BitDefender ®, an award-winning
provider of antivirus software and data security solutions, announced today
that BitDefender Security for Linux has won a VB100 Award from Virus
Bulletin, adding to the company’s growing list of awards for its proactive
threat prevention solutions. BitDefender Security for Linux won the award
in the latest Virus Bulletin comparative review on the Ubuntu Linux Server
Edition Platform.
Virus Bulletin provides PC users with a regular source of intelligence
about computer viruses, their prevention, detection and removal, and how to
recover programs and data following an attack. Virus Bulletin also offers
readers impartial advice about anti-virus security and products.
Virus Bulletin conducts independent comparative testing of anti-virus
products. The tests tend to focus on virus detection rates and scanning
speed, as well as looking at how each product fares when scanning set files
that are known to be clean. In order to display the VB100 logo,
an anti-virus product must have demonstrated in Virus Bulletin tests that:
it detects all viruses currently spreading throughout a diverse user
population during both on-demand and
on-access scanning; and it generates no ” false
positives ” when scanning a set of clean files. The product must fulfil
these criteria in its default state.
“We are extremely proud of our Linux security solutions,” said Adrian
Petrisor, Linux product manager for BitDefender. “This VB100 award is
another confirmation that our solutions are the most powerful and effective
security solutions available to deal with the new malicious e-threats out
there.”
BitDefender Security for Linux is packaged for all the major Linux
distributors and approved for compliance with Novell and Red Hat. It
includes BitDefender Security for Mail Servers and BitDefender Security for
Samba.
BitDefender Security for Mail Servers brings together antivirus,
antispyware, antispam, and antiphishing engines that secure the mail
traffic of companies and service providers. Compatible with the majority of
existing e-mail platforms, the product offers reliable proactive protection
against newly emerging malware and against attempts to steal confidential
and valuable data.
BitDefender Security for Samba provides antivirus and antispyware
protection for Samba network shares. By scanning all accessed files for
known and unknown malware it keeps network users safe and it helps comply
with data protection regulations. The product is highly flexible as the
open source BitDefender vfs module can be compiled against any Samba
version.
About BitDefender®
BitDefender is the creator of one of the industry’s fastest and most
effective lines of internationally certified security software . Since our inception in 2001,
BitDefender has continued to raise the bar and set new standards in
proactive threat prevention. Every day, BitDefender protects tens of
millions of home and corporate users across the globe — giving them the
peace of mind of knowing that their digital experiences will be secure.
BitDefender solutions are distributed by a global network of value-added
distribution and reseller partners in more than 100 countries worldwide.
More information is available on our security solutions ‘ site.
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Panda ActiveScan detected and eliminated 86 percent of malware hidden with rootkits, beating other vendors’ online scanners
Panda Antivirus 2008 detected and eliminated all active and latent rootkits used in the study
GLENDALE, Calif., June 11 /PRNewswire/ — Panda Security today announced that the Company’s anti-malware solutions offer the best protection against malware that uses rootkits, according to a new study by AV-Test.org, an independent anti-virus software testing authority.
The independent study tested several solutions created for Windows XP to determine which ones defend against rootkits created to hide malware. Panda ActiveScan (http://www.pandasecurity.com/activescan/index/), Panda Security’s free online scanner, detected and eliminated 86 percent of the malware strains hidden by rootkits, beating online scanners such as Kaspersky Online Scanner and Trend Micro HouseCall. Panda Security recently released a new version (Panda ActiveScan 2.0) of this powerful online scanner.
The study also tested the effectiveness of consumer solutions from different vendors for Windows Vista. In this test, Panda Antivirus 2008, Panda Security’s consumer solution, detected and successfully removed 100 percent of active and latent rootkits, ahead of solutions such as Kaspersky Anti-Virus and McAfee VirusScan 2008.
Rootkits are programs designed to hide files, processes or registry entries. Although rootkits are not malicious themselves, cyber-criminals frequently use them to hide malicious code. Stealth techniques using rootkits prevent many traditional anti-virus solutions from detecting all malware present on computers. Consequently, many users could be infected without knowing. According to a study conducted by Panda Security, 23 percent of home computers with updated anti-virus protection are infected unknowingly (http://www.infectedornot.com/).
"New security solutions need advanced heuristic and behavior analysis features as well as tools that search deep inside the operating system. Otherwise, they won’t be protecting users properly," explains Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs.
Panda Security’s solutions are based on Collective Intelligence, an innovative protection system to combat the exponential growth of malware. Collective Intelligence is an online, automatic threat management system based on leveraging the knowledge gathered from the user community and other sources by Panda, and correlating and delivering the knowledge from the company’s infrastructure. Panda Security’s Collective Intelligence network is comprised of 4 million computers. The knowledge accumulated in the system contains 11 million malware samples and over 100 million analyzed programs.
More information about the study is available at the AV-Test.org website: http://www.av-test.org/index.php?sub=Papers&menue=1&lang=1
About Panda Security
Panda Security is one of the world’s leading IT security providers, with millions of clients across more than 200 countries and products available in 23 languages. Its mission is to develop and provide global solutions to keep clients’ IT resources free from the damage inflicted by viruses and other computer threats, at the lowest possible total cost of ownership.
Panda Security proposes a new security model, designed to offer a robust solution to the latest cyber-crime techniques. This is manifest in the performance of the company’s technology and products, with detection ratios well above average market standards and most importantly, providing greater security for its clients. For more information and evaluation versions of all Panda Security solutions, visit our website at: http://www.pandasecurity.com/.
CONTACT: Shannon Walsh of Bateman Group, +1-415-269-0849, panda@bateman-group.com, for Panda Security
Web site: http://www.pandasecurity.com/ http://www.av-test.org/
COPYRIGHT 2008 PR Newswire Association LLC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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Online Backup Continues to Emerge Mainstream as Old Industry Giant Snaps up Another Established Backup Brand
BOSTON — David Friend, CEO and co-founder of online data backup company Carbonite, says online backup is continuing to emerge mainstream, as illustrated by another old industry giant gobbling up an established online backup player.
Symantec acknowledged the truth of reports yesterday that it acquired SwapDrive and its companies, Backup.com and WhaleMail.com, leaving Carbonite as one of the last-standing large independent online backup services.
"Frankly, I was surprised that the price was so low, given how hot this market is," Friend said. "However, that’s the danger of being a white label provider to someone like Symantec. It’s like the lawnmower company that sells 80 percent of its output to a major retailer. One day they come along and make you ‘an offer you can’t refuse,’ so to speak."
In the past year, Mozy has been acquired by EMC and Arsenal Digital was acquired by IBM. In previous years Connected and LiveVault were acquired by Iron Mountain, and EVault was acquired by Seagate Technologies
"The online backup space is hot and everyone is suddenly interested in getting into the game," Friend said. "Symantec realized you can protect your PC with antivirus, anti-spyware, and so forth, but the most important thing to protect is your data. Only online backup provides that protection. No anti-anything can keep your hard drive from crashing or keep a burglar from stealing your computer."
Carbonite recently passed its 200 millionth file restored and has backed up more than three billion files for consumers and small businesses.
"One by one our competitors have been snapped up by big old companies and we are standing alone as the top independent backup provider," Friend said. "We’re poised to become the trusted brand in online backup, much like Norton emerged for anti-virus. With a simple and trustworthy product, we are in a position to continue our rapid growth."
About Carbonite
Carbonite launched its Online PCBackup[TM] service in May 2006. Carbonite’s industry-first offer of unlimited backup space for a flat low price revolutionized the market for consumer and small business backup services. So far the company has backed up more than 2.5 billion files, has restored more than 160 million lost files for its customers and has a large data center where capacity is measured in petabytes. There are Carbonite users in nearly 100 countries.
Founded in 2005, Carbonite believes that computer users should not have to think about backup. The company’s mission is to provide an affordable, reliable, secure and easy-to-use solution for the mainstream computer user. Carbonite is available to consumers and small business through numerous channels, including its corporate Web site, major US retailers and international distributors. For more information, please visit www.carbonite.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
Information provided by: Findarticles.com
Scalix, the award-winning Linux email,
calendaring and messaging company, today announced the implementation of
the first stage of a new, flexible, workgroup collaboration technology with
a new ‘Proxy Folder’ feature in the latest 11.4
Scalix release. Proxy Folders enable Scalix administrators to channel
external data feeds to any Scalix-supported client of choice. This new
technical capability marks the beginning of a paradigm shift that will
ultimately transform Scalix from a back-end email system into a central
collaboration platform and management hub through which users can access an
expanding array of data, either managed within Scalix, or channeled from
external sources.
The new Proxy Folder facility enables Scalix
administrators to set up server-side subscriptions to in-house and external
feeds of news, events, and WebCal calendars, which users can access
anywhere they go. Unlike competitive collaboration solutions, that either
require all data to be stored directly within the system or connect to
existing data only through desktop-side integration of a limited set of
clients, Scalix will provide a universal server-side solution with
centrally controlled access via any email
client of choice. Supported clients include Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla
Thunderbird, Sunbird and Lightning, Apple Mail and iCal, Novell Evolution,
and Scalix’s own award-winning AJAX-based browser client, Scalix Web
Access. The system also supports popular mobile device clients from Nokia,
Sony-Ericsson, Motorola, and Apple, as well as well as Blackberry devices
through a third-party add-on. Microsoft Windows Mobile devices will be
supported through upcoming ActiveSync support.
Future Scalix enhancements will provide collaboration workspaces with
enterprise social networking features, integrated instant messaging, and
Voice over IP, as well as full, two-way Proxy Folders for accessing file
servers, Enterprise Content Management systems, and email archive
repositories.
The new Scalix 11.4 release further offers optional Scalix
AntiSpam and Scalix
ZeroHour AntiVirus , utilizing Commtouch’s real-time Recurrent Pattern
Detection technology to stop viruses upon initial release, blocking up to
97 percent of incoming spam without any configuration or spam filter
training. The Scalix Web Access client has a fresh new look, higher
performance, and the ability to overlay multiple calendars, making it
easier than ever to organize a multitude of events and appointments.
“With every Scalix upgrade we are striving to solidify our leadership among
alternatives to Microsoft Exchange and stay ahead of our customers’ needs.
Scalix 11.4 tops past versions with additional features and a sharp-looking
Web client,” said Andreas Typaldos, Xandros CEO. “I find the overlay
calendars and Proxy Folders enormously helpful in arranging my
continent-hopping schedule and tracking a multitude of external and
internal event and news sources. I can access the latest updates from
anywhere using my mobile device or Scalix Web Access, and thanks to
built-in, real time antivirus and antispam, my inbox is now refreshingly
clean.”
“Whether you’re using a PC, a laptop, a hand-held device, or simply
accessing the web via your friend’s computer, email and calendaring are
likely to be at the hub of your everyday work experience. Today, most
people live inside the client-side applications that deliver this
information, and Scalix is now taking advantage of this ubiquitous presence
to turn all supported clients of choice into universal workplaces, where
people can collaborate by using advanced methods of information exchange,”
said Florian von Kurnatowski, Scalix Director of Product Management. “The
result is an elegant, cost-effective, universal replacement for the current
crop of bloated, proprietary, client-specific, corporate collaboration
suites. This server-side, client-agnostic solution forms the heart of the
Scalix collaboration suite. It will be simple to administer, and open to
existing and upcoming forms of backend integration, based on industry and
open standards.”
Pricing and availability:
Full details of the new
features in Scalix 11.4 are posted on the Scalix web site, where the
free Community Edition including the Proxy Folders feature is available for
immediate
download . For licensing details on the Small Business, Enterprise, and
Hosting editions of Scalix 11.4 as well as optional features such as Scalix
AntiSpam and ZeroHour AntiVirus, please contact Scalix sales at
info@scalix.com .
About Scalix
Scalix, Inc., a wholly owned Xandros subsidiary, is the premier Linux
email, calendaring and messaging company. Scalix reduces the cost and
complexity of messaging and fosters freedom of choice with products based
on open standards and open source. With over one million mailboxes
deployed, 200,000 Community Edition downloads, 7,400 community forum
members and over 1,000 enterprise customers, Scalix is the most
field-proven
Linux-based enterprise collaboration platform. Xandros and Scalix are
headquartered in New York with research and development facilities in
Ottawa, Europe, and Mumbai, and sales and support offices worldwide. For
more information, please visit www.scalix.com .
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Scientists have succeeded in developing a whole-virus bird flu vaccine that appears to be safe, more effective than the one currently approved for human use and also able to be manufactured much more quickly than conventional vaccines.
Three-quarters of volunteers produced antibodies against the virus after receiving a second dose of the vaccine, CELVAPAN, made by Baxter, compared with only 45 percent in the currently approved vaccine.
Importantly, the study confirms the feasibility of using new, cell culture-derived vaccine.
“The fact that they were able to do this, and very efficiently, and get such good antibody response reinforces and reconfirms that, even for the annual flu virus, we need to move away from embryonated hens’ eggs [the current method for producing vaccines] and move to cell cultures,” said Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean of the graduate program in public health at the State University of New York …
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WATERTOWN, Mass. — Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PANC), a biotechnology company dedicated to developing the next generation of antiviral therapeutic products, will broadcast its Research and Development Day over the internet on Wednesday June 18, at 12:00 pm ET. The meeting and webcast will be hosted by Alan W. Dunton, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Panacos. The event will feature Company updates by management, as well as discussions led by Key Opinion Leaders in HIV.
Interested parties may access the webcast through the Company’s website at www.panacos.com. A replay will be available for 30 days.
About Panacos
Panacos is developing the next generation of anti-infective products through discovery and development of small molecule oral drugs for the treatment of HIV and other major human viral diseases. Approximately 1 million people in the United States and approximately 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV. Approximately 475,000 patients are treated annually for HIV in the United States. Resistance to currently available drugs is one of the most pressing problems in HIV therapy and the leading cause of treatment failure. Panacos’ proprietary discovery technologies are designed to combat resistance by focusing on novel targets in the virus life cycle, including virus maturation and virus fusion.
Panacos’ lead candidate, bevirimat (PA-457), is the first in a new class of oral HIV therapeutics under development called maturation inhibitors, discovered by Panacos scientists and their academic collaborators. Based on its novel mechanism of action, bevirimat is designed to have potent activity against a broad range of HIV strains, including those that are resistant to existing classes of drugs. The Company has completed 11 clinical studies of bevirimat in over 485 patients and healthy volunteers, showing significant reductions in viral load in HIV-infected patients and a promising safety profile, and is currently in Phase 2b clinical trials. The Company also has a second-generation program in HIV maturation inhibition and has selected a lead compound for preclinical development in its oral HIV fusion inhibitor program.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
Information provided by: Findarticles.com
WATERTOWN, Mass. — Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANC), today announced factors that predict treatment response to bevirimat, a novel, oral HIV maturation inhibitor. The findings were described during multiple presentations at the 17th International HIV Drug Resistance Workshop in Sitges, Spain, considered the leading conference on HIV drug resistance. Aggregate data from Panacos’ recent Phase 2b clinical study in heavily treatment-experienced patients demonstrated that functional monotherapy with bevirimat resulted in a mean viral load reduction of 1.26 log10 in patients who had these response predictors and a threshold bevirimat concentration of 20 ug/mL.
The predictors of response to bevirimat are located at three codon positions on the 500-amino acid HIV-1 Gag protein. Bevirimat specifically blocks a late step in processing of Gag, leading to the production of virus particles that are structurally defective and are incapable of spreading infection around the body. Patients who have virus with the most commonly occurring amino acids at positions 369, 370 or 371 on Gag are much more likely to respond to bevirimat treatment. In contrast, those patients whose virus has polymorphisms (variants) at these positions are less likely to respond to the drug. These retrospective clinical data have been confirmed by multiple laboratory analyses and currently are being tested in a prospective clinical trial in treatment-experienced and treatment-naive HIV patients.
Any change in the amino acid sequence of Gag may be determined easily with a simple and rapid genotype assay, the type of HIV resistance test most frequently ordered by HIV-treating clinicians.
The frequency of Gag polymorphisms is variable depending on the population tested. In one survey of an academic patient database in North America, polymorphisms at Gag positions 369, 370, or 371 were absent in 60.2% of 567 treatment-naive patients. A 2007 publication from multiple HIV clinics in France demonstrated that approximately 68% of samples from 82 protease inhibitor-experienced patients were free of these same Gag polymorphisms (Malet, et al, AIDS 2007, Vol 21, No 7:871-3). Patients without these Gag polymorphisms would be ideal candidates for bevirimat treatment.
Dr. Alan W. Dunton, Panacos’ President and CEO, stated, "Identifying the specific predictors of treatment response to bevirimat is an important advance. These significant results–in such heavily treatment-experienced patients– should allow us to design bevirimat trials in a way to maximize the chance of a treatment response. These pioneering data are being incorporated into our clinical programs and the design of our Phase 3 registration studies for this first-in-class novel mechanism compound."
In the Phase 2b study, which forms the basis for the presentations, 44 heavily treatment-experienced patients were given bevirimat for 14 days as functional monotherapy in escalating dose groups. Baseline clinical and virological variables were assessed to establish the determinants of bevirimat response. Response was also correlated with the baseline HIV Gag amino acid sequence.
The clinical data on bevirimat patient response predictors were presented in the following session at the International HIV Drug Resistance Workshop:
June 11, 2008, 11:45 AM; Location: Melia Sitges
ORAL PRESENTATION, Abstract Title: HIV-1 Gag Polymorphisms Determine Treatment Response to Bevirimat (PA-457)
Contributing authors: S. McCallister, J. Lalezari, G. Richmond, M. Thompson, R. Harrigan, D. Martin, K. Salzwedel, G. Allaway
Three additional poster presentations at the Resistance Workshop described studies confirming the role of Gag polymorphisms on bevirimat activity. The first was a collaborative study between Panacos scientists and Dr. Eric Freed’s laboratory at the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD.
Abstract Title: Role of Gag Polymorphisms in HIV-1 Sensitivity to the Maturation Inhibitor Bevirimat
Contributing authors: K. Salzwedel, M. Reddick, C. Matallana, C. Finnegan, C. Adamson, M. Sakalian, D. Stanley, E. Freed, G. Allaway
In this study, the researchers generated HIV-1 bearing polymorphisms in the Gag SP1 peptide, adjacent to bevirimat’s target at the capsid (CA)-SP1 junction, by point mutation or construction of chimeric viruses containing CA-SP1 regions from bevirimat-treated patients. Viruses containing deletions, substitutions or naturally occurring polymorphisms at Gag positions 369, 370 and 371 in SP1 displayed reduced sensitivity to bevirimat in viral replication assays as well as in assays of the inhibition of CA-SP1 cleavage by bevirimat.
A second study was presented by scientists at InPheno AG, Basel, Switzerland in collaboration with Panacos.
Abstract Title: New Phenotyping Assay Demonstrates Role of Gag-SP1 Polymorphisms in HIV-1 Sensitivity to the Maturation Inhibitor Bevirimat
Contributing authors: F. Hamy, S. Louvel, K. Salzwedel, T. Klimkait
In this study, a high throughput phenotyping assay was used to assess susceptibility to bevirimat using clinical virus samples. The level of in vitro sensitivity was closely related to the presence or absence of polymorphisms at Gag residues 369/370/371, supporting the clinical correlations that have been observed.
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