Recently, an article was posted on CIO.com and other IDG outlets, titled “Yes, you still need endpoint malware protection”, questioning the need for end point security. Several publications pointed out that end point security is not needed, due to the operating systems and other components being more secure.

However, as we’ve seen in the most recent ransomware attack from WannaCry, this was not the case. Newer operating systems and the other components are more secure than older operating systems, but they are not to the point where they can prevent malware from infecting your computers.

Our product, PC Matic, was mentioned in the article by an independent researcher, Dave Perry. Dave’s understanding of how our whitelisting technology works is incorrect, so we reached out to the author, Andy Patrizio, to give him a better understanding of how PC Matic protects its users. Unfortunately, that request was not acknowledged.

PC Matic utilizes a whitelist, however, we do not face the challenges that other whitelist companies have, particularly when it comes to maintaining the whitelist.  Our research team categorizes and whitelists files, on behalf of the end user or IT administrator, lifting the burden of work from them. Once a file is whitelisted, an entry goes into our global whitelist database, which means all of our customers will have that file whitelisted. This typically happens within 1-4 hours. In the event someone doesn’t want to wait for the research team to analyze and whitelist the file, the end user can simply whitelist the file locally.

Additionally, we have various partners within the community, which allow us to whitelist files, without ever having access to the actual file. This means, we can go far beyond whitelisting by MD5 or digital certificates.

The author of the article made a point about whitelisting being more superior in protection, is in fact very true. Third party test scores, from AV-Comparatives and Virus Bulletin, show this very clearly. PC Matic provides better protection than the traditional blacklist technologies, and removes the burden of maintaining the whitelist for its customers.

The post Misconceptions: PC Matic’s Whitelist appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Scammers Portray PC Matic

A previous PC Matic customer recently posted a review on Facebook expressing frustrations that the PC Matic sales team was contacting her after her annual subscription had expired.  The calls were occurring multiple times a day, as late as 10 p.m.  First, PC Matic wants to assure all of its customers, their support and/or sales team will not call you to renew your license.  If you receive a phone call from anyone claiming to be from PC Matic, please hang up immediately.

This particular customer reported the phone number being used to contact her was 888-445-2555.  She reported the calls even continued from a private number after she blocked the original number.

Unfortunately, this scam is not uncommon.  PC Matic has issued warnings before regarding these scammers illegally portraying PC Matic for both fraudulent sales and support efforts.  Never accept these calls.

How Are They Getting Your Number?

Additional concerns were raised that PC Matic sold customer information to these scammers.  Again, that is not the case.  PC Matic, under no circumstances will sell your personal information to a third-party agency.  So, the question is, how do they know who uses what program?

Unfortunately, these scammers are able to target certain software users.  There are various methods to do so.  One of which could be determining what an individual follows or “likes” on social media sites.  All of that information is public, and accumulated by the social media platforms for targeted advertising.  However, instead of advertising, scammers could use it maliciously.

Overall, rest assured, PC Matic is not calling its users at all hours of the night.  Nor are they selling customer data to third-party agencies.  As stated above, if you receive a call similar to the one reported by one of PC Matic’s previous users, hang up immediately.

The post BEWARE: Scammers Illegally Portraying PC Matic appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Matic Continues to Advertise During Hannity

We have been receiving an overwhelming amount of feedback regarding our ad placements on Fox News and when our ads air, specifically during the Sean Hannity Show.  We wanted to address these concerns immediately, however, there are a few things people need to know.

First, we are not what is called a general advertiser.  General advertisers utilize an ad agency.  The ad agencies are able to request when their client’s ads air.  For instance, Forbes reported Cars.com started removing their ads from the show.  They are a general advertiser who use an ad agency and are able to pin-point during which shows their ads air.  For a full list of general advertisers who have removed their ads from the Sean Hannity Show, click here.

Unlike a general advertiser, PC Matic is a direct response advertiser.  What this means is, we place orders containing rates for the air time that is remaining after the general advertisers have chosen their ad spots.  Therefore, we are not guaranteed any air time at all.  We simply receive whatever ad spots are available and within our order.  Also, for some of the TV providers, we place orders based on what is called a “network cluster”.  For example, there is a “News Cluster” that contained a predefined list of cable news networks such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc.  So, when an ad spot clears for the cluster, we air at the same time on all of the networks within the cluster.  For example, an ad that is on at 9:20 p.m. EST on Fox News, will also be on at 9:20 p.m. EST on CNN and MSNBC.

We understand the concerns expressed regarding our ads being placed during the Sean Hannity Show.  It is important our customers understand, our ad placements are out of our control.  We do not have an ad agency to decide when our ads air, nor do we purchase ad space based on programming.  We hope our supporters understand our stance, as well as our advertising methods a bit better, now that they have been fully explained above.

The post PC Matic Advertising During Sean Hannity appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Study Shows Over 20% of PC Users Lack Real-Time Security

PC Matic recently conducted a study on the number of PCs that are currently running without the protection of an anti-virus (AV) solution.  A total of 35,609 were scanned for security protection.  Out of those, the results were broken down based on operating system.

Looking at the graph above, one can see, 11% of the PCs using Windows 10 are not running an AV with real-time protection.  Since Microsoft has integrated the Windows Defender Antivirus into the Windows 10 operating system, we made the assumption that all of Windows 10 systems had an AV installed.   Windows 10, out of the box, has Defender as the AV.  It is designed to stay on until another AV is installed.   However, for these 11% of PCs in our analysis, Windows Defender was not found to be executing in real time.  This begs the question – do the device users know they’re unprotected?

From a Windows 8 perspective, 27% of tested PCs did not have real-time protection.  Out of that 27%, 20% did not even have an AV solution installed on the computer.  (Note:  Windows 8 operating system also has an integrated form of Windows Defender AV.   The exact nature of the AV and how Microsoft systematically implements the protection has been somewhat confusing and inconsistent.  Therefore, a fraction of the 20% of Windows 8 PCs in our analysis may in fact have Windows Defender installed.)

Looking at the Windows 7 data, 35% of scanned PCs did not have an AV with real-time protection.  Twenty-five percent of those, did not have a security solution installed.

Almost half of the Windows XP PCs scanned, did not have real-time AV protection.  Out of the 45% of which that did not have real-time protection, 31% do not have an AV installed on their PC.

Until this point, there was a trend – the older the operating system, the higher the likelihood of not having an AV installed.  However, Vista goes against the grain.  Out of the Vista PCs tested, only 18% did not have real-time protection, and half of those did not have an AV installed at all.

Conclusion

In a time where cyber security has never been a bigger threat, knowing 20.9% of all scanned PCs are not running real-time AV protection is concerning, to say the least.

These numbers lead to various speculations, one of which being, are the computer users aware that their current AV does not have real-time protection? Do they know they don’t have an AV installed on their computer?  Perhaps they’re under the assumption the free trial that came with their PC is still active.  We don’t know.  What we do know is one out of five PCs tested are not protected with a real-time security solution.  We know that one out of ten PCs scanned have no security protection what-so-ever.

Some users believe they’re too smart to get infected.  This may be partially true.  Some users can spot a malicious scam a mile away.  But what about the malicious ads or phishing emails that don’t even have to be open or clicked on to begin their malicious activity?  What then?  Spoiler alert – they get infected because they either don’t have a security solution, or they don’t have one that is functioning in real-time.

PC Matic encourages all PC users to check their security solution for the following:

• Is the license still active?
• Check the expiration date
• Confirm the level of protection (real-time, on-demand, blacklist, whitelist)

If your security solution has expired, you can purchase a real-time security solution, with application whitelisting technology here.

The post 1 Out of 5 PC Users Lack Real-Time Protection appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Security Strategy – Shifting the Industry’s Focus

Rob Cheng, founder and CEO of PC Matic, was featured on Malware Threats Exploding: Profit with New Endpoint Security, a channel cast  hosted by The Channel Co.  During which, Rob shared his stance on the importance of preventative malware detection.  As well as stressing, security solution consumers need to begin using detection rates as a primary tool when purchasing an anti-virus program.  

Rob believes if enough consumers begin focusing on detection rates, companies will be forced to participate in testing, which will help make today’s security solutions better than ever and more effective against modern cyber threats.

Along with shifting the industry focus to detection rates, Rob shared what sets PC Matic Pro apart from its competitors.  This included its real-time, global application whitelist technology, as well as file-less detection.  He shared 25% of malware blocked by PC Matic Pro are file-less infections.  

Rob believes by creating a product that meets the security needs of the consumer, the product is easier to sell.  However, there is still work to be done by the reseller.  He understands when PC Matic Pro resellers are successful, PC Matic Pro will be successful.  Which is why reseller incentives are critical.  PC Matic Pro offers their resellers lower product pricing, higher profit margins, larger deal registration percentages and lead distribution.  Rob also discussed PC Matic Pro’s new FLIP program, which gives resellers $10 per converted endpoint within a 90 day period.  

Rob stated,

“This is a winning formula for resellers and PC Matic Pro to partner, to really start moving the needle and improving the nation’s security infrastructure.”

To view the full first quarter newsletter of 2017, click here.

The post Shifting Cyber Security Industry Focus To Detection Rates appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Pitstop, makers of PC Matic, have been present in the computer technology industry since 1999.  But how much do you know about the company?  Here are the top eleven things the average Joe, likely doesn’t know about PC Pitstop.

11 Things You Likely Didn’t Know About PC Pitstop

1. Since its inception in 1999, PC Pitstop, makers of PC Matic, has been a work at home company.  Running a work at home company has its challenges, but it allows us to hire the best talent for any position.  We are growing fast and always looking for new talent.  Drop us a resume and a cover letter here.
2. Starting in 2010, our creative was produced by Studio Center in Virginia Beach, VA.  In late 2012, we moved creative production in house.  We currently use a Seinheiser microphone, Nikon DSLR camera and green screen.  We are looking to upgrade our lighting and camera in the near future.
3. PC Pitstop has one non USA-based employee.  His name is Augusto Matos from Brazil.  Augusto was the best man in Rob Cheng’s wedding and Rob Cheng was best man in Augusto’s wedding.
4. The mastermind behind our white list technology is Rob Woodworth, Vice President of Malware Research and Development.  In addition to being a mastermind, Rob enjoys motorcycle racing, diving into dark underwater caves, and jumping out of airplanes.
5. We hold two company meetings to unite our work at home workforce.  The last evening, we hold a party and invite customers and resellers from the area.  Our last meeting was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in April 2017.  The next meeting will be in Pittsburgh in October.
6. We established our first major advertising partner with Fox News in October 2010.  After so many years, we still advertise regularly on Fox News.
7. Prior to PC Pitstop, Rob Cheng was a Senior Vice President at Gateway Computers responsible for sales, marketing and support worldwide.  The Gateway connection explains PC Pitstop’s Iowa mailing address.  Rob Cheng lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
8. As its name suggests, PC Pitstop was not intended to be a security or antivirus company.  PC Pitstop started as a web site to make computers run faster.  In its heyday, PC Pitstop was one of the top 1,000 websites in the entire world.
9. Shortly after we started the web site, PC Pitstop, we began the forums where like minded people could discuss PC performance issues or just to meet other PC Pitstop users.  18 years later, the forums still exist, and frequently a place where we recruit new employees.  In fact, Doug Bender, was hired in 2005 and became of one of our first employees, and our first PC Pitstop retiree.
10. We do not have an agency for our TV media buys.  We purchase internally and save the 15% agency fees to justify more aggressive media spends.  Currently, we advertise on Fox News, CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, and Weather Channel.
11. PC Pitstop is the only security company that has no investors.  When Rob Cheng started the company in 1999, he invested $1M of his own money.  Rob owns 90% of the company, and the other 10% are owned by employees in the form of stock and equity grants.  The company is growing fast, profitable, and a large cash balance which has enabled it to remain independent of outside investment.

The post 11 Things You Didn’t Know About PC Pitstop appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Matic is thrilled to announce reaching an OEM deal with NEC…

In Japan, select models of PCs purchased with NEC Direct, will have PC Matic pre-installed on their device.  The partnership is enhancing not only global sales, but cyber security across the world.

So far, thousands of PCs have been sold with PC Matic pre-installed.  PC Matic CEO, Rob Cheng states,

“It is thrilling to have the opportunity to collaborate with NEC and enhance cyber security worldwide.  We can’t wait to see where this partnership leads. “

Although sales are expanding globally, all PC Matic operations including development and support, continue to be based exclusively in the U.S.

Globally Enhancing Cyber Security

Traditional security solutions use a blacklist for malware detection.  Unfortunately, with today’s global threats — that’s no longer effective.  A blacklist treats all unknown files as good, until proven otherwise.  The new alternative is application whitelisting.  Whitelisting treats all unknown programs as bad, until proven good.

PC Matic functions with the use of application whitelisting as its primary method of malware prevention and detection.  Therefore, when a user attempts to open an unknown program, it will not allow it to execute.  Instead, the program is sent to the malware research team for analysis.  Once tested, it will be categorized as either safe or malicious.  This process can take up to 24 hours.  In the mean time, if users are confident the program is safe, they have the option to “locally” whitelist the program.  This means it will still be sent for testing, but will be available immediately to only that user.  Using this function can be risky, unless the user confident the program is secure and has previous experience with the program they’re attempting to execute.

To read PC Pitstop’s Q2 newsletter in its entirety, click here.

The post PC Matic Collaborates With NEC – Boosting Global Sales appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Phishing Attacks – One of the largest cyber threats facing users today

A phishing attack, or email that includes a malicious link or attachment, has been a growing threat throughout this year.  Why?  Because email addresses are very easy to obtain.  Whether it is through a security breach of a business or a website leak, they are increasingly accessible.  Once obtained, hackers are able to distribute phishing campaigns that include a malicious link or attachment that could install various kinds of malware on the end-point.  This may include viruses, worms, or ransomware.  Often times, security solutions are ineffective in blocking these threats, because they are a new, unknown malware variant that have not yet been added to the blacklist.  The blacklist is a list of all known malware, used by security solution providers to identify and prevent malicious software from executing.  Unfortunately, since they are unknown threats, a blacklist will not detect them.

So, What Now?

PC Matic, PC Matic Pro, and PC Matic MSP use a globally automated whitelist approach to detect malware.  This means, all unknown threats are blocked from running, until tested and proven safe by a malware research team.  PC Matic has also enabled script based detection, which will also detect malicious non-executable attacks.  These would be malicious scripting attacks that deliver malware through scripting agents such as CScript, WScript, and PowerShell.  But what does all of this mean?

For example, if Jane Smith opens a phishing email, and unknowingly clicks on a malicious link – PC Matic will scan that attachment for security.  Since it is an unknown file, it will not open.  Instead, it will be sent to the PC Matic malware research team for testing.  Therefore, Jane Smith’s data has remained secure, because instead of allowing the unknown file to open and install malware, it was stopped from executing to determine whether or not it is safe.  Once the malware research team completes testing, they will categorize the malware as malicious.  Therefore, it will be blocked from executing on all endpoints using PC Matic, PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP.

When it comes to keeping your data safe and your privacy secure, you must have the best security protection available.  How much are you willing to gamble by sticking with a traditional antivirus, proven far less effective than one using application whitelisting?

The post How PC Matic Mitigates the Threat of Phishing Attacks appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Matic Sponsors Kansas City Tech Security Conference

The tech security conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 21st, and will be located at the DoubleTree by Hilton, in Overland Park.  This all day event will feature industry experts  discussing current security and compliance issues.  Some of focus points include social media, email, internet and cloud security.

Beyond the educational sessions, time is also allotted for attendees to visit vendor booths.  Historically, there have been anywhere from 30-60 vendors at this event.

PC Matic offers FREE VIP passes to the Kansas City Tech Security Conference!

If you have yet to register, PC Matic is offering a free VIP pass, which includes breakfast, lunch, conference materials, and entrance into exhibit area & speaker sessions.  If you are currently a PC Matic customer, you are welcome to use this link to get your free VIP pass.  However, what if you’re not a PC Matic customer yet?  Don’t worry — you can use the link too!

Also, be sure to visit the PC Matic booth and pick up some free swag!  We can’t wait to see you all there!

The post ATTENTION: PC Matic Customers in the Kansas City Area appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Scammers Use PC Matic Name to Lure Victims

This isn’t the first time the PC Matic name has been associated with a scam.  This time, scammers are using the name PCMaticPlus.  They are using this to execute tech support scams.  The scams may range from charging a ridiculous amount per minute to “fix” your computer, or charge a flat rate to “fix” something that is wrong.  Some users are downloading this application on their own, as it promises to fix all registry needs, free of charge.  Although, others may find it downloaded on their computer without their knowledge.  It is unknown how the program gets onto anyone’s PC without their knowledge; however, it is likely they are spreading this through malicious emails.

Various security solutions have flagged PCMaticPlus as malicious.  If a user is running PC Matic, and this program attempts to execute a malicious file, it will be stopped.  Also, the scam pop-ups will also be blocked through the adblocking technology integrated into PC Matic.  If you’re using a different security solution, some that are blocking this application are Sophos, Symantec, McAfee and Panda.

If you already have PCMaticPlus on your computer and wish to remove it, you can learn how to do so here.

For anyone looking to purchase the legitimate security solution, PC Matic, you may do so at www.pcmatic.com.

The post BEWARE: Scammers Using PC Matic Name appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

Enabling PC Matic Scan Emails

Security solutions tend to run in the background of PCs, meaning users rarely aware that they are working.  Consumers have to trust that their solutions are keep their data safe.  However, sometimes it is nice to get affirmation.  For those who are PC Matic customers, the software offers the ability to receive an email explaining what PC maintenance, updates, and viruses were removed after each scan.

This reassurance may be nice to users.  But what happens if they stop coming?  Is the software still scanning?  The answer is yes.  However, to enable the emails for confirmation, users can follow these steps:

1. Log into PC Matic.
2. Click on the PC you would like to receive emails for.
3. Then click on the hyperlink next to “Next Test”.  If you would like to receive emails for all of the devices under your license key – you’ll need to select “Master Scheduler”, then click “Master Scheduler” again.
4. Click on “Schedule New Event”. 
5. Now would be a good time to review what is being scanned and maintained.  Once you’ve reviewed your scan options, scroll down.  You will need to put a check mark into the “Email Results?” box.  Also, be sure the email listed is accurate.

Click save, and you will be all set.  Once your next scan is completed, an email will be sent to the email address listed in “Send Results to:”.

If you run into any issues, please reach out to our support team at www.pcmatic.com/help.

The post How To: Enable PC Matic Scan Results Emails appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Matic – A Gold Level Sponsor at VB2017

PC Matic is a proud sponsor of the world’s top cyber security event, Virus Bulletin International Conference (VB2017).  The conference is taking place in Madrid, Spain from October 4th through the 6th.  This is the second consecutive year PC Matic has sponsored this event.

This year, more than 400 delegates, including the world’s leading IT security experts will be on hand to share their expertise, research, and predictions at the conference.  This is the 27th year of the VB2017.

Conference attendees will take part in cutting-edge presentations, debates and panels covering all aspects of today’s cyber security threat landscape.

This event is made possible by Virus Bulletin, the speakers, and the sponsors.  PC Matic is excited to announce it was the first Gold-level sponsor to sign up.  PC Matic believes strongly in the work Virus Bulletin does, and is happy to sponsor this major event.

You can see a full list of the VB2017 agenda here.

The post PC Matic Sponsors Top Cyber Security Event in the World appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

As a product, PC Matic stands out against our competition in several ways.  However, our products aren’t the only the things that set us apart.  Over the past few years, PC Pitstop has been able to make sales in a way that no other security software provider has been able to do: television advertising.  We update our commercials frequently; announcing new PC Matic features, alerting customers to new security threats and demonstrating how PC Matic’s whitelist is the only security product that blocks every type of virus and malware, including zero-day threats.  We released six commercials in Q3 of 2017.

History of AV

PC Pitstop CEO, Rob Cheng, revisits the history of antivirus with his son, Teddy. This commercial explains the origins of the blacklist architecture, and how PC Matic revolutionized the industry with the first whitelist antivirus.

Thank You

Since the introduction of PC Matic’s whitelist antivirus, millions of people have turned to PC Matic to protect and maintain their computers. This ad was made to thank those customers, both home and business, for believing in us. Our mission is to continue to protect homes, businesses, school systems, government agencies, MSPs and resellers with an affordable, American-made solution.

No Infections

Since the end of 2016, PC Matic has consistently beat the competition in public detection rate tests, including scoring the first 100% detection rate on the Virus Bulletin RAP test. These test results have been proven in the real world throughout 2017. As of the airing of this commercial, PC Matic customers had not experienced a single infection in 2017.

Work at Home

PC Pitstop is has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list for the second year in a row. This TV ad highlighted our growth, and our need for additional top-notch team members to support that growth. Throughout the airing of this commercial, we received thousands of applications, and hired several new team members.

Defeat Ransomware

Ransomware is an illegal, international business. This commercial explained how we put cyber criminals out of business, by hitting them right in the wallet. PC Matic has proven, both in public detection rate tests and in the real world, that we have the highest detection rates on the market. Higher detection rates mean less income for ransomware businesses. This is how we defeat ransomware.

Trust

This quarter, the federal government removed Kaspersky from their list of approved security vendors, and gave federal agencies a 90-day window to remove it from their systems. In this commercial, we offered a proven, American-made solution. Not only does PC Matic consistently outscore the competition in public tests, it’s also the only antivirus that does 100% of it’s malware research and software development in the United States.

The post Q3 PC Matic Commercials appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Pitstop Enhances Software Capabilities

Significant enhancements were made to PC Matic, PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP throughout the third quarter of 2017.  A majority of the additions to the programs were a direct result of consumer feedback.  Each of the enhancements are listed below, as well as which platform the change was made for.

PC Matic:

• Infinite Alert Block – Integrated into the ad blocking technology already included within PC Matic, this enhancement will block the infinite alert hoax that claims users have a virus and must call a fraudulent technical support facility.  This feature is currently only available in the Chrome browser, but we will be expanding to other browsers in the near future.

PC Matic, PC Matic MSP and PC Matic Pro:

• Conflicting Program Management – Previously, IT admins or users had to manually remove the existing security solution on each endpoint.  However, with conflicting program management, the existing security program is automatically uninstalled, and replaced with PC Matic, PC Matic Pro or PC Matic MSP.  This not only expedites the installation process, but also removes this burden from the IT admins or users.

PC Matic MSP and PC Matic Pro:

• Device Control – With device control, users are able to easily disable removable storage capabilities.  By doing so, the risk of malicious actors stealing files right inside your building is extinguished.  Device control will also eliminate the risk of malware being installed on an endpoint through a removable storage device, such as a USB.
• Software Management Tool – Previously, PC Matic Pro and MSP were patching vulnerable updates as soon as they became available.  Our customers identified they would like more control over this feature.  Therefore, we did just that.  The software management tool, available through the portal, gives customers the ability to select which program(s) to update as well as which endpoint(s) will be updated.  We understand our customer’s desire to allow increased flexibility; however, it is recommended all vulnerabilities are patched as quickly as possible to mitigate the risk of security holes going unpatched.

To read the Q3 PC Pitstop newsletter in its entirety, click here.

The post PC Pitstop Boosts Capabilities Across the Board appeared first on PC Pitstop TechTalk.

PC Matic Awarded Platinum ASTORS Award

Last week, PC Pitstop, the makers of PC Matic were awarded the Platinum ASTORS Award for the Best Anti-Malware Solution by American Security Today.

American Security Today’s 2017 ASTORS Homeland Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East was an overwhelming success.  The ceremony brought over 100 professionals from across North America and the Middle East.  In attendance were representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Security Exchange Commission, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as leaders in private security.

PC Pitstop was pleased to attend the awards luncheon, and was incredibly honored to receive the highest level of recognition, the platinum award, for the Best Anti-Malware Solution.

American Security Today 2017 ASTORS Awards

To see a list of all of the 2017 ASTORS award winners, click here.

PC Matic’s security solution is focused on malware prevention and detection, with the use of application whitelist technology.  It is because of this default-deny approach, endpoints, and the data within them, remains far more secure than those using a traditional blacklist approach.

Interactive PC Matic Tutorial

With the comprehensive tools, and various capabilities that come with PC Matic, users are frequently asking questions about the security program.  Customers want to be certain they are capitalizing on all of the features and protection PC Matic has to offer.

It was because of these consumer questions, our team decided to create a PC Matic tutorial.  This interactive guide walks you through each piece of the PC Matic user interface.  Not only does it show you the software capabilities and functionality, but is an interactive tutorial which allows users to follow along by clicking the appropriate buttons, tabs, and toggles.  To view the full interactive PC Matic tutorial, click the link below:

https://www.pcmatic.com/tour/

How to Get PC Matic Support

Recently it has been brought to our attention there are several different companies and support organizations that are claiming to provide technical support for PC Matic.  Please know, PC Matic is in no way affiliated with these companies, nor can we confirm their legitimacy.  Legitimate PC Matic support is available through our online help desk from 8:00 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST.  In our 18+ years of business we have found online and email support to be the most effective and efficient for our consumers.

Does PC Matic support cost me anything?

Absolutely not!  Our trained technical support team is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST to help you with all of your support needs, free of charge!  If anyone claims to be from PC Matic, or is offering assistance for PC Matic, with a charge associated, they are not from PC Matic.  Often times, these are technical support scams.

6 Ways to Contact PC Matic

1.  Online support can be accessed directly at www.pcmatic.com/help
2. Direct support requests can be sent to pcmatic@pcpitstop.com
3. A link to our support page can be found on www.pcpitstop.com as by clicking “Support” followed by “Customer Service” 
4. A link to our support page can also be found on www.pcmatic.com/consumer/ as by clicking “Support” followed by “Customer Service”.
5. Our support page can also be found within the PC Matic application.

6.   You can also submit a product question through our Forums.

How do I submit a request for assistance for my PC Matic software?

1. Go to www.pcmatic.com/help, or access our support page via www.pcmatic.com or www.pcpitstop.com as described above.
2. You will need to click on “Technical Support” then answer what kind of support you’re requesting.  
3. You will then be prompted to answer questions based upon your assistance needs.
4. If you have not found your question within the list of provided options, you may click on on “My Issue Is Not Here”, as seen below: 
5. If you are still in need of technical assistance, you will have the option to create a help desk ticket, as seen here.  
6. To submit the ticket, scroll down and click on “Submit Ticket”.
7. Upon completion you will receive a help desk ticket number, with instructions to check your email for a confirmation email from csticket@pcpitstop.com.

To access the full PC Matic User Guide, click here.

Undoing Changes Made by PC Matic

After a PC Matic runs a scan, there is an option users may select for the suggested updates and enhancements to be done automatically.  If this these changes are made automatically, and a user finds something they didn’t want updated, they have the option to “undo” these changes.

To do so, please follow this how-to tutorial to undo any changes made by PC Matic.  As you will see in the video, if the issues persist, the problem is likely stemming from a third-party source.  No worries though.  This video will show you how to do a system restore as well, which will address any ongoing issues users may be experiencing.

Hopefully, you will find this how-to tutorial helpful.  Also, check out all of our how-to videos here.

If you have suggestions for other tutorials you’d like us to either write about, or create a video tutorial for, please let us know.

PC Matic customers, if you need further assistance with PC Matic, you may contact our technicians through our online helpdesk at www.pcmatic.com/help.

Top Antivirus Software Websites

Recently we’ve received a plethora of questions regarding PC Matic’s lack of presence on top antivirus lists.  We’d like to take the opportunity to share with you why PC Matic is not “featured” on these “top” lists.

These sites are often “pay to play”.  Meaning, the company pays to be listed.  This is confirmed in various disclosure statements provided on the websites.  For instance, below you will find a portion of the Advertising Disclosure from Top10AntivirusSoftware.com,

“Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases, may also impact the scoring that is assigned to them. To the extent that scoring appears on this site, such score is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes.”

Another website, BestAntivirusProviders.com, has a similar statement within their Statement of Disclosure,

“In some instances, BestAntivirusProviders.com may receive financial gain for the reviews that appear on the website.”

Since anyone can pay to be listed on these sites, there is a risk of potential scams being included as well.  For instance, Bob Rankin recently wrote an article regarding the legitimacy of the #1 antivirus solution listed by Best Antivirus Providers, TotalAV.  You may read the full article here.

Why PC Matic Isn’t Listed

With the concerns of legitimacy and reputability of these websites, PC Matic chooses not to take part.  Instead of paying to play, PC Matic relies  on independent third-party testing.

Over the last two years, PC Matic has earned a 99.9% detection rating in the Virus Bulletin Reactive and Proactive Test, became AV-Test certified, and detected 100% of ransomware and other malware samples in AV-Comparatives testing.

BEWARE: Scammers Preying on PC Matic Users

This isn’t the first time scammers began targeting PC Matic users.  In the middle of 2017, there was a scam going around where hackers would call PC Matic users claiming to be our support team.  Now there is a website, www.pcmaticsupportnumber.com, that is scamming our customers into paying for fraudulent technical support.  This website has since been taken down, but the phone numbers still exist.  They’ve published videos on YouTube, created social media pages, and websites promoting these telephone numbers.  PC Matic continues to work diligently to get these pages and videos taken down.  However, as mentioned before, the phone numbers are still showing up in search results.  We will do our best to get them removed, but in the meantime, it is imperative our customers know, this is a scam.  PC Matic does not, and has never, offered phone based support.

If you need assistance from a PC Matic technician, you may reach our helpdesk at www.pcmatic.com/help.  This is the only way to reach legitimate PC Matic support.