Well that was until now, since Bitdefender Sphere offers thorough affordable protection for an entire household of PCs, Macs, smartphones (android) and tablets (android). By supplying consumers with a one stop security solution to protect various devices, Bitdefender Sphere represents a break from traditional consumer security products.

Overall, it’s great news since buying this single solution rather than one for each OS platform is much more cost effective. So protect your household PCs, Macs and android-based mobile devices and save yourself money!

Times have changed, less than a decade ago losing your phone would have been a mere irritation a small dent in the wallet, a call to your network provider and a few days reacquainting yourself with a landline. Today it could cause a very stressful and anxious situation.

For most of us, our smartphones are like a lifeline. Losing a phone isn’t just losing a device anymore. Nowadays, it means that anyone in possession of your phone has the potential to access entire stores of contacts, texts, photos, social networking accounts, personal and business information and even your credit card details. Furthermore as technology continues to develop with the arrival of NFC chips, misuse of your phone as a cash card is very likely as well. It’s no longer just your smartphone you are losing it’s as if someone has stolen your wallet and laptop too.

Now let’s face it, none of us are going to revert back to basic handsets, we are too use to having instant access to emails, twitter, Facebook and the web but what we can’t afford to do is ignore the fact that the mini-computer we carry around with us holds incredible amounts of sensitive information, which in the wrong hands leaves us vulnerable.

Unfortunately it’s not just the conventional opportunistic thief we need to be worried about; continuous access to the web puts us in front of thousands of cyber-criminals all over the world who are fighting to get hold of your personal data without the need to get the hands on your device. Cyber-crime is estimated to be the second biggest economy in the world.

The good news is we don’t have to cut ourselves off from the digital world there are simple precautions we can take to protect ourselves and become a bit more shrewd about our internet security.

Simple tips:

• Don’t loan your phone to strangers, or even friends. No one watches out for your devices like you do.
• Have a phone case that you always use so you’re less likely to set it down absent-mindedly.
• Password protect your phone so it’s less appealing to a thief.
• Download Anti Theft & Data Recovery Software which allows users to disable a smartphone if stolen so information cannot be accessed, it recovers your data and tracks the phones whereabouts.
• Password manager software is useful to store sensitive log in details which get encrypted.
• Antivirus Software is becoming essential, with cyber criminals creating malicious apps, whilst being savvy on giving apps permissions can go a long way, security software is a much needed line of defence.
• If stolen call the police  with the specific details of  the phone so it can be returned to you if found, sold, or discovered in an arrest, and make sure to activate your Anti Theft Software which will produce you a report of where your smartphone has been tracked to and aid their investigation.
• Don’t forget, it’s still important to notify the network provider if your smartphone is lost or stolen.

Protecting your smartphone needs to become as routine as locking the front door as you leave your home, that way you won’t experience a panic attack every time you pad down your pockets or delve deep into your bag for it to no avail!

“Our vision is for the UK in 2015 to derive huge economic and social value from a vibrant, resilient and secure cyberspace, where our actions, guided by our core values of liberty, fairness, transparency and the rule of law, enhance prosperity, national security and a strong society.“(The UK Cyber Security Strategy, Nov 2011)

Last month the Cabinet Office released: ‘The UK Cyber Security Strategy’ and set aside £650 million to achieve their vision, through taking actions that benefit both businesses and individuals.

One of their many objectives is to educate citizens to enable them to protect themselves against cyber threats. According to Ofcom:

 ”Some 52% of UK consumers with access to broadband use online shopping as an opportunity to save money.” (Communications Market Report, 2010)

Now to put that into context the level of take-up of broadband in UK homes has reached 74% in 2011. Furthermore Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2011 revealed:

•  On average, internet users spent around 50 hours online on PCs in April 2011 (equivalent to 1 hour 40 minutes a day).
• Nearly half of UK adults said they used social networking sites in the first three months of 2011.

It is evident from these figures that our dependence on cyberspace as a society is ever increasing, whether it’s through our mobile or laptop, whether it’s shopping, checking emails or using social networking sites we all like to be connected daily.

Remember to do your part in the Cyber Security Strategy. To avoid being a victim of crime in the digital world, detract yourself from being a target of a cyber-criminal. Download comprehensive Antivirus protection today and continue to embrace the joys of cyberspace safely!

For a full copy of ‘The UK Cyber Security Strategy’ document click here.

Whilst cyber criminals will often wait to launch their fake sites until the events are sold-out, so consumers shear desperation makes them for an easier target and more likely to fall for the scam, live events provide for very lucrative business for online criminals so don’t be surprised if you come across an offer for pre-sale tickets that is too good to be true…guess what it probably is!

Remember some simple security measures that will help keep you out of a fraudster’s net, because unfortunately all aspects of identity theft are possible in a security breach not just credit card fraud!

1. Always try and buy direct from the official ticket reseller websites – type it into the browser window.

2. Don’t enter personal details or credit card information into any site that hasn’t got data encryption i.e. a url starting with ‘https’ and Extended Validation SSL certificate (green address bar).

3. Look out for the yellow ‘padlock’ icon in the browser frame when it comes to purchasing online.

4. Finally ensure you have up to date antivirus software that will protect you from malicious attacks. Comprehensive Antivirus software comes with features such as ‘Site advisor’ which warn you of risky websites that come up in the search engines and ‘Antiphishing’ that block websites running various scams and credit card fraud attempts.

Don’t miss out on your chance to go to a festival or even more so don’t face the hassle of dealing with fraud.

It’s a scary thought that someone can buy your credit card information online for just 69 pence, but that is the reality we face by embracing the freedom of the internet, the ease of shopping, gaming and interacting online doesn’t come without a risk. Now the British government have pledged £650 million to improving it’s cyber defences, which is great, but you can’t help think this will only go a small way to curbing the threat of cyber attacks since cyber security is an international problem and as Cameron stated, “…needs cross-border solutions”. If other country’s don’t start treating cyber attacks as a tier one threat like Britain, then you can’t help but think cyber criminals will always have the upper hand.

Now no one is suggesting we have to cut ourselves off from the online world, that is just ludicrous. The internet is a great platform to showcase our creativity, develop new ideas and express ourselves freely. Cut us off and the opportunities that the internet provides die with it. The internet is a lifeline to so many company’s and individuals in today’s world that denying access to the internet for the sake of security is simply not an option.

Do your bit in the fight against cyber crime, whilst the government try to protect the country you need to protect no.1 with Anti-Virus & Malware protection.

Obviously this situation doesn’t make for a good holiday. That chilled out relaxing break you were after away from all the day to day hassles of home life, soon turns into a very frustrating and stressful number of days, making you wish you never left home in the first place! It often leads to additional costs for extra accommodation and change of flights since you are forced to extend your stay whilst the problem gets sorted. You may even end up losing out on money, being late returning to work. What is often worse than the financial sting is the horrible memories that remain engrained for years to come.

Now we don’t expect anyone to be put of leaving the country, far from it, the world is an astonishing creation and would be a great shame not to be explored especially with the technology that makes it so accessible today. All’s we need to do is the take every precaution necessary to prevent this unfortunate situation raising its head! So here are some tips that will help you avoid and at the very least deal with such circumstances on holidays to come:

1. Make hard copies.

It’s very important to make physical copies of all your original travel documents. Make both a black and white and colour copy of your passport, travel insurance, visas, credit cards, birth certificate, driver’s licence and other relevant documents then separate them, take one copy on holiday with you and store one in a memorable place which can be accessed by a family member in case you need it forwarding on to you. It’s always a good idea to pack a set of original passport photos which are very useful if you need to replace your passport.

Also make separate notes of your travellers cheques details and credit card details including telephone numbers, again leaving a copy at home is a good idea, in case you require then in an emergency.

2. Keep online copies.

For further piece of mind you should also make electronic copies of your documents so that you can access them 24/7, anywhere where there is a computer and an internet connection. A lot of insurance copies email copies out of your insurance documents to your inbox and some people may scan other documents and upload them to their inbox. It’s great that you have a copy to access, however any competent cyber-criminal will too, since email systems are one of their favourite and easiest targets.

It is recommended for a safer and more secure solution to storing your online copies that you use an Online Storage Vault. With a secure log-in process and with all communications between your computer and your vault being fully encrypted to bank standards, you can trust that your documents are completely safe from harm’s way.

3. Use a safe deposit box.

Without fail as soon as you arrive at your destination enquire about safety deposit boxes, more often than not the hotel will have them, if not a bank will either way whether it’s in with your room or you have to rent it, find it and store all your important documents there until required again.

Some safe’s are in the room which is very handy, but use your own judgment if they don’t look very secure it’s advisable to enquire about more secure storage that the hotel offers. Whatever you do don’t forget to collect them all at time of departure.

4. Keep off a thief’s radar.

We are not suggesting you avoid crowded tourist attractions but stay vigilant and keep documents close to you in inside pockets, waist wallet that can be hidden under clothes, rather than handbags and backpack pockets that are easily accessible.

To stay safe, try not to attract attention to yourself, wearing designer clothes and lots of jewelry makes you stand out to a thief. If you do take your smartphone, tablet or laptop abroad try to avoid using them in public places such as parks, buses, subways and stations and if it’s essential you take them then make sure you load Anti-theft & Data Recovery Software before you go.

Obviously it goes without saying, no matter how many precautionary measures you take don’t forget to take out adequate travel insurance which will go some way to resolving the nuisance. Remember your holiday is a time to be spent with friends and family not the police and embassy, so follow the advice above while travelling abroad and make it a time to remember for all the right reasons!!!

It’s estimated a third of students falls victim to crime, mainly theft and burglary each year and with young people between the age of 16-24 being three times more likely to be a victim of burglary than other age groups, they are especially vulnerable.

Whilst most undergraduates plead poverty and are way into overdrafts, they still have a wealth of high value electronic devices such as TV’s, smartphones, laptops, digital cameras, games consoles, DVD players etc. When you think about University accommodation whether on-campus or off-campus private rented property, thieves know by breaking into them they could easily get 4 or more sets of laptops, TV’s and stereos all which are pretty disposable in their world making a tidy profit.

Unfortunately the student lifestyle instantly makes them more vulnerable; shared housing in cheaper less salubrious areas, where landlords don’t bother keeping the security up to scratch, they’re just bothered about making as much profit as possible. Students are not acting responsibly themselves and haven’t got parents going around after them closing windows and locking doors. This is particularly true for fresher/foreign students who just party in their first few weeks of university and are not ‘street-wise’ to the local area. It is estimated that 20% of student robberies occur in the first six weeks of the academic year.

Taking burglaries, robberies and crimes of violence as the most likely crimes for students to fall victim of,  this year’s Complete University Guide table reports that out of 20 cities in England and Wales Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leicester and Southampton are amongst the top cities where students will find themselves most vulnerable.

Whilst universities in the UK are continually seeking to improve their security on campus it’s very important that Students take it up on themselves to ensure they have the security essentials, take out insurance and report crime. Further precautions can be taken to ensure you safety and wellbeing:

Security tips for a safe uni life

1. Avoid taking taxi’s on your own or with complete strangers after a night out. Especially avoid walking home in the dark and if it’s a must keep to well-lit and busy routes.

2. Avoid giving your exact address when ordering taxis, get them to pick you up further down the street especially if all members of the house are going out at the same time.

3. Consider anti-theft software which can pinpoint the exact location of your smartphone and laptop if stolen/lost. You can activate the software online and it will give you a GPS location of the device and can lead you to the address of the network it’s connected to through IP Log Tracking. Furthermore webcam shots and screenshots can help identify who has your laptop and data encryption feature will prevent identity theft and fraud.

4. Keep all receipt details safe with the serial and model numbers of expensive electrical devices.

5. Mark your possessions with a UV pen – your name, student registration number plus your university.

6. Carry a personal alarm – not just if you are female but men also. Figures show that male students are actually at greater risk of being attacked.

7. Avoid using your mobile in isolated places, especially don’t be loud and attract attention.

8. Make sure doors are fitted with a Yale-style lock and five-level Mortice deadlock. Have lock on all your downstairs windows, also have a personal lock on your bedroom. At the same time, try not to leave any high value items in view of windows and even put them out of view in your room. Remember petty thieves will grab the first most expensive thing they see so move your car keys off the side.

9. Ensure that you have your own comprehensive insurance that is enough to cover all your personal belongings and read to see if it covers you outside of your residence.

10. Always try to disguise the fact you are carrying a laptop, for example put it in your sports bag rather than a laptop case.