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F-Secure has a long history of working with partners and alliances. One of our most important partnerships is with Microsoft. The aim of this cooperation is simple; WE WANT TO MAKE THE INTERNET MORE SECURE. Read this article to understand what we are doing, how its done and three simple steps to ensure the safety of your home computer.
Viruses, worms, spyware, phishing, spam and other malware are spreading rapidly through corporate networks and broadband connections. There is no "silver bullet" solution for the problem. The goal of cooperation with Microsoft is to make the Internet a more secure place. It is important for F-Secure to share information with Microsoft and to be able to act on it as soon as possible.
In 2004, we witnessed new trends - primarily the massive increase in phishing email scams, and the introduction of open-source botnets - networks of infected machines harnessed for malicious operations, and for-profit virus-writing. Due to this and the organized crime behind some of today's viruses, the amount of infected email has grown massively from 2003.
Spam leads to more spam
The spam situation is also getting worse and worse. Around 70% of all email is nowadays spam - and most of that is sent through infected home computers. As spammers also make good money out of spamming, they can also reinvest in their operations - making the problem even worse.
The damage from all the different threats spans from the appearance of harmless jokes to data lost from your computer, theft of private information all the way through to major criminal acts.
The number of viruses has now passed 100.000 and continues to grow. In 1995 there were around 5500 viruses, which demonstrates in unmistakeable terms, the rapid growth.
A recent study from US (America Online and the National Cyber Security Alliance) shows us that 77% of the users think they are safe from online threats but
67% of computers lack current antivirus software, 80% of home computers are infected with spyware/adware and 49% of broadband users dont use any firewall protection.
This clearly shows us the magnitude of the challenges. There are two key initiatives for addressing the problem: one is to leverage the users knowledge through information and awareness, secondly is to protect the home computer.
Protect Your PC (PYPC) and Windows XP Service Pack 2
One of the key initiatives from Microsoft has been to make home computers secure. Microsoft does this by delivering frequent security updates. The problem here is, however, that many users do not install the security updates.
There are two reasons for this; firstly, the speed of the Internet connection and secondly, the lack of understanding why its important to patch a home computer. The PYPC program was started in March 2004 where F-Secure was invited by Microsoft to ship our popular home computing software. The PYPC program entered its second phase when Microsoft launched their SP2. This was a major success as hundreds of thousands of customers began using F-Secures Internet Security software.
As Windows XP is already the most common operating system on the Internet, Service Pack 2 is very a very important update. We hope the majority of XP users will apply it soon. This would benefit everybody on the Internet.
Virus Information Alliance (VIA)
F-Secure is also a member of the VIA program which is facilitated by Microsoft to share virus information and sensitive security issues before they become bigger problems for users. This initiative has been successful both for F-Secure and Microsoft.
FSC protects enterprises and home users
F-Secure has been focusing on IT security for 15 years and our experience and know-how is a key factor in F-Secures recognition as a brand and as an important international player. F-Secures solutions cover client software (mobiles and PCs), gateway and server protection and management solutions for larger companies. F-Secure offers world-class protection all the way from the home to large corporations. Thats our commitment to you, our customers.
Speed of response is a battle against time, the faster we send the anti-virus updates the less computers gets infected. F-Secure has a proven track record of delivering the fastest updates. Our virus labs works 24/7/365 and are constantly analyzing new threats and shipping out updates at speeds far in excess of our competitors.
Based on independent research by AV-Test.org and Messagelabs, F-Secure detects new threats faster compared to other major antivirus vendors. F-Secure also updates customers more regularly than other major antivirus vendors. (Source AV-Test.org)
Three simple steps to be protected
1. Use an Internet firewall on all PCs
2. Regularly install the latest security updates
3. Use up-to-date anti-virus software |
The above examples are just some of many areas where F-Secure cooperates with Microsoft. This shows just how effective it is when we use our combined efforts to make the Internet a more secure place to be.
The following quote from Bill Gates article "Microsoft Progress Report: Security, March 31, 2004" summarizes why its important to keep up the good work.
"Technology has come an incredibly long way in the past two decades, and it is far too important to let a few criminals stop the rest of us from enjoying its amazing benefits."
Author: Trond Neergaard, Vice President, Consumer Business
EXTRA MATERIAL:
The AOL/NCSA Online Safety Study is available at: www.staysafeonline.info
F-Secure PYPC web pages: www.f-secure.com/protectyourpc
Speed of updates; www.f-secure.com
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