Add to this the proliferation of personal data being shared across various platforms and today’s online world becomes a perfect breeding ground for cyber-attack. Our research also revealed more than 50 per cent of consumers spend at least 15 hours a week using their devices for personal reasons. Naturally, spending so much time online means that consumers are now rapidly accumulating a vast array of digital assets – such as photographs, music tracks and documents – all stored on their devices. For example, the average Brit keeps 3,000 digital assets on their tablet and smartphone devices, including sensitive information such as financial records, drivers’ licences and passports.

The value we place on these digital assets often surpasses that of the many tangible, physical items we own. In the UK especially, consumers are putting a high price tag on their digital lives – up to $22,7234 (17,745 euros – £15,000) – worth of value. Digital items containing personal records have the highest value at over $303 (235 euros – £200) per item, whilst personal memories such as photographs and videos are valued at $27.50 (22 euros – £18) per item.

Many of us insure the physical contents of our homes without a second thought. However, in today’s digital age, data is quickly becoming a constant and substantial part of our lives. As the value of our digital assets increases, the responsibility to protect it from theft or loss should grow in line with it.

This is why we’ve worked with Intel on a new service that protects a consumer’s entire digital life. As I said in my previous blog post, on the 14^th May, we announced McAfee LiveSafe, the first unlimited cross-device security service that uses cutting-edge facial and voice recognition technology to protect users’ digital lives. This solution delivers on the joint vision that we share with Intel to redefine the consumer security experience, enabling users to connect with confidence by protecting their data, identity and all devices.

McAfee LiveSafe is the needed response to today’s evolving cyber security landscape and the increasing need for protection on our mobile devices. The memories we create online are often irreplaceable and impossible to recreate, re-download or repurchase. Rather than leave ourselves unprotected and vulnerable to having these memories taken away from us, LiveSafe enables the consumer to continue their digital life, in the knowledge that we are keeping it secure for them.

As a leader in multi device protection, our partnership with Intel on the LiveSafe service will provide consumers with an unprecedented level of security in today’s increasingly complex digital world. Its intuitive and innovative features – biometric authentication and cloud-based storage – will hopefully help consumers to realise that, when it comes to our lives and the priceless memories we create, no measure is too big or too small to safeguard our digital assets.

But what about the tweens? Our soon-to-be teens? What are they up to? Do we really need to know what is going on?

This week, McAfee launched a very insightful research report into our Aussie tweens with the release of the Tweens, Teens and Technology Report. Launched by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy during Cybersecurity Awareness Week, the report reveals that children as young as eight are adopting the online behaviour of teens. So, yes – we need to know what is going on!!!!

Here are some of the key findings:

• On average tweens (8-12 year olds) are using between 3-4 internet enabled devices including smartphones and tablets
• 67% are using a social media website including Skype, Facebook, Club Penguin and Instagram
• Skype is the most popular social network with 28% using the site
• 1 in 4 are using Facebook despite the age eligibility being 13
• 95% of tween parents have given permission for their children to be on Facebook
• 1 in 5 tweens said they chatted online to someone that they didn’t know
• Tweens are spending 1.5 hours per day online with most of this time spent chatting to friends
• 25% have seen a nasty comment online

As a mum of four boys – (two tweens and two teens) and all things cyber – I consider myself in the know but I have to admit that some of those statistics really did shock me especially those relating to social media. But whether we like it or not, our kids are living digital lives. So putting our head in the sand and trying to pretend it is not happening just won’t work.

Instead, I strongly believe we owe it to our kids to educate and guide them through the online world. We need to help them navigate the risks and pitfalls and be prepared for some of the ‘trickier’ situations that the online world can throw up.

Now we don’t have to be psychologists to know that behaviour becomes entrenched from a young age. So if children are not properly educated about cyber safety from a young age then they will not be prepared to handle the situations they will face online as teenagers.

So, to address this, McAfee has teamed up with Life Education to provide cyber education to Australian children through a program called bCyberwise.

What a perfect way to support parents!!

Till Next Time,

Alex x

PS For more information on McAfee’s Cyber Education programme, please visit http://www.mcafeecybered.com

Mobile banking is indeed a tempting offer, but some consumers are rightly worried about the additional security risks; a recent report by viaForensics gave a “Pass” rating to just 14 of the 32 financial applications tested for security, and eight of these applications failed the test altogether.

Keeping information safe on your mobile device

You might dislike standing in line to deposit a check or sending a check to your cable company, but you also don’t want to put your private information in the hands of hackers. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make mobile banking from your smartphone safer.

Regardless of whether or not you use mobile banking from your smartphone, you should take advantage of your phone’s locking mechanism—usually a swipe pattern, passcode, or PIN—and if possible, set it to automatically lock the screen when the device is idle. If your applications have a “Remember Me” option, ensure that it’s disabled; you’ll avoid giving strangers access to private information if your phone is lost or stolen. McAfee All Access lets users add a PIN lock on specific apps, which serves as an extra layer of protection for sensitive information.

Updating mobile applications whenever new versions become available is a good practice whether or not you use mobile banking apps. Hackers can track the changes from one version of an app to the next. This allows them to find weak points in security protocols or reverse-engineer viruses and malware. If you’ve got an out-of-date version of an application, you’re more vulnerable to attacks. This advice applies to virus protection, security software, and new versions of a device’s OS.

Some applications allow users to associate an account with a specific mobile device—if you don’t share an account with a significant other, or if only one of the account holders uses mobile banking, linking your account to your device can help prevent unauthorized access to your financial information if a hacker manages to get his hands on your username and password.

Finally, you can protect your financial information by performing your online banking transactions only while connected to a private Wi-Fi connection. This is a good rule of thumb for any web-based banking transactions, whether from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Public or shared connections—like those in bookstores or coffee shops—are less secure than those in your home or office. Don’t assume that a connection is secure just because you need to enter a password, and never use a shared device, like a library computer or a friend’s tablet, to access online banking.

What to do if you’ve been hacked

If you suspect your financial information has been compromised, or if you find fraudulent charges on your bank statement, your first action should be to change the username and password you use to log in to online banking.

Your next step is to contact your financial institution and report the fraudulent activity. They’ll likely close your compromised accounts and open new ones, but it’s wise to confirm that these measures have been taken.

Depending on how soon you detect fraud, institutions are sometimes able to freeze transferred funds or even reverse a transaction. This can be difficult if money has been transferred overseas, as American regulations on electronic banking don’t apply to foreign institutions.

While individual policies vary from one financial institution to the next, some have introduced zero liability policies for customers, meaning any funds you’ve lost might be reimbursable. When you sign up for online or mobile banking, check your institution’s policy on liability.

The world stops. Nothing else matters (particularly not school work). Love takes over… You are Sitting On Top Of The World (to use Delta Goodrem’s expression!)

When you are in love (and not particularly worldly) you may just assume that sharing everything is fine – whether it is saliva, chairs or passwords!! In fact – you may even consider it to be the ultimate sign of your love!!!

Well, I am here to intervene. Sharing private data is NOT OK and as parents, we have to make sure our teens understand this CLEARLY. Sharing information increases the likelihood of their personal data being leaked and their identity being stolen. As most of us know, teen love doesn’t always last forever. Painful breakups can often result in hurt feelings and less than ideal behaviour!

A recent McAfee survey entitled, Love, Relationship and Technology, showed that almost 50% of Aussie share passwords with their partners and 67% share their bank account details. Unfortunately, 10% of Aussies have had their personal content leaked without their permission and 5% of ex-partners have threatened to expose risqué photos of their ex loves. Some very good reasons NOT to share!!

So, if your teens are ‘in lurve’ and maybe tempted to share a little too much, please tell them that it is NOT OK. Encourage them to use a password or pin on their phones (to avoid anyone accessing their private content) and to NEVER share passwords!! It may just prevent a whole lot of heartache!

Till next time,

Alex xx

Our teens are often described as digital natives – they’ve never known life without the online world. They seem to have technology running through their veins and are therefore often appointed as the ‘IT Directors’ of their households! And whilst I am in awe of their abilities, I do believe they would benefit from some formal (and supportive) instruction on how to use social media and most importantly, protect themselves online.

I was delighted to be part of McAfee and Life Education’s recent launch of bCyberwise, a cyber education program which will be offered to Aussie primary school students through Healthy Harold and the Life Education program from 2013. This innovative program will teach 8, 9 and 10 year olds how to stay safe online and help them develop positive online communication skills.

But when it comes to the ‘how to’ and our teens, I really believe our 13 -18 year olds could benefit from some ‘tips and tricks’ sessions on using social media. As parents, we know how much better it is to learn a new skill properly from the beginning. Imagine how much savvier our teens would be online if they were shown how to navigate Instagram, Twitter or Facebook by a trusted adult or teacher who has their best interests at heart!

Right from the start, they could learn how to set up their privacy settings, block or defriend friends and how to get help in case of an online issue. Definitely a much better option than learning the hard way!

What do you think? Should schools teach kids how to use social media the right way?

Take care,

Alex x

But now school has begun and the dust has settled. Phew! So, I have to ask – did Santa bring you or your children any new devices? Perhaps he popped a new laptop, tablet, smartphone or Xbox under the tree.

Well, if you are the lucky owner of a flash device it is SO important to remember that the first step in enjoying your tablet or smartphone is to protect it. Yes – cyber scrooges do exist and spend much time and effort designing malicious software (malware) that can steal your personal information. Apologies for ruining your post-holiday high!

However, if you spend some time protecting your devices, you can keep your gadgets (and your family) safe and protected year round.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Smartphones

• Only download apps from a reputable store and always read reviews.
• Use a password or pin to restrict access to your phone.
• Protect the data on your phone by using a product that can back up and restore your information.

Apple Products (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch)

• With Mac Malware on the rise, install security software developed for the Mac.
• Check out Apple’s iCloud service for syncing and securing data.

New PC or NetBook

• Ensure your computer has comprehensive security software that includes (at a minimum) anti-virus, a two-way firewall, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and safe search capabilities.
• Please opt for data protection that can backup and restore.

And, most importantly, educate your kids about staying safe online. Ensure your computer is in a high traffic area and discuss what can and can’t be shared online, such as phone numbers. Use a web filtering tool to protect kids from accessing inappropriate content and most importantly, don’t assume your child doesn’t know how to turn off parental controls!

So, in order to help you stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals (and your kids!), invest in active, comprehensive protection for all the devices you use to access the Internet. Why not check out McAfee All Access. To learn more, visit www.mcafee.com/au/allaccess.
Until next time,

Alex

Here is a very interesting infographic that traces emergence of Internet over the last 30 years.

This young Lady has sure changed the world, but some analysts say that the changes that are expected to come are far, far more than that has occurred over the last 30 years.

As for me, I foresee a world that has become more dependent on the net for conducting daily activities. I foresee greater use of handheld devices for ease and speed. More people will resort to their Kindles to read books. Children will learn their lessons from their virtual teachers; take piano tuitions from the net, practice chess with online opponents. Doctors will check patient’s record on their hand held devices and prescribe medicines that patients can order through their phones or laptops. The net will be indispensable for learning, socialising, banking, managing homes and office as well as ensuring the security of organizations and even nations!

With such a hike in online activities, can cyber crooks and hackers sit back? This is what McAfee Labs had to report on the threat scene for 2013 – “McAfee Labs expects that threats to mobile devices will become even more of a focus of cybercriminals, the influence of the hacktivist group “Anonymous” will decline, and large-scale attacks that attempt to destroy infrastructure will increase. Cybercriminals and hacktivists will strengthen and evolve the techniques and tools they use to assault our privacy, bank accounts, mobile devices, businesses, organizations and homes”

There, we have it – in plain and simple language. For us individuals, it means that we can confidently expect more malware targeting our smartphones. As the smartphone has become the gadget of choice and has gained the status of “Necessity” from its present status of a “Comfort”, it will do well to remember that the hackers too will choose it as their preferred hunting grounds.

So, what’s the solution? Do we avoid the smart phone or the Internet? And go back to the old -fashioned ways of physically tackling every task? Do we stop buying Internet – enabled devices for our kids, fearing for their safety? Or do we impose a carpet ban on the net itself?

That would be quite regressive, don’t you think and against the grain of progress and development?

The solution is very simple actually. It comprises of a few simple steps that will ensure you stay safe when online:

1)      Secure your devices with the latest comprehensive security software – including all gaming devices and phones with Internet facility. The software for your mobile phones should offer anti-theft, anti-malware/antivirus, app protection and web protection.

2)      Use strong passwords for all access ports and change these frequently. Don’t stay logged in longer than necessary.

3)      Check and verify links and apps before downloading them

4)      Keep geotagging/Bluetooth/Webcam/apps permission turned off and turn them on only when needed.

Remember, it’s the little precautionary steps that can go a long way in keeping you and your near ones safe online while allowing you the freedom to enjoy the benefits of the net.

Here are some recommended readings for further information on how to safeguard your devices and stay safe online:

How Do I Keep My Kids Safe On iPhone?

What’s on Your Phone? A Lot More than You Realize

Happy surfing people!

I met with key enterprise customers, telecom operators, and partners. I also met with a very knowledgeable journalist from one of the top Russian IT magazines. All these conversations were very enjoyable. Moreover, I was pleased to receive very positive feedback from customers, partners and media about the concept of our holistic security approach with our Security Connected Reference Architecture. My audience was interested to hear from our latest releases, especially our co-developments with Intel and the new protection features we provide for smartphones and tablets. This week, I travelled to the Middle East where I met quite a few key customers. In addition, I attended a Cyber Security Briefing in Saudi Arabia and met with over 50 CIO’s and security executives in the region.  McAfee released its latest Threat Report with Mobile “Drive-by Downloads”, use of twitter for control of mobile botnets, and mobile “Ransomware” counting among the latest trends.

The agenda of the Executive Briefing Center in Amsterdam starts to look pretty packed for the last month of the quarter and starts to fill for October. Customer and partners can experience in real time how attacks behave and spread throughout the Internet. I plan to personally welcome as many customers as possible in the EBC.

Next week I will be travelling to the UK for some exciting new meetings. More to come! Meanwhile don’t forget to stay in touch by following me on my twitter account: @GertJanSchenk

Sometimes, when I am feeling completely strapped for time, I cut corners. I dry shirts in the clothes dryer to avoid ironing them, I use instant mashed potato and we have sandwiches for dinner.

Some of my shortcuts pay off while others don’t. The school shirts are (almost!) totally acceptable and the kids are thrilled to have sandwiches for dinner. The instant mashed potato – well, that’s always a big disaster.

But when it comes to protecting your collection of mobile phones, computers and tablets at home, taking a shortcut could end just like the instant mashed potato does – badly! Keeping your family’s personal identity and information safe when shopping, banking and interacting online is just not worth mucking around with.

So here are a few tips that may help keep your digital lives and devices safe in 2012:

1. Protect your data
The thought of losing my children’s precious baby photos just makes me feel sick. In a recent survey, Australian home Internet users estimated that their photos, contacts and entertainment (their digital assets) were worth almost AU$22,000! So find yourself a security solution that offers data backup and restore features and keep those treasured memories safe and protected.

2. Educate your family and always pay attention to your children’s online activities
Come on – be brave! Banish those computers from the bedroom and position the computer in a high-traffic area in the house. The kitchen is always a great option. And make sure you talk to your kids about what information is and isn’t appropriate to share online.

3. Don’t neglect your Apple devices
The popularity of Apple devices has led to a significant increase in threats which are currently growing by 10 per cent per month, according to McAfee labs. So please install security software that has been developed specifically for the Mac.

4. Mobile’s and tablets also need protection
Don’t assume your mobile and tablets are automatically safe – they aren’t! Threats to mobile phones are growing at a rapid rate with Android devices now the most targeted platform. Be careful when downloading apps and only download from a reputable app store.  Also remember that the Internet is the Internet regardless of where you’re accessing it from, so remember to stay protected and take the same precautions as you would on your PC.

With many kids using their mobile phones to trade games and music via Bluetooth, make sure you factor their devices into your security plan as well.

Now, I know that is a lot to digest. But in the spirit of avoiding an ‘instant mashed potato style disaster’, I think it is important you have all the essential tips.

But please don’t feel overwhelmed. It doesn’t have to be hard work addressing these issues. Just stay one step of the cybercriminals (and your kids!) and invest in active, comprehensive protection for all the devices you use to access the Internet.  See you next time.

Alex