Security solutions tend to run in the background of PCs, meaning users are rarely aware that they are working. Consumers have to trust that their solutions are keeping 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 issues, necessary updates, and viruses were found during the scan.
PC Matic Scan Results Email
To enable PC Matic’s scan results email, follow these steps:
Log into PC Matic.
Click on the PC you would like to receive emails for.
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.
Click on “Schedule New Event”.
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:”.
Please keep in mind, users must restart their PCs after the scan is complete to ensure the optimizations, updates, and remediation processes prompted by the scan, have the opportunity to finalize.
If you run into any issues, please reach out to our support team at www.pcmatic.com/help.
PC Matic, the world’s only 100% American-made anti-virus software, announced the promotion of Justin Evans, who will serve as its Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Myrtle Beach, SC – PC Matic, the world’s only 100% American-made anti-virus software, today announced that it has appointed Justin Evans, who formerly served as the company’s Vice President of Government Sales, as the company’s new Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. A veteran of the software industry, Evans will drive new customer acquisition efforts for the consumer and enterprise divisions of PC Matic and will work to fortify the cybersecurity company’s marketing and communications initiatives.
“Justin’s leadership, expertise, and dedication to PC Matic perfectly positions him to assume this role,” said PC Matic CEO Rob Cheng. “Justin’s depth of knowledge and exceptional background in navigating marketing and sales channels will contribute directly to our success as we aim to accelerate innovations in cybersecurity technologies and expand operations across the globe.”
Evans, prior to joining PC Matic, served as a Senior Account Executive with SAS Institute and formerly served as both the Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Communications for the Office of the South Carolina State Treasurer and as Political Director for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s 2010 campaign. A native of South Carolina, Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Clemson University and went on to earn a master’s degree in public relations from George Washington University.
“PC Matic is a company I deeply believe in,” said Evans. “As the need for innovative cybersecurity products continues to grow, I’m excited to work together with our team and tap into my experience in the software industry to lead our sales and marketing divisions to new heights.”
More information on PC Matic and its leadership team may be found here.
As we continue to grow, we are filling open positions with the finest American talent we can find. We have always believed, as a company with 100% remote employees, that we are able to attract the highest-quality applicants that thrive in a non-traditional work environment. All over America, each of our team members works in the comfort of their own homes, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We’re pleased to introduce this quarter’s new hires:
Ryan Aldridge – Director of Government Sales
Ryan joined the PC Matic government sales and public affairs team in April. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and was previously employed at the SAS Institute. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, tennis, running, and spending time with his wife and two small children.
Justin Evans – SVP of Sales and Marketing
Justin joined the PC Matic sales team in April, as the Vice President of Government Sales. He earned his Masters degree from George Washington University in Strategic Public Relations. Prior to joining the PC Matic team, Justin was employed at the SAS Institute. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family.
Becca Elliott – Government Sales
Becca joined the PC Matic government sales team in April. Prior to joining the PC Matic team, she was employed through the Southern Strategy Group of South Carolina. In her free time, Becca enjoys working out, volunteering at a local animal shelter, and traveling.
Eric Moore – Sales
Eric joined the PC Matic sales team in April. Eric has degrees in Communications and Sociology. Prior to joining the PC Matic team, he was employed at Spectrum Enterprise. In his free time, Eric enjoys hunting, fishing, firefighting, and spending time with his wife and son.
Erika Newton – Sales
Erika joined the PC Matic sales team in April. Like several other PC Matic employees, Erika too previously was employed through Gateway Computers. In her free time, she enjoys attending live entertainment events, traveling, yoga, and spending time with her son.
Gavin Smith – Marketing Communications
Gavin joined the PC Matic strategic communications team in April. Prior to his employment at PC Matic, he was employed through The White House. In his free time, Gavin enjoys water sports, traveling, reading, and being outdoors.
PC Matic, the world’s only 100% American-made antivirus software, announces the latest addition to its product line, adding ‘PC Matic for macOS’ to its suite of cybersecurity software solutions
Myrtle Beach, SC – Today, PC Matic, the world’s only 100% American-made antivirus software, announced the latest addition to its suite of cybersecurity software solutions, adding “PC Matic for macOS” to its product line.
The product, utilizing PC Matic’s innovative and patent-pending globally automated whitelist technology, provides real-time, proactive protection for macOS devices. This whitelisting approach, recommended by the FBI, NSA, and National Institutes of Standards and Technology, is paired with a variety of additional features such as fileless script blocking to provide users with a superior security and performance product and peace of mind.
“Foreign-made, blacklist antivirus software solutions are failing the American people,” said PC Matic CEO Rob Cheng, “PC Matic for macOS is yet another addition to our suite of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions that not only provides superior security at the user-level but also increases the resilience of our country’s cybersecurity infrastructure.”
PC Matic for macOS is available worldwide to PC Matic Home, Pro and MSP users today, and users with available licenses for PC Matic may download the product at no additional cost.
More information on PC Matic for macOS may be found here.
This is part one of a two part post about The Cloud. Yes, the infamous Cloud that you hear about whether you’re Googling recipes for Thanksgiving or shopping for better internet security. The Cloud is a buzz term conceived and coined in the internet age, but what does it actually mean?
Simply put, it’s mobile storage; mobile for you that is. The Cloud, whether offering document storage, photo back up, email access, or endless other services, is a way to store and access data from anywhere with an internet connection. If you need a more granular explanation, it’s a place on a company’s server that saves everything. This ethereal idea of “The Cloud” has actual, tangible machines saving and storing the data you access and create.
Fancy! Why Do I Need It?
I’m glad you asked. Cloud storage allows you virtually limitless possibilities in creating and storing everything, and I do mean everything. Are you working on a novel at home that you suddenly feel the need to access on the bus commute, but all you have is your phone? You can pull your masterpiece from the internet ether and devise a plot twist whenever the muse is present. Want to save those pictures of the grandkids in their Marvel superhero costumes? Great! You can, and you can do it without taking up all your phone’s data. Did you work extra hard on that book report but forgot your laptop at home? Good thing you can grab it at school with just a quick trip to the computer lab.
Cloud capabilities have allowed us more access to more data than ever before. There’s no longer a need to carry your laptop or even a flash drive. Just open your smartphone or your work laptop and pick up where you left off.
That Can’t Be Safe
In our second installment, we’re going to get into Cloud security, but for now we’ll mention that there are risks to everything. And that includes backing up personal data on your own devices. Malware and Ransomware attacks are becoming more prevalent every day. Saving and storing documents and pictures that are important to you should be done in multiple locations.
For a list of ransomware attacks that have already taken place in 2019, you may click here. We have also created a map, see below, of the ransomware attacks that have taken place in the U.S.
Today PC Matic released their new RDP Lifeline feature for PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP users. We’ve talked before about closing remote desktop protocol (RDP) ports. An RDP port, in a nutshell, is an access port found within devices that enables users to gain access to a network remotely. It’s also a great way for hackers to back end their way into your system.
PC Matic has put its whitelist power to work yet again by creating RDP Lifeline, a product meant to secure and monitor RDP ports. In addition to introducing innovative whitelist RDP technology, the product also boasts realtime alerting, expansive audit logs, and remote RDP control all wrapped up within a cloud based user interface.
Features
Whitelisting technology takes a default-deny approach, meaning anything not recognized will automatically be blocked from executing on your system. RDP Lifeline uses this philosophy to block all unknown devices that attempt to connect to your RDP ports.
The product keeps you in the know by sending text or email alerts with links to help you manage the whitelist, kill the session, disable RDP, or even shut down the device until you return to it. That way you won’t need to worry when leaving your machine.
Extensive reporting offered with RDP Lifeline keeps records of RDP sessions both attempted and successful and how often they’ve happened. The reporting feature records IP addresses along with device and location and length of time of a session.
All of this is accessible within a cloud based console, the benefit of which means you can manage your security and monitoring features anywhere you have internet access. With such a light footprint, RDP Lifeline won’t slow down your machine either. It’s a win-win.
RDP Lifeline has been added to PC Matic Pro and PC Matic MSP at no additional charge for our customers.
When we think of data breaches, the image that often comes to mind is a foreign entity acting with malicious intent. Stories continue to dominate the news of cities and businesses falling victim to the ever growing threat of ransomware. Where are those cyber threats located? Research suggests they could be at the desk next to you.
In a survey of over 1,000 information security leaders, the 2019 Global Data Exposure Report, conducted by Code42, found that 69% of organizations said their breaches came from inside. Some actors were malicious while others were simply careless.
They didn’t mean to
It isn’t just lower level employees putting company data at risk. According to the Code42 research survey, 78% of CSOs and 65% of CEOs admit to clicking links they shouldn’t have. That’s a staggering number.
Last week I spoke with an IT professional who has a “repeat offenders” list at his office. These are employees known for opening anything sent to them. They click links, download files, and go to unprotected websites despite the protestations of the IT department.
Even with increased security training, these employees are still a threat to their company’s safety. They’re now on a list of people who have more blocked on their machines than those who use common sense security processes.
Going back to the Code42 survey, departing employees, even those leaving amicably, can pose a risk. The survey found 63% of departing employees admitted to taking data with them. This can include anything from client lists to source code and can be damaging to a company.
The mass exodus
63% of exiting employees may not sound as big as it is unless you consider the fact that over 40 million Americans left their jobs last year. Our work culture no longer involves being hired for a company and working there until retirement. Employees are likely to jump ship well before the 5 year mark.
With this mass exodus of employees from company to company, the idea that they’re taking and bringing data means much more is being shared than should. This culture isn’t likely to slow down any time soon. The solution is to safe guard company and customer data more closely than previously done.
One feature that PC Matic Pro offers to help combat this is a USB blocker. An administrator can stop any outside device from being connected to the machine via USB port to transfer data. It’s protections like these that are lacking in current security suites used by businesses.
And not all employees transferring data are acting maliciously. There’s a general lack of understanding of intellectual property and who it belongs to within an organization. It’s up to employers to make that clear to both incoming and outgoing staff. Anything created for the company belongs to the company, not the individual creating it.
Those who mean to do harm
On the flip side, there are employees, both exiting and current, that are looking to do harm. In some research I did on ransomware trends, I found that there are programs for purchase on the dark web that will hold your hand through the creation and deployment of ransomware and malware. You don’t have to be tech savvy to launch an attack.
Even without the creation of malware, some disgruntled employees have permissions they shouldn’t have. Most companies are empowering their employees to work and create, which is wonderful (have you ever had a micromanaging boss? I have, it’s awful, and the reason why I scooted out of that place quickly.) Without the proper security measures in place, however, the company is leaving itself open to theft and attack.
What to do
In the end, company security comes down to vigilance and diligence. Creating a company culture of empowering, educating, and respecting employees can go a long way toward making them feel ownership of the company’s security. Most employees want to do a good job and want to provide their company with excellent work. When they feel trusted and empowered, they’re more likely to exude those positive, security minded traits.
And for those who aren’t the most altruistically minded, setting up a system of security protocols with checks and balances can help protect the company. At the end of the day, a well protected company is job security for us all.
Last week, PC Matic CEO Rob Cheng sat down to discuss Iranian cyber attacks on The Liz Callaway Show. During the 20 minute show, Rob delved into both Iran and other security topics.
There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about RDP being the favorite attack vector for cybercriminals. This raises a lot of concern, especially if you aren’t sure what RDP means. It’s likely that if you aren’t familiar with RDP, it’s not something you have to worry about.
RDP means remote desktop protocol. We get a lot of questions from home users on what it is and how to close ports. If you’re running Windows 10 home, that’s not a concern for you. Microsoft didn’t include RDP features in the Windows 10 home edition. If you really want the option to use RDP from a Windows 10 home device, a quick internet search will give you options. For now, however, let’s agree that you shouldn’t enable it unless you genuinely need it.
Tell me about it
RDP is used to, as the name suggests, remote into a machine when you aren’t in the same room physically. Businesses will use this feature for remote workers, tech support, project management, and a host of other applications. Setting it up requires some configurations in your machine and router. You can check out a great article from Geek.com for those specifics.
After setting up RDP capabilities, your machine is ready to allow remote access, whether that’s solely from you or from authorized users you allow to access your machine. You should always know who is accessing your files.
But what if I don’t
This is where PC Matic saw a need and, pardon the pun, plugged it. By using an RDP control like PC Matic’s RDP Lifeline feature, we’ve allowed our customers the freedom to secure, monitor, and even hit the kill switch on active RDP sessions. True to the nature of RDP itself, you don’t have to be in front of your machine to access these features. We’ll keep you in-the-know with real time alerts and features to keep your ports safe.
RDP is a great feature and something that’s made doing business way easier than it was even 10 years ago. Like everything else, however, it requires vigilance, maintenance, and a little bit of common sense. Keep it secure, and you’ll enjoy the convenience of RDP. As always, stay safe out there.
Often times we have customers reaching out to us to share their success stories. We love taking the time to highlight some of these customers. Listen to Troy, in his own words, tell you his PC Matic story.
Imagine this, you’ve built a business from scratch and are enjoying small businesses success as you grow to fifty employees. You’re doing great. Then a phishing email is delivered to all fifty of those employees. One person in your organization hasn’t had training in how to spot phishing attacks. They click the link.
Bam! The bad guys are in and they’ve encrypted your files. According to a new report by Coveware, a site that assists companies victimized by attacks, the average ransomware attack is now going to cost you more than $80,000. This is a 104% increase from Q3 to Q4 where the cost was just over $40,000.
To pay or not to pay
While all of the recommendations are to not pay the ransom, a whopping 98% of companies that do are able to recover what was encrypted (another Coveware find.) The recovery percentage sits impressively at 97% percent. In layman’s terms, most of these criminals are doing what they say they’ll do.
Coveware found that recovery time has increased from 12.1 days to 16.2 days, which makes the need for recovery and restoration important to a business’ health. But what are the real costs associated with an attack? They don’t just stop at the ransom.
The costs
While a ransomware attack is expensive just from the ransom payment, that’s not the only cost incurred. Businesses suffer from repair and replacement of hardware, loss of profit, remediation, and damaged reputation to name a few. The last of which can be devastating.
The actual payout can quickly triple and quadruple in cost. This idea leaves many businesses seeking out insurance for ransomware. Ransomware insurance, however, is problematic at best.
PC Matic CEO, Rob Cheng, shared his insight on ransomware insurance. “Cyber security insurance is hurting the war against ransomware because they pay ransoms without first considering how to survive without paying the ransom. Last year, cyber security insurance played a key role in driving up the cost of the ransoms. The problem is that the more we pay, the more we will be attacked. This is not built into their actuarial models and it will lead to an escalation in cyber security insurance premiums. This industry must be regulated.”
His insight is backed by the published findings at Coveware.
Prevention is the way to go
The effective solution to paying heavy ransoms is evident. Prevention is key. PC Matic strongly recommends using whitelisting technology to protect your machines. PC Matic also recommends back up and separate data storage. Cybercriminals can’t hold your data ransom if you have the means to recover it yourself.
What it all comes down to, however, is preparedness. Above all, business is a numbers game, and the business of ransomware is blowing their numbers out of the water. Are you prepared?
For a list of ransomware attacks that have already taken place in 2019, you may click here. We have also created a heatmap, see below, of the ransomware attacks that have taken place in the U.S. Click the map for full details.
This morning, PC Matic released our Data Integrity Pledge. The pledge assures both current and future customers that PC Matic will never release their personal information, directly or indirectly, to third parties. In other words, PC Matic values your privacy.
Security is the top priority at PC Matic. Therefore, PC Matic believes all data is important, including customer information.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, an emphasis on user-data security continues to become a more important conversation,” said PC Matic CEO Rob Cheng. “As such, and as we continue to expand our global footprint, PC Matic’s Data Integrity Pledge disregards the effects selling user-data could have on our bottom line and instead puts the privacy and security of our most valuable asset – our users – first.”
That free AV software isn’t out of the kindness of their hearts
Yesterday we announced PC Matic’s Data Integrity Pledge. Recently, news that some “free” antivirus (AV) products surfaced. Interestingly, these free products have been caught with their hands in the (digital) cookie jar.
In an article by PCMag, it was discovered that one free AV in particular was crossing a concerning line. Data by its users is currently being harvested and sold. The claim from the product is that the information is put through a de-identification process. That’s been found to be untrue.
The problem with de-identification
These products aren’t intentionally lying to their customers. Actually, the problem is that their methods don’t work. While de-identification is good in theory, there are still tags attached to data that lead back to user information. This can make a consumer identifiable. While your name and IP are removed, the path back to you is pretty well lit.
Data harvesting isn’t new. It’s used to help companies identify what’s trending with consumers. Sometimes data harvesting can be a useful tool to identify where to take product markets. Unfortunately, it’s also a concerning issue when talking about privacy.
The importance of privacy
In an increasingly connected world, privacy is important. The threat of ransomware is on everyone’s horizons. Privacy is a key component to keeping sensitive data safe. Identifying individual consumers browsing and purchasing histories can open them up to more sophisticated phishing efforts.
Targeted and sophisticated phishing is popular among cyber criminals. They’re banking on employees slipping up. In other words, knowing what snags a person’s eye can potentially be used as a backdoor into their employer’s network.
For example, a cyber criminal buys the data mining information for certain users at an organization. They can then send a targeted phishing scam to those employees. Since employees continually connect to their employer’s WiFi, opening a phishing scam even on their own device can expose the employer’s network.
Data integrity
By pledging to its customers that PC Matic will never expose their data, we’re taking one step further in the protection of your organization’s security. The two can seem disjointed. When you take a look at the pathways between buying habits and connectivity, you see the road into an organization is pretty straight forward.
In other words, the more you know can actually be harmful. Remember those commercials with the shooting star that purported “the more you know” as a good thing? That is true, but it’s true for everyone. The more you know about security, the less likely you are to be a victim of phishing attempts. On the other hand, the more the cyber criminals know about those they’re attacking the more sophisticated they can make their attacks. It’s a double edged sword.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
The old adage holds true. Those “free” AV products aren’t free. Businesses can’t give things away and stay in business. It’s a universal truth. So if a product is claiming to not charge you, they’re still making their money somewhere.
Anything worth having is worth the investment you put into it. Whether it’s a pair of hiking boots or an AV that pledges not to distribute (or mine) your personal information, you’re going to get what you pay for.
American business is becoming increasingly dependent on technology. Whether you’re a large corporation with employees spanning the country or even the world, or a mom and pop shop, there will be different layers of technology built into your operations. Therefore, managing that tech is necessary.
We know about the cyber threats out there. Additionally, we’ve discussed cyber health on this blog. But what does that mean when it comes to actually managing it?
There are options. At PC Matic, we have the Pro product for businesses that need to manage a multitude of machines. But where does that leave those businesses that only have a few workstations? And what about the larger businesses who don’t have a dedicated IT person? Are they left on their own?
The MSP solution
PC Matic partners with managed service providers (MSPs) across the United States. This means there are hundreds of MSPs across the US using PC Matic’s whitelist technology to protect their clients.
The first step is to identify what type of IT management your business will need. Are you a small operation that can’t afford an IT professional on staff? Are you medium sized with one person managing IT? Is your organization large and in need of additional eyes on your security solution?
Any of these examples are candidates for MSPs. Additionally, MSPs offer a variety of other services to their customers. Depending on your needs, there is an MSP out there for you.
Benefits to MSP services include decreased payroll and employee wages, increased security and alerting, access to experts in the IT field, increased support and reduced support time, increased productivity in other areas. This means that using an MSP service will reduce your overall costs and give you more time to focus on your business. Additionally, it’ll provide you with top rate IT staff that will provide you with excellent monitoring and protection.
Self-Managed
Managing IT in house is often an option for businesses that already have a dedicated IT staff. Self-managing allows the company to keep eyes on their operations at all times. It also allows them to have control over updates, scans, reports, and other proprietary information they deem necessary.
There are products on the market like PC Matic Pro which provide IT directors the tools needed to effectively manage their networks. With a small footprint on each machine, PC Matic’s cloud console allows access from anywhere with an internet connection. Subsequently, PC Matic users report ease of use when managing their network on the go.
Choosing an option
Ultimately, the option best for your organization is going to come down to what best fits your needs. When it comes to MSP vs Self-Management, the decision is based on your unique company and your needs.
For more information on PC Matic Pro, MSP services, or to be matched with a PC Matic MSP, please click here.
There are a million scams out there. According to the FTC, over 3 million in 2019 to be exact. The most prevalent form last year was impostor scams, and PC Matic is not immune to that either. We frequently hear about customers who, instead of contacting PC Matic support, have tried to branch out and search for other methods.
Recently, another impostor scam came to light. So, in an effort to set the record straight, here’s what you should do if you’re looking for support for your PC Matic product.
Home users
Home users have a support button on their console. This will take you directly to our customer support team. They’re a fantastic and helpful group that will be able to tackle your issue quickly and with ease.
If you aren’t yet a PC Matic Home customer, we urge you to go to our support page and contact us from there. Our website is verified and safe. Accessing support through it will take you directly to a PC Matic employee.
Pro customers
Whether you’re a reseller, MSP, or Pro customer, you will have a sales rep that was assigned to you. Contacting your sales rep directly or accessing the support function through your portal are the safest ways to contact a verified PC Matic employee. Don’t worry if you don’t remember who your sales rep is, the support access through your portal will get you to the correct person.
Additionally, if you need to make a payment to your account, all of the information is located in your portal. PC Matic employees will NEVER ask you for payment information via email or over the phone. For your safety, we also do not store automatic payment information in a place where employees can access it. With PC Matic, your information is safe.
The forums
You can always visit the PC Matic forums for helpful tips, to see other people’s scam stories, or to ask general questions. If you see a response from an Admin, you know you’re getting information from a PC Matic employee.
The forums are a great place to converse about the product and ask general questions. You’ll definitely want to check it out even if you aren’t in need of support.
What NOT to do
Googling “PC Matic Tech Support” could get you to the correct place, or it could get you in a world of trouble. From scammers that ask you to send a check (actually happened) to a person asking to remote into your computer (actually happened) our customers who venture out on their own have come into contact with it all.
The best way to make sure you’re getting verified PC Matic support is to only go through our approved channels mentioned above. When it doubt, always go through www.PCMatic.com. It’ll save you a lot of headaches in the end.
2020 Cybersecurity Product / Service Awards – Winners and Finalists
The 2020 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards honor individuals, products and companies that demonstrate excellence, innovation and leadership in information security. Based on the strength of their nomination and the popular vote by members of the Information Security Community (both ratings and comments), we are announcing the following winners and finalists for the 2020 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards in the category Cybersecurity Product / Service.
Anti Malware
GOLD WINNER: PC Matic Pro
In 3 bullets, summarize why this product or service is different from the competition and deserves recognition:
PC Matic Pro deploys a three-tiered protection approach that cannot be found in other security solutions.
First, is the use of its automated global whitelist. This whitelist is managed by the PC Matic Pro malware research team, meaning none of the unknown file testing is left up to IT professionals. It is because of this default deny approach, users of PC Matic Pro do not find themselves infected with the latest malware threats, including ransomware.
The second layer of protection includes fileless malware detection. Fileless malware circumvents a file system driver, and does not include a file or an executable. Due to this attack method, no antivirus was blocking it. That is until PC Matic developed a specialized hooking process that reviews demands sent to scripting engines to confirm their security. To date, approximately 25% of malware blocked by PC Matic Pro are malicious scripting attacks.
Lastly, modern cyber threats have been found executing through vulnerable RDP ports, and security solutions were failing to address this vulnerability. To prevent attacks from executing through open RDP ports, PC Matic Pro has deployed threat mitigation techniques to avoid exploitation. These three layers of defense provide advanced, proactive security for all levels of business, government, and educational institutions.
Overview
PC Matic Pro, an endpoint and server security solution, was developed by PC Matic Inc. in 2015 and officially launched in the channel in 2016. PC Matic Pro is for IT decision makers within U.S. local government, municipalities, and educational institutions who need to ensure the security and confidentiality of their data against today’s threat landscape, and want to stop feeling overwhelmed by today’s cyber threats and feel confident in an affordable and effective solution. PC Matic Pro is an endpoint and server security solution that allows for peace of mind with an automated whitelist technology, providing an advanced level of protection without burdening IT staff. Unlike traditional security solutions, such as Webroot or Symantec, which allow unknown and often malicious files to execute, PC Matic Pro blocks unknown files from executing until tested by our in-house malware research team, or locally whitelisted by proper business authorities.
PC Matic Pro is the only security solution provider that is developed, supported, and researched in the United States.
We all know how many scams are going on out there. PC Matic does its part to proactively warn our customers about the scams we see involving our name. This one came in yesterday, and we wanted to talk about it.
Just looking at the email above, there are already some red flags. If you’re a current PC Matic customer, you know how much your subscription costs. The fee is that high to alarm you and scare you into calling. That’s a common theme in scam emails. They want you to be scared.
Next, they give you a support number to call. You should only ever go through support listed on a company’s website. PC Matic’s website has clearly defined support navigation at the top. Even if you aren’t able to spot that this is a scam email, you can continue to protect yourself by contacting someone only through a verified source.
You can tell a site is verified by the lock icon in the address bar next to the web address.
If you’re still in doubt, you can do the email test.
When I clicked on the blue PC Matic hyperlink in the “From” section, it brought up this email. You can see the address is an @gmail.com account. PC Matic and all its correspondence come from an @pcmatic.com address. This is true of almost all larger companies. If the email address looks a little off, it’s a pretty good chance you’ve received a phishing email.
Reporting
PC Matic encourages customers to contact us via our website with any suspicious emails. We’ll verify the information and work to get it shut down. Remember, if you suspect anything might be “phishy” (see what I did there) then reach out to us. Our goal is to keep our customers safe.
Cyber Defense Magazine Announces Winners of the InfoSec Awards 2020
Winners of 8th Annual Coveted Information Security Awards announced today during RSA Conference 2020
SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020 – Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine has spent the past six months scouring the globe and found 3,200 companies who create and offer the most respected information security products and services. CDM has named 10% of these companies as winners of our coveted InfoSec Award for 2020 because of their innovations and focus on attempting to stop tomorrow’s breach, today.
“In a world of nearly exponential growth in cybercrime, data theft and the loss of personally identifiable information as well as nation state cyber espionage, hacktivism and cyber terrorism, it’s time to focus on the most innovative solutions that might actually stop these exploiters in their tracks,” said Yan Ross, US Editor of Cyber Defense Magazine.
“These winners are the most innovative and proactive cyber security companies and service providers on the planet who are working to bring tomorrow’s cybersecurity solutions to market, today,” said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.
CDM will be staffed with a team of over 17+ people and will be handing out digital access to our Cyber Defense Magazine RSA Conference Special Edition with 170+ pages, consisting of some of the most prominent cyber security articles and awards in the industry. These online, mobile and monthly versions and are always freely available by signing up at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com
PC Matic takes a proactive approach to cyber security, including various layers of protection in its cyber solutions, including application whitelisting, malicious script block, RDP controls, two-factor authentication, patch management, and more.
PC Matic also provides a range of products to fit customer needs. The Consumer, Pro, and Server products are available for Windows or for MAC OS. PC Matic also provides partner programs for VAR and MSPs.
About CDM InfoSec Awards
This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s eighth year of honoring InfoSec innovators. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com
About the Judging
The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking “What’s Next?” so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions.
About Cyber Defense Magazine
With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and over 17,000 pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine and our sister magazine being announced after the show is the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferencs. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group, a division of Ingersoll Lockwood. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit http://www.cyberdefensetv.com and http://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives.
About PC Matic
Founded in 1999, Windows 98 was the dominant operation system, and PC Pitstop was a free computer diagnostic website. We became an internet sensation ranking frequently in Alexa’s top 1000 web sites. We were off to the races. By 2009, PC Pitstop had grown, and we launched PC Matic, a comprehensive tool to care for the maintenance and security of all your computers. The next year, my wife and my father were running PC Matic, and both got infected with the FBI virus, an early form of ransomware. At the time, we were licensing a third party antivirus, so we developed our own entirely in the United States.
In January 2011, we launched SuperShield, PC Matic’s real time protection based on a whitelist. The flaw in antivirus then and still today, is how it deals with unknown applications. If a blacklist AV sees an unknown file, it assumes it to be good. That is the security hole and why our nation is facing a ransomware crisis. The whitelist assumes unknown files are bad until our researchers can verify their authenticity.
We learned that we can not claim our whitelist has superior protection. We had to prove it. In 2014, we won our first Virus Bulletin RAP test, the industry’s most difficult detection rate test. But we were not done, by the end of 2016, we achieved the first perfect score on the RAP test. Isn’t that what we all want in an antivirus? To correctly detect 100% of the viruses?
In the middle of 2016, one of our PC Matic customers got infected despite using our whitelist security. The reason was scripting attacks also known as fileless infections. By the end of 2016, we rolled out changes to block scripting attacks.
As the ransomware story continues to unfold, we hope that people will begin to look at detection rates when purchasing security products, and they will find ours as one of the best.
So, you just changed computers, or maybe purchased a brand new laptop, and you’re looking to install PC Matic on that device as well. You’ve come to the right place! Depending on your initial purchase, PC Matic can be installed on at least 5 devices under your one account! All we have to do is download it on the new device, and login with our existing account details!
Lets get started. Scroll down and find the Operating System you’re looking to install on, then follow the instructions or video!
Windows Computers
On the computer you wish to install on, open your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.)
The installer file will automatically download. You may see it in the lower left corner of your browser (Chrome), or you can find it in your Downloads folder. *View Screenshot 1**View Screenshot 2*
Double click on the installation file, or click it once and press enter.
If prompted with User Account Control, click Yes. *View Screenshot*
Select your language and press OK *View Screenshot*
Read and accept the License Agreement and click Next. *View Screenshot*
Click Next to confirm the install location.
Click Next to confirm the start menu location.
Select if you want to create a desktop shortcut and click Next. *View Screenshot*
Select Install.
Once complete, select to Launch PC Matic and click Finish. *View Screenshot*
When PC Matic launches, click Login in the lower left corner. *View Screenshot*
Enter your PC Matic account email address and password and click Login. *View Screenshot*
Click on the Download link above to download PC Matic Mac.
To complete the install process, you will need to know the administrator password for the computer. This is most likely the password you use to login to your Mac on a daily basis.
Navigate to where you downloaded and/or saved the .dmg installer file.
Double click the InstallPCMatic.dmg file to begin the install process.
Once you double click the InstallPCMatic.dmg file it will open a new window called PCMatic with two files inside *View Screenshot*:
PC Matic.pkg – This is our main installer file and what we’ll use to put PC Matic in place.
Uninstall PC Matic.tool – This is the uninstall file and can be saved somewhere on your computer for future use or the .dmg file can be re-downloaded to access it.
Right-click the PC Matic.pkg file and click Open to continue with the install.
Click Open again, click Continue, and then click Install.
Type in your administrator password and click Install Software. *View Screenshot*
Before completion, your Mac may prompt you to allow our system extension. The system extension is critical for antivirus products and must be allowed for PC Matic to protect your device. Click Open Security Preferences in the prompt. (If you don’t see this prompt, skip to step 12) *View Screenshot*
In the Security and Privacy window at the bottom you will see “System Software from Developer “PC Pitstop LLC” was blocked from loading”. Click the allow button. *View Screenshot*
After you click allow, the option will disappear and you can close the Security and Privacy window.
Once completed, click Close.
You should now see our PC Matic Mac icon appear in the Status Bar at the top of your desktop. It will begin as a red shield. *View Screenshot*
Click the red shield, and select ‘Register’ to connect this Mac with your PC Matic account.
Sign in with your PC Matic account information. *View Screenshot*
Once signed in, the shield will switch over to green to show that your device is protected.
Installation is Complete!
Android Smartphones
On your Android Device, open the Google Play store. *View Screenshot*
In the search bar, type PC Matic and press enter. *View Screenshot*
Tap the PC Matic application in the list. *View Screenshot*
On the page for our application, tap Install. *View Screenshot*
Now click the Open button after installation completes. *View Screenshot*
Login with your PC Matic account email address and password. *View Screenshot*
RMM tools are an MSP’s best friend. They are the lifeline between the provider and the customer, but finding the right one can bury you in research.
The right RMM tool should have several features. In addition to including essential functions like automation and remote management, it should also be light on the client machine. The tool you choose should be easy to use and allow you to customize your notifications as well as allowing you to work without disrupting the client’s work day.
Cloud Based
A cloud based tool allows you to work without any hardware investment. PC Matic’s cloud based MSP tool means you can be onsite with one client while continually monitoring another. Many of our MSPs love the freedom they enjoy with this, as it allows them to be present for all their customers even when one needs special onsite attention.
Automation
A great RMM will automate a lot of the process for you. Keeping track of the regular activities by automating them for you frees you up to keep an eye on anything irregular that might show up on your client machines.
Additionally, PC Matic automates the whitelist protection offered to customers. This means that we’re monitoring and approving new executables even if you don’t get a chance to right away.
Remote Tools
If you’re an MSP using multiple remote tools, you aren’t optimizing your time. PC Matic has built in remote tools allowing MSPs to quickly VNC into a user’s machine, open a Remote CMD, prompt to run scripts locally, browse and upload to file directories, remotely shutdown, and more.
PC Matic MSP Features
Cloud Console – PC Matic MSP is hosted on AWS and provides a simple interface to manage your customers from any device anywhere in the world. Multi Tenant Structure – Create an infinite number of customers, groups, and devices while applying any custom settings or policies across the structure. Device Authentication – Keep your console and tools secure with proprietary authentication that blocks all unauthorized devices from access. Whitelist Security – Default-deny security blocks all unknown executions backed by our 12 million (and counting!) Global Whitelist of applications. RDP Security – Protect Remote Desktop Protocol by creating a whitelist of allowed devices while immediately blocking all unknown device sessions. RDP Management – Remotely enabled, disable, schedule, or temporarily open RDP from the cloud. Review detailed session history logs, and more! Integrated VNC – PC Matic MSP includes an integrated VNC that allows for secure remote access to any device in your console in just two clicks! Remote CMD – Without disturbing active users, send commands in realtime with our remote command prompt. Troubleshooting has never been this easy! File Manager – A full remote file directory is included for each device on your account. Quickly upload or download files for any customer machine. Anti-Tamper Protection – Uninstalling and service tampering are completely blocked at the local device. Keeps your security in place where it should be! Realtime RDP Alerts – If a new RDP session is established, you can get realtime SMS & Email alerts with quick actions to kill the session and more! Remote Reboot & Shutdown – Send an immediate signal to any or all devices in one click to shutdown or reboot after you’ve applied updates! Local Whitelist – Have a customer running proprietary apps? Locally whitelist them in seconds across the entire organization by hash, digital signature, or folder path. Fileless Malware Prevention – PC Matic MSP’s heuristics proactively block script based attacks that defeat normal blacklisting and whitelisting security solutions. Patch Management – Automatically update over 30 different third party applications to keep your customers machines secure from vulnerabilities. Automated System Cleanup – Scheduled scanning removes malware, junk files, unwated services or starups and more! Expansive Alerting & Reporting – Customize alerts and reports to keep yourself and your customers informed via SMS or Email.
