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Engadget giveaway: Win a security package courtesy of Bitdefender!
Deliveries left out on your doorstep, nocturnal pet activities and network-connected devices open wide to the world for possible hacking or botnet conscription are just some of the reasons Bitdefender has provided this week's giveaway package. The company's Box 2 is at the center, essentially a dual-band router with a specialty in cybersecurity protection. The device can monitor your network traffic for dubious activity, provide a VPN for privacy and protect your devices from malware. Bitdefender's subscription service also provides Parental Control to safeguard children against cyberbullying and online predators. There are a host of ways this service can be a useful line of defense in an increasingly connected age, and once set up, you can worry less about them. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to five chances at winning this package, which includes a Bitdefender Box 2 (with 1-year subscription), Blink 5-camera monitoring system and Ring Video Doorbell 2. Good luck! Winner: Congratulations to Jason H. of Gowen, MI! (TBC)
34 major tech companies are uniting to fight cyberattacks
Cyberattacks are a global issue that can cause havoc regardless of who's involved, and key members of the tech industry are uniting in a bid to fight these attacks. A group of 34 companies has signed the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, an agreement promising to defend customers around the world from hacks regardless of where they take place or who the perpetrator might be. They're promising to boost defenses for customers (including users' capacity to defend themselves), establish more partnerships to share threats and vulnerabilities, and -- importantly -- refuse to assist governments in launching cyberattacks.
Engadget giveaway: Win a trio of Nest products courtesy of Bitdefender!
With more internet-facing smart devices in homes than ever before, it's wise to consider securing that digital portal. The Bitdefender Box connects to your home router, providing an easy-to-setup shield for all the data flowing through it. It scans for malware and adds a layer of protection to help keep your data and IoT devices safe from prying eyes. That security can also extend to your Mac, PC and mobile devices (iOS and Android) when you're away from home by using Bitdefender's Private Line feature. For a limited time, Box is available for just $99, which is half off its regular price and includes one year of the company's subscription service. To help promote this deal, the company is providing one lucky reader with a Bitdefender Box and Nest's lineup of IoT products including the Protect, Thermostat and Cam. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this smart and secure home combo! Winner: Congratulations to Charlie P. of Boise, ID!
Engadget UK giveaway: win a Galaxy Note 5 courtesy of Bitdefender
Samung's Galaxy Note 5 isn't officially available in the UK -- not yet, anyway -- but nonetheless, we've got a cheeky import to send the way of one lucky reader this week. The 32GB, Black Sapphire model comes courtesy of our friends at Bitdefender, who are celebrating the recent launch of their new Mobile Security and Antivirus suite for Android. The app uses Bitdefender's constantly updated, cloud-based antivirus services to keep your device malware-free, and allows you lock individual apps with passcodes for an extra layer of protection from idle hands. Alongside several anti-theft tools, the app also offers secure web browsing, a breakdown of app permissions that may be cause for concern, and Android Wear integration that alerts your smartwatch when you stray an uncomfortable distance from your phone. And whoever wins the Galaxy Note 5 this week will also get a full year's subscription to Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus for free. As always, you can enter the competition up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below, though we'd ask you give the rules a quick once-over first.
Engadget giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 courtesy of Bitdefender!
As major corporations continue to succumb to hacks and the government's prying eyes are still relatively unchecked, it's always a good idea to bulk up your personal security. Bitdefender has been in the business of just that for years and now its new Mobile Security and Antivirus is available to secure your mobile Android devices. The app stays lean by using in-the-cloud antivirus services which are continually updated. On your device, it offers malware scanning, device tracking in the case of possible theft, App Lock to secure individual apps with a pin and Privacy Advisor to help keep your private data safe from snooping apps. There's even Android Wear integration to alert you if you step too far away from your smartphone. If you enter this week, that handset could be a new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (32GB, Black Sapphire), along with a year's subscription to Bitdefender's service. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this security app and Android smartphone package. Winner: Congratulations to Vincent T. of Los Angeles, CA!
Engadget giveaway: win an iPhone 6 and BOX courtesy of Bitdefender!
There are more internet-facing devices scattered throughout our homes than ever before and that warrants some thought on security. Bitdefender's Box can help keep your data safe and network malware free when connected to your router and running local interference with its antivirus software. The umbrella of protection includes IoT devices like smart TVs and appliances, gaming consoles, smartphones and computers, helping to block threats and digital intruders. Box's mobile app lets you monitor the system for vulnerabilities, keep everything up to date and extends data protection with its Private Line service even when your handset is outside the home network. One lucky Engadget reader will get to try out that mobile safety and home protection this week with by winning their very own iPhone 6 and Bitdefender Box. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Winner: congratulations to Jo G. of East Palo Alto, CA!
Engadget UK giveaway: win a Galaxy Note 4 courtesy of Bitdefender
Christmas is a time of giving, but let's be honest, being on the receiving end is so much better. Over the next few weeks, we're going to be running back-to-back giveaways as we approach the festive season -- and winners won't even need to wait until the 25th to start playing with their free toys. To kick things off, we've got a new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (octa-core Exynos variant) to gift to one lucky reader, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Bitdefender and their Mobile Security software for Android. For a modest subscription fee, the app will protect your device from malware, advise you when app permissions might be cause for concern, let you track and wipe your phone remotely if it's been pinched, and even keep your Android Wear smartwatch safe. If you don't know the drill already, UK residents can enter the giveaway up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Before you start clicking away, though, give the rules a quick read, would ya? Winning: congrats to Pete D. from Meifod, Wales!
iOS privacy sleuth Clueful returns as a web app
After having been yanked from the App Store by Apple in July, an app called Clueful has found a second chance at life on the web. Created by Bitdefender, the app was designed to present a searchable database of other iOS apps and information on what ways they share your personal data. Neither Apple nor Bitdefender ever explained the app's exorcism but it appears that the latter still believes there's some usefulness to the concept. Like with the iOS-native original, the web-based Clueful lets you look up any iOS app and see how it shares user data, from sending your UDID to its developer to silently tracking your location. The web app also lets you see the current top free apps, biggest privacy offenders and apps most recently analyzed by Bitdefender for privacy incursions. Clueful's web-based interface is built to look like an iOS app running on an actual iPhone. The site looks and sounds like it's built to promote an actual iOS app, which has us wondering if Clueful for iOS is on the verge of a return to the App Store, with this site merely serving to demo its functionality. We'll keep you posted if it does resurface.
Apple pulls Bitdefender's privacy app Clueful
Apple has pulled an app named Clueful from the App Store, though it hasn't been completely forthcoming yet as to why the app was pulled. Clueful is an app from a company called Bitdefender that's designed to let iPhone users monitor what their other apps are doing or sharing in terms of usage. One of Bitdefender's reps does say that "most app developers use [Clueful's] information for legitimate purposes, others might not," so it's possible that the app allowed for some less-than-secure activity on the part of app developers or users. It's unclear what that is, however. It seems from the project's FAQ that Clueful did try to interact with other apps on the iPhone, and that seems like something open to exploits and issues. At any rate, the app's gone now. If you already have it installed, you can obviously keep it, but for now, there won't be any new installs from the App Store. The big question here is, of course, why the app was approved in the first place. Bitdefender didn't add any functionality to the app to get it removed, so there must have been something Apple missed. Hopefully, we'll hear more in the future about the problems behind Clueful, and we'll get a good reason why Apple suddenly changed its mind.
PC malware targeting iTunes, iPad users
Here's a cute trick. Some PC owners are getting emails alerting them to a new version of iTunes that has been updated "...for best iPad performance, newer features and security." The email provides a link, asking recipients to download a "new" version of iTunes. You see where this is going, of course. Those who follow through actually download a counterfeit version of iTunes which contains malicious code that opens up a backdoor allowing unauthorized access to a PC. According to security software firm BitDefender, the code, called Backdoor.Bifrose.AADY, attempts to read the keys and serial numbers of the various software installed on the affected computer. It also logs the victim's ICQ, Messenger and POP3 mail account password plus protected storage login. Of course, BitDefender would be glad to sell you some anti-malware software to clean the mess up, but it's better still to know about this in advance and not download what looks like Apple software from anyone other than Apple. Mac owners can rest easy. This malware only hits on PCs.
