Kaspersky presents at Security Summit

Leading international Internet security and anti-virus specialist Kaspersky Lab is sending two of its experts to present at ITWeb's fourth annual IT Security Summit 2009 from 26 to 28 May.

Over the past few years, the world has witnessed a tremendous growth in cyber crime, with PC, network, and mobile phone attacks rising at an alarming rate. These days cyber crime is a highly profitable business, bypassing the illicit drug trade back in 2006.

On 25 to 28 May, Kaspersky's most renowned cyber crime experts, Costin Raiu and Victor Dronov, head of product development for Kaspersky's Mobile Solutions, will be coming to South Africa and presenting at ITWeb's IT Security Summit at Vodaworld in Midrand.

Raiu, Chief Security Expert at Kaspersky Lab, will discuss Internet banking security while Victor Dronov, Kaspersky's Mobile Solutions product manager, will launch Kaspersky Lab's security product for smartphones - Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0, which will serve to secure mobile users from data loss if a device is lost or stolen, as well as mobile malware and SMS spam.

A large number of cyber crime attacks are directed at online banking systems. Having become a ubiquitous technology, online banking is now the preferred method of managing one's finances all around the world, from home users to large corporations. It was therefore obvious that cyber criminals would eventually start to focus their-money making efforts towards online banking systems.

Attacks against online banking system range from very simple, almost primitive 'social engineering'-based attacks, to highly complex banking Trojans that perform man-in-the-middle attacks against 'state of the art' two-factor authentication systems.

The presentation will provide an overview on how such Trojans operate (films), information about the most popular online banking systems, state of the art security in online banking and tips on how to avoid scams and keep thieves at bay.

The new version of Kaspersky Mobile Security features innovative technologies, providing a high level of protection against the wide range of threats facing smartphone users.

For instance, SMS Find can locate the exact whereabouts of a lost smartphone (for devices with GPS). After sending an SMS with a password to the lost device, the user receives a link to Google Maps containing its exact coordinates.

The anti-theft module of Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 makes it possible for the owner of a lost or stolen smartphone to remotely block access to or completely wipe the memory of the device by simply sending a codeword via SMS to his/her number.

If the SIM card is removed from a lost or stolen phone, the SIM Watch module in Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 sends a hidden message notifying the owner of the new number. This function ensures the owner can delete data from or block the smartphone no matter what the circumstances. Moreover, law enforcement agencies can use the new number to track down the stolen device and return it to its rightful owner.

The parental control component - new to Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 - enables parents to restrict the sending and receiving of messages to a child's phone (eg, premium rate numbers, adult content services, etc). The solution's SMS Find function also allows parents to locate their children if their smartphones have GPS.

Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 also includes an improved anti-spam module. The spam filter not only blocks unsolicited messages but also calls, protecting users from fraudsters and obtrusive advertising. The new version of Kaspersky Mobile Security can function in whitelist mode (only accepting calls and messages from specified contacts) or in blacklist mode (accepting calls and messages from all numbers except those in the list).