CompuTech Systems: Latest News

Award honors given to ESET

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:12:57 +0000

Between ESET NOD32 Antivirus and ESET Smart Security, we've earned an impressive number of awards, certifications and recognitions.

	ESET has achieved 52 Virus Bulletin VB100 Awards, more than any other vendor. In Virus Bulletin's comparative tests, ESET NOD32 Antivirus has not missed an 'In the Wild' virus sample since May 1998.

	In an independent test by AV-Comparatives, ESET NOD32 Antivirus has consistently achieved the best results among all tested brands. "ESET NOD32 Antivirus is the leader in Advanced+ awards, having received top honors in each of the last five tests. This represents the most proactive malware detection capabilities of all the products tested over the last 12 months."

	In April of 2008, ESET Smart Security secured the honor of Consumers Digest "Best Buy." Consumers Digest Best Buy is defined as a product that offers the most value for a given amount of money. That doesn't mean it is the least expensive product in its category, nor does it mean it is the best-known brand. A Consumers Digest best buy is a nationally available product we've identified as one that merits special attention from consumers based on its combination of performance, ease-of-use, features, durability, warranty, efficiency, styling, and maintenance and servicing requirements.

	In 2007, ESET joined the Inc. 500. Every year the Inc. 500 celebrates the remarkable achievements of today's entrepreneurial superstars—the men and women leading the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America. The Inc. 500 list has long provided a showcase for the best in American Business and has been the first to identify many companies that are now household names including Microsoft, Oracle, Timberland, Patagonia, and Domino's Pizza. The Inc. 500 is a look at our nation's future, with Inc. 500 entrepreneurs leading us onward and upward.

	The 2007 SC Magazine Readers Choice Awards brought in over 500 nominations this year. ESET is honored to be a finalist in the Best Anti-Malware Solutions Category. The Winners will be announced on February 6, 2007 at the Hilton in San Francisco.

	The ESET Smart Security Business Edition and ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4Business Edition solutions completed the rigorous testing program and both garnered OESISOK certification. OESISOK certification from OPSWAT affirms that ESET products are correctly installed on all supported operating systems, is not detected as malware, demonstrates ability to detect threats with high accuracy, and is detectable by the OESIS Framework.

	ICSA (A division of TruSecure Corporation) use a very similar testing methodology to Virus Bulletin. Whereas the VB 100% is awarded to a specific product on a "snapshot" basis, with no failure correction period allowed, ICSA Certification concentrates more on requiring a product to achieve and maintain a particular level.

	ESET was the second company to be certified against this rigorous test set of more than 28,000 spyware objects. In fact, ESET NOD32 Antivirus had a significant lead over dedicated spyware applications. The Checkmark certification is operated by West Coast Labs, a division of West Coast Publishing.

	West Coast Labs has a virus library with many thousands of different viruses and variants, collected through a bespoke harvesting process. For a product to be certified to Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One the product must be able to detect all those viruses which are "In the Wild". This gives a clear and independent indication to end users of those anti-virus products that they can be relied on to perform to Level One functionality.

	For a product to be certified Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level Two the product must comply with Anti-Virus Checkmark, Level One and, in addition, disinfect all viruses on the "in the wild" list which are capable of disinfection. Disinfection means: That the virus is (or is substantially) removed from the infected object and the object is usable; the application/program should not hang or crash the machine, the machine should boot up correctly, the document should so far as possible be restored to its former uninfected state without loss of data.

	For a product to be certified to the Trojan Checkmark the product must be able to detect all Trojans in the West Coast Labs Trojan test suite, which is regularly updated. The product should not cause any false alarms (based on testing against the West Coast Labs false alarm test suite).

	The award was given based on readers' votes against a number of antivirus products, and ESET NOD32 Antivirus is the most popular product here which gets most votes from readers and IT users, beating the other products such as Symantec, TrendMicro, and McAfee.

	Best Solution in Linux&OSS, Editor Choice 2005 and 2006 (2 consecutive years).

	The main purpose of CheckVir project is testing antivirus products and solutions independently from developers, helping users and antivirus companies. ESET NOD32 Antivirus gained CheckVir Advanced award in a proactive test (October, 2006) where CheckVir Lab tested the heuristic capabilities of several anti-virus products.

	In October 2006, ESET NOD32 Antivirus was awarded with CheckVir Mailscanner award. During this certification process only infectious virus samples are used which are published on the Wildlist. Antivirus products pass the certification process only if they stop the infected incoming and outgoing e-mail messages.

	For the third time (since Middle East operation started) ESET NOD32 Antivirus won the Best Performance Award from latest Windows Middle East Magazine test in antivirus segment.

	ESET NOD32 Antivirus has been awarded by SoftPedia with five stars and SoftPedia Pick Award which is given to products that SoftPedia editors think are excellent and above average in their category. Awards are based on the editors’ experience and judgment, and awarded are only products which the majority of the reviewers agree deserve it.

	ESET, LLC was, for the fifth successive year, ranked among the top companies in the prestigious Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program. As in previous years, Eset has made steady progress towards the top. Since 2002, when this producer of the award winning antivirus solution, ESET NOD32 Antivirus, entered the program, the company has progressed from 33rd place to the current 9th spot with the growth of 1,100 percent over the period of five years. Thus ESET has reached the TOP 10 of the most successful companies of 2006.

	Since 2002, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA program has ranked the 500 high-tech companies based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa that have achieved the fastest rates of annual revenue growth. The winners, chosen on the basis of their nomination and a thorough company assessment conducted by Deloitte company, are announced annually in autumn. Eset received the award for the fourth consecutive year.

	ESET NOD32 Antivirus is very light on hard disk space and, amazingly, uses little memory. We were also very pleased with the short time it took to scan the entire hard disk. Fast, secure, and easy on the computer's memory and hard disk, it is hard to fault ESET NOD32 Antivirus. Idran Junadi , PCMagazine Singapore, October 2005

	ESET is named the antivirus manufacturer of the year by PC Magazine Middle East for 2005.

	"Excellent detection of viruses and spyware .You're not going to get better protection than this." (Australian PC User, October 2005)

	PC Utilities editor's choice. ESET NOD32 Antivirus was chosen by PC Utilities as the Editor's choice for an anti-virus system.

	In the test performed by SWPower in September 2005, ESET NOD32 Antivirus received the highest possible rating of six points. The mark given by SWPower editors shown the current best antivirus based on update, price, efficiency and available localize version. Full review in Slovenian language: http://www.nod32.si/Test_NOD32_revija_SWPower.pdf

	In its November 2003 Antivirus Test Comparison, PC Chip Croatia rated ESET NOD32 Antivirus as the #1 performer in both speed and detection... ahead of antivirus industry heavyweights Norton, McAfee, TrendMicro, Kaspersky, AVG, eTrust, H+BEDV, Panda, and Sophos. "Since the beginning, ESET NOD32 Antivirus was rudely neglected in favor of "big names" - the famous web site Cnet went so far as to bury ESET NOD32 Antivirus as a third class program with doubtful quality - but they could not have gone further from the truth, because ESET NOD32 Antivirus is the winner of many awards and certificates from the most respected independent labs and groups in the antivirus industry." wrote the PC Chip Editor in his review.

	ESET NOD32 Antivirus receives a 2003 InfoWorld Readers' Choice Award from InfoWorld Media Group, responsible for delivering award-winning technology and product news, research and analysis to the IT community for more than 25 years. More than 1000 readers voted this year's Readers' Choice Award. ESET NOD32 Antivirus has also received the InfoWorld Test Center's top rating of Excellent, a mark given by InfoWorld editors and analysts to products that have shown top quality and market readiness. "ESET NOD32 Antivirus provides excellent functionality and simple administration in a package that won't tax computer or human resources." (InfoWorld, July 2003) InfoWorld is a division of IDG, the world's leading technology, media, research, and event company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net, which comprises more than 330 targeted Websites in 80 countries.

	One of the most popular German website portals dedicated to Windows software applications Wintotal.de granted ESET NOD32 Antivirus the Wintotal Award. In the tests performed by wintotal.de staff in August 2002, ESET NOD32 Antivirus received the highest possible rating of six points. The categories considered in the evaluation process include efficiency and speed of the scanning engine, system/resource requirements of the antivirus system, frequency of system updates and user friendliness of the graphical user interface.

	Chosen as the BEST ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM OF 2001 by PC User Magazine of Australia. "In PC User's most recent antivirus tests, only one program provided 100% protection against all viruses in a very large test set --- ESET NOD32 Antivirus." Not surprising since ESET NOD32 Antivirus is the only product to have never missed an "In The Wild" virus during Virus Bulletin Testing. "ESET NOD32 Antivirus also has effective heuristics to protect against unknown viruses, and the company is really on the ball with updates." Next Generation Antivirus programs use advanced heuristics to detect new Viruses, Worms, Trojans and assorted Malware - ESET NOD32 Antivirus has the most advanced heuristics available. "The penalty for thorough scanning is normally a longer scan time, but ESET NOD32 Antivirus was the fastest as well as the most thorough." ESET NOD32 Antivirus avoids the baggage carried by most other programs - written in machine code, it scans the executable files at least two times faster than any other antivirus product available. "Is it any wonder we awarded ESET NOD32 Antivirus as PC User's Best Antivirus Program of 2001?" Actually it is a very pleasant surprise to see a major publication willing to acknowledge the superior performance of a product that doesn't spend any money advertising in it. "ESET NOD32 Antivirus, more than any other program, is simply a must-have!!!"

ESET on the Radio

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:57:51 +0000

Listen to our radio broadcasted interview

Let's Talk Computers® ranks as one of the longest running radio computer talk shows, distributing up-to-the minute computer information since 1989. Produced in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, At present, it is broadcast via radio in 7 states: Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and New Mexico and on the world wide web via the Internet.

29/09/2008 - Cyber Crime - How Can we Combat it?

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the damaging effects of cybercrime and how you can most effectively combat it.

To find out about "The Damaging Effects of Cybercrime and What You Can Do to Combat It" and to read the complete transcript of this interview : click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

23/08/2008 - Class on - How to Write a Virus - Not a Good Idea

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about why teaching a College course on How to Write a Virus is Not a good Idea. In fact it is a very BAD idea.

To find out about why teaching a Course on "How to Write a Virus - is NOT a Good Idea," and how to protect yourself and to read the complete transcript of this interview : click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

19/07/2008 - Why a Browser Will Not Make You Safe?

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the misconception that new browsers can keep you safe on the internet and why you still must have a rellable anti-threat solution.

To find out about "Why a Browser Can Not Keep You Safe While on the Internet" and to read the complete transcript of this interview : click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

31/05/2008 - What to Do If You Get Email from the IRS?

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about what to do if you get an email from the IRS about your tax stimulus package.

To find out about The IRS Tax Stimulus Package Scam and Other Email Scams and how to protect yourself and to read the complete transcript of this interview : click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

19/04/2008 - First line of defense - a reliable Firewall

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about why having a reliable firewall is a "must," in order to provide that "first line of defense," to keep your computer safe from Internet threats.

To Find Out "Why Your First Line of Defense From Internet Threats must be a Good Firewall," and and to read the complete transcript of this interview: click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

22/03/2008 - Potential Security Risk with Remote Workers

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the "Potential Security Risk with Remote Workers," and what businesses can do to minimize that risk.

To Find Out "How Remote Workers Increase the Security Risk for Businesses" and and to read the complete transcript of this interview: click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

16/02/2008 - Real Cost of Identity Theft

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the ever-growing threat of identity theft and what we can do to prevent it.

To find out "What is The Real Cost of Identity Theft" and to read the complete transcript of this interview click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

19/01/2008 - Stopping Viruses Cold

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the newest outbreak of viruses that can seriously impact your computer system, and how the latest family of ESET Products, NOD32 and ESET Smart Security that stops them cold before they can do any damage.

To Find Out About "Blended Threats and How To Stop Them Cold" and to read the complete transcript of this interview click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

22/12/2007 - NOD32, version 3.0

Randy Abrams, Director, Technical Education with ESET, talks about how Version 3 of their award winning NOD32, provides you even more protection against Internet threats.

To Find Out How To Outsmart Internet threats with NOD32 version 3.0 and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

24/11/2007 - Smart Security Software

Randy Abrams, Director, Technical Education of ESET, talks about their new ESET Smart Security Software, which gives you maximum protection against all kinds of threats against your computer.

To learn more about the new ESET Smart Security and to read the complete transcript of this interview click here

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

03/11/2007 - Viruses are not Dead

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education with ESET, talks about the myth that "Viruses are dead." The reality is that once a known virus is trapped, it may still reappear in a new form that will cause additional mischief.

To find out "Are Viruses Dead - and Do We Need To Worry about Them Returning" and to read the complete transcript click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

29/09/2007 - Cyber Crime - How Can we Combat it?

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks about the damaging effects of cybercrime and how you can most effectively combat it.

Find out more about "The Damaging Effects of Cybercrime and What You Can Do to Combat It" and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

25/08/2007 - Bogus Anti-Threat Testing

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks how unreliable anti-threat testing methods that some companies provide, can often give you a false sense of security.

To find out "Does Your Anti-Threat Software Actually Protect - Bogus Testing Methods" and to read a complete transcript of this interview, click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

21/07/2007 - Hidden Dangers of Ecards & Egreetings

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET, talks the hidden dangers of opening an Ecard or an Egreeting, as well as the recent wave of Storm worm attacks that have used social engineering via ecards to trick users into running all kinds of malware and what we can do to protect ourselves from these Internet threats.

To learn all about "The Hidden Dangers of eCards and eGreeting" and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

19/05/2007 - Suites vs. Best of Breed

Mike Lowery, Senior Training Manager with ESET talks about the reality of "Suites vs. Best of Breed", when it comes to anti-threat software and how that affects your computer system.

To find out more about Anti-Threat Software - Suites vs. Best of Breed and to read complete transcript click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

31/03/2007 - NOD32

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education from ESET, discusses why, even with your new computer system that has Vista Operating System on it, you still need an additional full protection anti-threat system such as NOD32 to keep your computer safe.

To find out why "New Computers Need Full Protection Anti-Threat Coverage" and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

27/01/2007 - NOD32

Randy Abrams, Director of Technical Education at ESET talks about why you still need the protection of an anti-threat software such as NOD32 when running Microsoft Vista.

To find out why you still need anti-threat software with Vista and to read a complete transcript of this interview, click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

18/11/2006 - NOD32

Andrew Lee, Chief Research Officer from ESET discusses root kits and how they impact our computer system. Body: Andrew Lee, Chief Research Officer from ESET discusses root kits and how they impact our computer system. Andrew states that, "Trojans, viruses and any files that were collected by a key logger can all hide under a rootkit." Now NOD32 even removes active rootkits in the latest release.

To find out how to prevent dangerous rootkits from taking over your computer system and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

23/09/2006 - nod32

Scott Brown, Information Security Analyst from Colby-Sawyer College, talks about unique challenges that educators and students face in educational environments and what benefits his campus has realized after switching from a more popular antivirus to ESET's NOD32.

To find out why Colby-Sawyer College switched from a more popular antivirus to ESET's NOD32 and to read a complete transcript of this interview click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

29/07/2006 - Harris Interactive Survey

Rick Moy, VP of Marketing from ESET talks about the Harris Interactive Survey that concludes that "the majority of U.S. adult computer users are unprotected from malware" and what ESET has done to solve this problem.

To find out more eye-opening results of the "Harris Interactive Survey" and to read an entire transcript of this interview, click here.

Listen to ESET's interview using:
Listen Online Real Audio Windows Media Player

Monthly Malware Statistics: July 2009

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:55:20 +0000

This malware rating is compiled from data generated by the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN).

The first Top Twenty lists malicious programs, adware and potentially unwanted programs that were detected and neutralized when accessed for the first time, i.e. by using the on-access scanner. Using on-access statistics makes it possible to analyze the most recent, most dangerous and most widespread malicious programs that were blocked when launched on users' computers or when downloaded from the Internet.

Position	Change in position	Name	Number of infected computers
1	0	Net-Worm.Win32.Kido.ih	51126
2	0	Virus.Win32.Sality.aa	24984
3	1	Trojan-Downloader.Win32.VB.eql	9472
4	2	Trojan.Win32.Autoit.ci	8250
5	0	Worm.Win32.AutoRun.dui	6514
6	1	Virus.Win32.Virut.ce	5667
7	3	Virus.Win32.Sality.z	5525
8	1	Net-Worm.Win32.Kido.jq	5496
9	-1	Worm.Win32.Mabezat.b	4675
10	4	Net-Worm.Win32.Kido.ix	4055
11	-8	Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Flystud.ko	3764
12	5	Packed.Win32.Klone.bj	3677
13	-1	Virus.Win32.Alman.b	3571
14	1	Worm.Win32.AutoIt.i	3524
15	-2	Packed.Win32.Black.a	3472
16	-5	Trojan-Downloader.JS.LuckySploit.q	3335
17	1	Email-Worm.Win32.Brontok.q	3007
18	2	not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Shopper.v	2841
19	0	Worm.Win32.AutoRun.rxx	2798
20	New	IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.gen	2719

There were no significant changes to the first Top Twenty in July: Kido and Sality remain the runaway leaders.

However, the overall number of computers infected by the most common malicious programs has fallen slightly. This may have something to do with users spending less time in front of their PCs in midsummer, resulting in fewer machines becoming infected with malware.

Position	Change in position	Name	Number of infected web pages
1	0	Trojan-Downloader.JS.Gumblar.a	8538
2	2	Trojan-Clicker.HTML.IFrame.kr	7805
3	2	Trojan-Downloader.HTML.IFrame.sz	5213
4	-1	Trojan-Downloader.JS.LuckySploit.q	4719
5	New	Trojan-Downloader.HTML.FraudLoad.a	4626
6	0	Trojan-Downloader.JS.Major.c	3778
7	New	Trojan-GameThief.Win32.Magania.biht	2911
8	New	Trojan-Downloader.JS.ShellCode.i	2652
9	-1	Trojan-Clicker.HTML.IFrame.mq	2576
10	New	Exploit.JS.DirektShow.o	2476
11	-2	Trojan.JS.Agent.aat	2402
12	New	Exploit.JS.DirektShow.j	2367
13	New	Exploit.HTML.CodeBaseExec	2266
14	0	Exploit.JS.Pdfka.gu	2194
15	New	Trojan-Downloader.VBS.Psyme.ga	2007
16	New	Exploit.JS.DirektShow.a	1988
17	-10	Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Agent.cdam	1947
18	-5	Trojan-Downloader.JS.Agent.czm	1815
19	-17	Trojan-Downloader.JS.Iframe.ayt	1810
20	New	Trojan-Downloader.JS.Iframe.bew	1766

Everything is a lot more interesting in the second Top Twenty, which presents data generated by the web antivirus component and reflects the online threat landscape. This ranking includes malicious programs detected on web pages and malware which attempted to load from web pages. In other words, the second ranking answers two questions: “What malware most often infects web pages?” and “Which malicious programs are most often downloaded - with or without the user's knowledge - from malicious or infected pages?”

Looking at the rating, we can see three script exploits named DirektShow. We wrote about the Internet Explorer vulnerability this script exploits in early July (http://www.viruslist.com/en/weblog?weblogid=208187760). As Internet Explorer is the browser of choice for the majority of users, it's no surprise that this vulnerability was immediately heavily exploited by cybercriminals.

Recently there has been a tendency for cybercriminals to split malicious scripts into several parts – in the case of DirektShow, the main page with the exploit for the msvidctl vulnerability contains a link to another script that downloads shell code with its own malicious payload. Trojan-Downloader.JS.ShellCode.i, in eighth place in our rating, is the shell code most commonly used to exploit this vulnerability. This approach is straightforward and is particularly beneficial for the cybercriminal – the shell code script can be replaced at any time but the link to the main page remains the same. This set-up makes it more difficult to analyze and create detection for such malware, and where automated systems are used, it may be impossible.

In order to make spreading malware (specifically ransomware in the form of rogue antivirus applications) easier, the same web templates will be used over and over again. Trojan-Downloader.HTML.FraudLoad.a – a new entry in July – is an example of this approach; this detection actually detects one of the stock templates. Such malware is becoming increasingly popular in the world of cybercrime. As a result, a huge number of websites are appearing which claim that the user's computer is infected, and then download programs which are not only annoying, but also often pose a real threat. In twentieth place in July’s rating – Trojan-Downloader.JS.Iframe.bew – is one such script used to download malicious programs from such sites.

The second Top Twenty provides an overview of the current online threats as well as the underlying trends. Firstly, cybercriminals are focusing on finding new vulnerabilities in the most popular software with the aim of exploiting them to achieve their goal – infecting computers with one or, more often than not, several malicious programs. Secondly, cybercriminals attempt to hide their activity so that it either passes unnoticed, or seem to be resulting in minimal damage to the infected machine.

All this makes surfing the Internet without a fully-patched operating system or an up-to-date antivirus solution tantamount to swimming in shark-infested waters – and this applies to even the most experienced users.

Countries where most attempts to infect computers via the web were recorded:

Malware beyond Vista and XP

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:51:47 +0000

Kaspersky Lab announces the publication of the analytical article “Malware beyond Vista and XP”

Kaspersky Lab announces the release of the article "Malware beyond Vista and XP" which provides an overview of malware which targets systems other than Windows. It also examines what steps can be taken to protect non-Windows systems or heterogeneous networks. The full version of the article is available at www.viruslist.com while a summary can be found at www.kaspersky.com.

Magnus Kalkuhl, a senior malware analyst, and Marco Preuss, a virus analyst, from Kaspersky Lab’s European research center, analyse the recent trends in the development of non-Windows malware and discuss the peculiarities of protecting various types of data and traffic from those threats.

The Kaspersky Lab specialists stress that using non-mainstream technologies can offer certain security advantages, but this is by no means guaranteed. The vast majority of today’s malicious software is designed to target Windows systems. However, other operating systems are also prone to attack. Moreover, malicious code that spreads throughout the Internet (e.g., scripts hidden on web pages) can affect a computer regardless of the operating system.

This material can be reproduced provided the author; company name and original source are cited. Reproduction of this material in re-written form requires the express consent of Kaspersky Lab’s Public Relations department.

To find out more about Computer Threats visit: www.kaspersky.co.uk/threats

To read the latest security news please visit: http://threatpost.com

Windows 7 Upgrade

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:45:49 +0000

Here's a chance to have your cake and eat it too. With the Windows 7 Upgrade Option you can get a new PC or upgrade the one you have today and get Windows 7 when it arrives! Please read the full terms and conditions below as well as our extensive Q and A section along with links to all the manufacturers so you can keep up to date with the latest Windows 7 news.

Essential details

When you buy Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate either as a packaged product or on a qualifying PC you can get a comparable upgrade version of Windows 7 after it’s generally available on October 22, 2009.

Qualifying PCs, offer details, and product delivery methods will vary by manufacturer, so check their sites for specifics. If you buy a packaged copy of Windows Vista you can order your upgrade from Microsoft.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Option program runs from June 26, 2009 through January 31, 2010. However, individual PC manufacturers may choose to offer the option for a shorter period.

Manufacturers Details

As the free upgrade scheme is being run by the manufacturers and not the retailers, we thought we'd provide the necessary links for you to check the eligibility of the new laptop you're buying for the free upgrade. Just click on the manufacturers logos below.

Product Availability

IMPORTANT: Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade orders will not begin shipping until Windows 7 is publicly available on the General Availability date. Windows 7 general availability is expected to occur on October 22, 2009

This offer is applicable only to PCs purchased between 26/06/2009 and 31/01/2010 with pre-installed Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Ultimate.

Installation

The Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program requires a clean installation of the Windows 7 upgrade media. All personal data and settings, including documents, pictures, files, programs, music and video, should be backed-up prior to performing the custom installation of Windows 7. After installation of Windows 7, end users should re-install all personal data and restore settings.
Visit http://windows.microsoft.com/upgrade-windows-E for important information.

What do I need to Do?

Purchase an eligible laptop*
Receive laptop and take note of serial number, laptop model, date of purchase, OS installed, upgrade linked to current OS
Visit manufacturer upgrade link
Fill in details from above and make any payment required
Receive confirmation details and wait for delivery in October

Any further queries MUST be directed to the manufacturer.

Upgrade path

So, now I've bought an eligible laptop, what upgrade do I get?

Please note, Vista Home Basic, Vista Starter Edition and all versions of XP are not eligible for this offer.

Is it free to upgrade to Windows 7?
There is a fee for this upgrade to cover materials, shipping, handling, fulfillment overhead and import duty. The fee will vary depending on your location and the upgrade product being requested. For some selected countries, the upgrade is free. The total charge will be presented to you prior to final submission of your order. At that time, you will have the opportunity to opt out before final order submission. The fee is nonrefundable once the order is confirmed.
Do you send me my copy of Windows 7?
No, its the manufacturers that send it out.
What is Windows 7?
Its a new operating system with several improvements on Vista including easier navigation, simpler home networking, improved device capabilities, and faster web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Can I still use Windows Vista/XP
Its possible to partition the drive and have two operating systems.
Does Windows 7 come with Word, Excel etc?
No, these programs are part of the Microsoft Office Suite which is a software package, not an operating system.
Are all laptops covered by the upgrade?
No, please check out the list of manufacturers above for the eligible models.
I've heard it doesn't come with a browser, how do I download one?
It comes with Windows Explorer 8 but its installation is now optional.
What tech spec is recommended for Windows 7?
Please check http://windows.microsoft.com/systemrequirements for details.
How do I check my Windows 7 order?
You'll need to contact the manufacturer of the laptop you're upgrading as the order will be processed by them.
Which version of Windows 7 does my version of vista upgrade to?
Please see above for upgrade options.
I have a windows XP laptop, can I upgrade to Windows 7?
Unfortunately only Vista models are eligible for the free upgrade, although you will be able to buy an Windows 7 upgrade once its been released.