Launch Of The New Panda Activescan

Panda Software has launched the new free version of Panda ActiveScan, its online scanner. This new version not only detects and eliminates viruses, worms and Trojans but can also root out spyware, applications that can gather personal information about the computer user, such as the information stored on the PC, web pages viewed, passwords, etc. These malicious programs can then send this data out to third-parties, such as advertising companies.

During the first 24 hours in which the new Panda ActiveScan (available at www.pandasoftware.com) was operating, 84 percent of malware detected was spyware and the first 74 most detected malicious code were all spy programs. In fact, this type of application has even overtaken the Downloader.GK Trojan, which had topped the ranking for the last eight months.

The data then shows that users’ PCs now contain more spyware than viruses.

First place in the ranking is now held by ISTBar, present in almost 16 percent of the computers scanned. After this come other spy programs such as Dyfuca, Cydoor, New.Net, AltNet, BetterInet, or the veteran BargainBuddy, which are all intensely active around the globe.

Spyware is becoming one of the worst threats that users are up against nowadays. “This is a silent epidemic and one that users are not taking seriously enough,” says Luis Corrons, director of PandaLabs. “Its effects can be just as harmful as those of viruses, and can range from theft of confidential data, changes to settings of certain applications, system slowdown due to excessive use of resources, system instability, etc-¦”

The new Genetic Heuristic Engine

In addition to detecting spyware, the new Panda ActiveScan is now even more powerful, as it includes the Genetic Heuristic Engine, a new heuristic detection technology from Panda Software integrating correlation of digital genetic signatures and deep code inspection in an algorithm that analyzes the code and characteristic DNA strings of the malware. “In its first 24 hours of operation the Genetic Heuristic Engine has proved to be highly effective, detecting hundreds of new and unknown malicious applications with no need for signature file updates and no false positives,” explains Corrons.

Genetic Heuristic Engine is part of TruPreventâ„? Technologies, the most intelligent technologies to combat unknown viruses and intruders, developed by Panda Software. With this new heuristic engine, to be integrated in the whole range of solutions in March and April, the company is once again at the forefront of technology for protecting against unknown threats. More information about TruPreventâ„? Technologies at http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/truprevent_tec/

Panda Software’s anti-spyware technology

Panda Software offers clients its anti-spyware technology integrated throughout its product range. Home users, businesses and professionals, small to mid-sized companies and large corporations all have purpose-built products that not only include pro-active detection of viruses, worms and Trojans with TruPreventâ„? Technologies, but also detect and disinfect spyware.

Titanium 2005, Platinum Internet Security 2005, BusinesSecure, EnterpriSecure and GateDefender all offer highly effective protection against the new spyware epidemic.

Spyware: a difficult threat to combat

Spyware programs have a series of traits that makes them difficult to detect and enables them to install themselves on numerous PCs for long periods of time:

– They use almost perfect camouflage systems. They are normally installed on computers along with another kind of application: a P2P client, a hard disk utility-¦

– File names don’t normally give any clues as to the real nature of the file, and so they often go unnoticed along with other legitimate application files.

– As they are not viruses, and they don’t use a routine that can be associated with them, antivirus programs don’t detect them unless, like Panda Software product range, they are designed specifically to do so.

Spyware can be detected through the effects it has on systems: use of system resources resulting in a slowdown of the PC; high level of Internet connection bandwidth consumption; complete loss of the connection or general system instability. They also often change settings of certain applications, such as the browser home page, or insert icons on the desktop.

The main consequence of spyware on PCs is the gathering of information, including confidential details, making users feel uneasy about what is happening in their computer behind their backs.

If these effects are cause for concern in home computers, in corporate environments they can result in serious financial losses, given the time taken by IT staff to resolve the problem and regain control of the system and the loss of productivity of employees trying to work their way through the annoying distractions that these programs create (redirecting websites, pop-ups, etc). More serious still, the theft of confidential information, including passwords, means that administrators need to keep a constant watch over each and every computer to prevent this kind of attack.

About Panda Software

Panda Software is one of the world’s leading developers of IT security solutions, with offices in 50 countries. It is an established pacesetter for the sector in innovation and expansion and is unequalled in terms of satisfying customers’ needs for the most advanced technologies, products and services to keep IT resources free from viruses and other threats at the lowest possible Total Cost of Ownership. The company’s unique TruPreventâ„? Technologies, the most intelligent technologies to combat unknown viruses and intruders, offer unrivalled preventive protection for all types of clients: from the largest corporations through small and medium-sized companies to home users.