Jul 08 24
Westpac bank: AVG's toughest competitor
Posted by Liam Tung @ 15:41 1 comments
The next time you're buying antivirus software, don't go direct to Symantec or McAfee. Don't download free antivirus. And definitely don't see Harvey Norman. Ask your bank — they're quite literally giving the stuff away.
For years, free antivirus software from AVG or Avast has been top choice for those who don't like paying for protection. But their edge over paid-for equivalents is being gnawed away in Australia — not by direct competitors but by banks.
NAB, Commonwealth Bank and St George have offered their customers 25 to 50 per cent discounts on various security products for some months now. But Westpac recently upped the ante by offering its customers several PC Tools products — antivirus, browser privacy protection, and firewall — absolutely free for 12 months.
Westpac's offer throws a spanner in the works, not just for AVG, but for Symantec, McAfee and Harvey Norman. Why? It now makes more sense to join a bank, if only for a year, to get the best price for PC security products compared to any other source.
Take Symantec's current pricing for the Norton range. Symantec charges AU$130 for Norton 360 version 2, AU$49 for its Norton AV 2008, and AU$99 for Norton Internet Security 2008 for three users per year.
Standard charges for maintaining a bank account meanwhile sit around AU$5 per month or AU$60 per year. So instead of activating the security software that comes pre-installed on your new laptop, simply open an account with Westpac — even if you don't actually use the account, you'll still be better off than spending up at Harvey Norman!
It's an interesting change for banking consumers also. This could be the first time in a decade that consumers financially gain from paying what are seemingly pointless monthly fees to a bank.
Oh, how good it is to be a customer in Australia.
Jul 08 14
Should security clearances be outsourced?
Posted by Liam Tung @ 17:13 1 comments
Everything from cleaning to IT development work is outsourced by governments these days, but should security clearance processes, which dictate what access a person has to government information systems, be included in that bundle?
Outsourcing can be a useful tool for government agencies to increase staffing levels without making the same HR commitment that applies to public sector employees.
That's exactly the path the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has followed in order to progress its AU$496 million Systems for People IT refresh. ...Read more
Jun 08 20
Beijing Olympics? Paranoia will protect your data
Posted by Liam Tung @ 13:12 4 comments
If you're heading to the Beijing Olympics to cut deals, schmooze and booze, don't leave your laptop and mobile with your hosts for a second and watch your gadgets very, very carefully. Of course, it might cost you a deal because you're acting weird, but your data will be safe.
Is China more of a threat to your data than any other country? If you listen to some sections of the media, from backyard hackers to the People's Liberation Army, the Chinese are all after your secrets and the Beijing Olympics will present the perfect opportunity to get at your information, either by giving you a booby-trapped USB or distracting you for a second while they extract information from your laptop.
This week, the director of the SANS Internet Storm Center Marcus Sachs played up to these fears on his blog by asking how anyone heading to the Beijing Olympics will protect their data and devices. ...Read more
Jun 08 17
The 'secret': Banks are freaked out by security
Posted by Liam Tung @ 12:19 1 comments
Last week's blog on why consumers might be confused by contradictory messages on computer security from banks drew a few objections from interested parties — ones that I thought would be worth responding to this week.
Perhaps I didn't make my point clear enough, or perhaps the people who contact me are nitpicking pedants with a marketing plan in hand. So I'll state my position again: I have no problems with banks giving away security software; I do, however, have a big problem with exaggerating what it will do for you. Why? Exaggerated claims about the efficacy of security products muddy what is already a confusing topic for many consumers.
ING Direct in the US is offering its customers free security software made by the vendor, Trusteer. ING and Trusteer claim the product Rapport creates a secure pipe between the PC and the bank, protecting against "sophisticated attacks", including phishing and man in the middle attacks. ...Read more
