 4 Best Tips To Choose Effective Bandwidth Management Solutions

Any business organization that has not invested in effective gateway security solutions is definitely taking a big risk. One of the primary benefits of such solutions is bandwidth management and this allows enterprises to manage their resources effectively and reap the best rewards from the allocation of their resources. In order to help curb bandwidth management related pain points that organizations face, here are some foolproof tips to deploy IT solutions that enable bandwidth management and operational efficiency.

Tip#1 – Know your network traffic inside out

Do you effectively know what is on your network? If you have this information, then you need to understand if what you have is in line with what your business needs and objectives are. Many of your employees possibly use cloud-based services and web apps for daily activities so you need to ensure that their needs are being met. Moreover, you also need to ensure that unnecessary wastage is avoided. Moreover, are your internal and external customers satisfied with your bandwidth resources or do they need that extra boost to get their work done a little bit faster? Get to know the playing field before you invest in costly networking security.

Tip#2 – Allocate bandwidth with the BYOD revolution in mind

It is a known fact that pretty much every employee of yours now has a smartphone or tablet that connects to the Internet. If these devices are permitted to connect to your business network, then your employees are surely carrying out official business work and meeting business objectives through these devices. However, they are also receiving personal emails, downloading updates, streaming videos, checking Facebook and performing several other tasks over these devices at the same time. Now you need to take a call about what to do in this situation. Should you ban these devices from connecting to your network and risk upsetting your employees? Or should you allocate certain bandwidth to employees so that they can stay productive on the move and check their Twitter feed while they’re at it?

Tip#3 – Does your company depend on VoIP for critical functions?

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is definitely a boon for enterprises of all segments and sizes. Wirelessly video conferencing is easy and convenient and can make enterprises far more productive. However, if you are using VoIP regularly for client meetings or internal discussions, then you need a proper bandwidth management in place. After all, what would you do if you were unable to hear that major client’s requirements clearly because an unsuspecting employee is uploading his kid’s birthday pictures to his Dropbox account? Rather than worry about lost business opportunities, you should invest in a gateway security solution that offers smooth bandwidth management.

Tip#4 – Stay updated with the right tools and technologies

Bandwidth management is not an unknown variable when it comes to determining networking security needs and locating the relevant solutions. There are several major players in this market and the benefits reaped from implementing such solutions are not only technological in nature. They ultimately extend to benefitting the business, stabilizing operating cost structure and boosting employee morale as well. All forward looking enterprises who wish to remain relevant in their sphere should insist on such a solution and make full use of bandwidth management features to maintain consistency of operations.

Effective management of resources is crucial for the smooth functioning of any business, and IT security solutions provide the peace of mind to achieve this. Every enterprise worth its salt should ensure that bandwidth management is an integral feature of any solution they invest in for the betterment and protection of their internal network.

Importance of IT Security Solutions

This is information age comprising of all sorts of financial and corporate information, research and analysis reports, trends etc., and categorized as confidential, sensitive and critical. There are automation tools for extracting and gleaning information. There are management solution products such as content management, knowledge management and document management for managing the collected information. 

All of these have made IT security an indispensable tool that is essential in securing information from hackers. As soon as a computer system is hooked into the Internet, it is exposed to risks of various kinds. Email and web security has also become a mainstream component of modern business IT infrastructure, much like firewalls and anti-virus technology. Thankfully, there are various IT security solutions that have been developed to secure IT infrastructure from risks of all sorts.

 

 Internet Security Solutions

 

Security has also been one of the most critical design considerations of any Internet application since hackers increasingly probe connected computers for weaknesses in their security and can gain access to them easily. This could result in the stealing of confidential information without the user even realizing it. Trojan horse programs and Spyware come from seemingly innocent sources, such as email attachments and file downloads. Once the user launches them they can secretly send data including any sensitive personal or financial information stored on the PC and back out over the Internet. 

 

Some of the Internet security solutions are as follows:

 

Web-based redirector: Redirectors work only for web browsing wherein the user goes to the redirector web page and enters the website URL anonymously. The redirecting software then requests for the page using its own server IP and redirects the output to the user’s browser window.

Web Proxy: Using web proxy, open proxy IP address is found and set it in the user’s browser settings. All web traffic will be passed through the proxy, hiding the user’s real IP. However, checking the proxy for the anonymity before using it is essential.

SSH tunneling: Used as an additional service for the data security, SSH makes your connection to the proxy encrypted thus making it impossible to intercept.

 

Information Security

 

As technology advances, the importance of information security also grows parallel. However, it has become one of the hottest topics in the recent past owing to the Internet’s open design and its heightened usage along with rapid adoption of internetworking systems. As the number of potential targets grows, the sophistication of security threats is increasing.  Traditional security products such as virus scanners and firewalls may not be able to provide the required protection against unknown threats. The thousands of mutations and variations of Spyware and viruses available to hackers on the Internet make it difficult for such systems to be fully secure.

Threats and risks are constantly evolving and complete security against them can only be achieved by having complete control of the Internet connection including the ability to specify which applications, known and unknown, can be trusted to use the Internet. There are some intelligent defenses available against attacks, such as denial of service (DOS) attacks. Now, routers and other devices can be set to verify source addresses and ignore packets if they are bogus or carry a suspicious pattern. 

It is important to understand that IT Security is a lot more than just a software application that can be deployed. A good secured IT system should always have multiple levels of protection and authentication.

Best Practices for Computer Data Security

This article gives an insight into how you can protect your computer and its data by following some really simple security measures. These are general good computer and data security tips and rules that apply to all who use computer.

• Use a unique password that can't be easily guessed, and protect your passwords

Don’t share your password with anyone or write it anywhere. While creating a password use upper and lower case alphabets, numbers and special characters. Do not keep same passwords for all your accounts.

• Always be careful of email scams

Never respond to unknown or unsolicited emails, SMSs, phone calls, asking for your personal details or passwords. Be extra careful of emails that claim to offer you monetary benefits.

• Always use updated software

Always keep your software updated and patched. This will help you reduce risks of security threats that use unpatched security vulnerabilities. Consider using a trusted software that can notify you when your current software applications are out of date or require a security update. Using updated and patched software also helps speed up PC performance.

• Protect information when using the Internet

While shopping, banking or doing any online transaction on any website, always check for a secure connection. Do not enter your personal details, or any sensitive information unless you are on a trusted website. A secure website’s URL begins with “https://” and is accompanied by a lock symbol.

• Avoid free Wi-Fi, public computers and networks

Avoid free, unsecured Wi-Fi networks for logging into your online accounts, for online shopping or banking. The sensitive information that you pass over these networks can be easily intercepted by a hacker. It is okay to use these networks for casual surfing and research. However, if you have no other option but to use an unsecured Wi-Fi network, considering using a VPN service in your PC or smartphone. Public networks such cyber cafes are equally unsafe for activities that required logging into online accounts.

• Secure your system before leaving it

Application security is also important. Always lock or shut down your system before leaving it unattended. Also remember to lock the external device access to your device. It will secure your data from getting stolen or accessed by any unauthorized user.

• Take data backup regularly

An essential tip for data security is regular backup of your all important data. Data backup is the one thing that can help you put things together if you encounter a system crash, virus attack, data loss/theft, etc. It is equally important to keep your data encrypted wherever you store it. This will prevent any misuse of the data even if it lands into the hands of a hacker.

• Don't install or download unknown programs

Freeware are usually a threat to your computer and data. Since they are easily available and are free, they are usually rigged by hackers with malware codes. So, if you should install free software, ensure that their publisher is a verified.

• Install an Antivirus Software

The most important thing you can do for data security is using a reliable antivirus software like Quick Heal. Quick Heal antivirus is available for desktop and for mobile users as well. It is the best antivirus software that offers features like data security, web security, parental control, safe banking, and browser sandbox. All these features work together to ensure comprehensive computer data security.

10 Best Internet Security Tips you Should Know About

The Internet is a wonder world, and we don’t have to say why. But, while the Internet has its own wonder, it has its own share of dangers. So, to ensure that we are always at the wonderful side of the World Wide Web, let’s get started with the 10 best Internet security tips that everyone must follow when they are online.

1. Begin with having the best antivirus on your computer.

- This is like building a fire around you when you are camping in the wild, so no wild animals harm you.

2. Always remember, what goes on the Internet stays there forever.

- You might thing that posting an embarrassing photo of yours on the Internet may be cool and funny. But this very picture might come back and haunt you in the future.

3. Treat online strangers as you would treat strangers in your neighborhood.

- Strangers are strangers, no matter in what form they meet you.

4. Be stingy about sharing personal information online.

- One of the best Internet security tips that has always worked for me is being careful of what I share online. Sharing too much of personal information increases the risk of identity theft and online frauds.

Read Also: Tips you Must Know about Web Security

5. Strive for stronger passwords

- It does not matter even if you have the best antivirus software in your machine, if you do not use strong passwords. A strong password is one that has a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

6. Avoid using cyber cafes and unsecured Wi-Fi

- Cyber cafes and free Wi-Fi hotspots are the worst places where you can log on to any website or carry out an online transaction. These networks can be easily compromised by an attacker to steal your personal and financial information.

7. Know the online site you buy from

- If you are buying something from an online store for the first time, do go through its privacy and security policy. Check whether the site is verified and has a secure connection (a secure site’s URL begins with https:// and has a green padlock icon). Prefer well-known and popular websites that have been in business for a long time.

8. Never trust unknown emails with links or attachments

- Always treat unknown and unexpected emails with caution, especially those that ask you to click links and download attachments. Even if an email seems to have been sent by a known entity such as a friend, family member, or your bank and asks you to click or download anything, do not proceed. Call up the sender and verify the integrity of the email.
 

9. Maintain regular backups of sensitive and important data

- Regular backups can save you from losing your data forever if ever it gets compromised.

10. Encrypt passwords, personal photos, videos, and other sensitive information on your machine

- Data, even if stolen by an attacker, will be of no use if it’s encrypted. Your encrypted data can only be read by you and none. So, use this Internet security tip to your benefit.

And that would be all for now for the 10 best Internet security tips. Stay safe!

The Importance of IT Security Solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises

Online shopping is growing exponentially, and it is only going to grow with time. According to report published by IAMAI-KPMG report, the worth of India's e-commerce market today stands at a mammoth $13 billion. Investors are eyeing this ecommerce space as a cash cow in the near future.

Although, Indian e-commerce does not equate to those in our western counterparts, it has the potential to gain a sizeable market share. And a giant boost to this is the increasing penetration of Internet which brings forth even bigger avenues for online retailers to grow and expand.

While the combination of e-commerce and increasing Internet user base looks handsome and promising for most businesses, there are quite a few challenges for SMEs when we see it with from the perspective of IT Security.

Read Also: How to Choose Best Antivirus System for Your Android Phone?

The challenges might arise due to the following facts:

1. Large and well-established businesses are more preferred by customers, because they are more prepared and resilient against cyberattacks.
2. Small and medium enterprises score low in IT security and this makes customers skeptical about the safekeeping of their personal and financial information.
3. SMEs generally do not make good candidates for getting into a partnership with big businesses, because of the former’s poor network security infrastructure.

To cut a long story short, customers trust online retailers who have a strong IT security infrastructure in place.

Small and medium enterprises that put the need of computer and network security on a back burner, can be compared to the weak animals in a herd that are constantly eyed by predators (cyber crooks). But this scenario can be changed if these business understand the importance of protecting their digital assets with reliable IT security solutions.

Quick Heal End Point Security Solution is a specially designed IT security solution that helps business owners to protect their sensitive data, reduce business risks, and boost productivity.

Salient features of Quick Heal Endpoint Security

• Web Security - Blocks infected, phishing, and malicious websites.
• Web Filtering - Allows blocking of websites based on categories such as adult, gaming, movies, etc.
• Application Control - Allows only authorized devices to connect to the enterprise network.
• Storage Device Control - Prevents usage of unauthorized devices and media on the network.
• IDS/IPS - Reduces risks of security vulnerabilities being exploited by attackers.
• Email Scan - Scans inbox for spam, phishing, and unsolicited emails.
• Tune-up - Helps improve the performance of the corporate endpoints; boosts productivity.
• Vulnerability Scan - Scans for security vulnerabilities in the system, and helps you fix them.
• Firewall - Blocks malicious or suspicious traffic from accessing the company’s network.

Your business IT security is only complete when your employees are aware of the dangers lurking in the wild. It takes one phishing email to put the entire organization’s data at stake. It is essential to educate your employees about the importance of choosing stronger passwords, keeping login information confidential, logging off from idle computers, and exercising caution against unknown websites and unsolicited email.

About Author:

From exploring the mysteries of life to analyzing the IT security world, Rajib has explored a wide gamut of topics on computer security, through his years of writings.