Panda Security Launches Panda Antivirus for Mac

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Panda Security, The Cloud Security Company, has announced the launch of Panda Antivirus for Mac. This new solution delivers comprehensive protection against malware affecting Mac OS and Mac OS X; it also prevents Mac users from transmitting malware to other users of Windows and Linux operating systems.

Panda Antivirus for Mac scans files and email, detecting and eliminating or blocking many types of threats, including viruses, Trojans, spyware, keyloggers, adware, hacking tools, botnets, dialers, scareware and other threats that have traditionally targeted Windows users.  

"We are approaching a tipping point where it will soon be financially viable for cybercriminals to target their efforts at Mac users," says Ivan Fermon, senior vice president of product management, Panda Security. "When Apple reaches 15 percent marketshare worldwide, which Panda expects will happen very soon, we predict that hackers will begin to aggressively target attacks against this platform. The rapid increase in use of Apple-powered devices – iPhones, iPods, iPads – is also making the Mac platform a much more attractive target."

The solution includes two scan engines: an on-access scanner, or resident protection, that protects the computer at all times and alerts the user to any security incident; and an on-demand scanner that lets users scan the complete system or specific components at any time. Panda Antivirus for Mac can also scan Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod devices, ensuring that those devices are not used to transmit infections between other similar devices or Mac computers.

Immediate Need for Mac Security

"We receive an average of 55,000 new threats every day at PandaLabs. Hackers are always looking to profit from their activity, which is why there are so many different examples of malware," said Luis Corrons, technical director, PandaLabs. "Until recently, Apple users were not an attractive target for hackers because the number of potential victims was so small compared to Windows. But now the market is changing and with Apple's global reach, the numbers are becoming more financially appealing for cybercriminals."

Currently, Panda is aware of approximately 5,000 strains of malware that specifically affect Apple systems, with around 500 new samples appearing every month. In addition, PandaLabs has catalogued approximately 170,000 cross-platform macro viruses, which are additional sources of vulnerability for Mac users. Many web and e-mail based threats, such as phishing scams and scareware, are platform-neutral, relying on human trust rather than malicious code to achieve their criminal ends. More vulnerabilities in Mac operating systems are also emerging; in 2009, 34 vulnerabilities were reported in the Mac OS, a figure which as risen to 175 so far this year.

Price and availability

Panda Antivirus for Macintosh will be available on October 20 for download from Panda Security's website at $49.95 for a one-year license, including updates, upgrades, and online technical support. The software will be available in six languages at launch: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese.  

A free trial version is available for download at: http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/downloads/.

About Panda Security

Founded in 1990, Panda Security is the world's leading provider of cloud-based security solutions, with products available in more than 23 languages and millions of users located in 195 countries around the World. Panda Security was the first IT security company to harness the power of cloud computing with its Collective Intelligence technology. This innovative security model can automatically analyze and classify thousands of new malware samples every day, guaranteeing corporate customers and home users the most effective protection against Internet threats with minimum impact on system performance. Panda Security has 56 offices throughout the globe with US headquarters in Florida and European headquarters in Spain.

Panda Security collaborates with Special Olympics, WWF and Invest for Children as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility policy.

For more information, visit http://www.pandasecurity.com. Follow Panda on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Panda_Security and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PandaUSA.

SOURCE Panda Security