"We focus on every vertical since all of them are exposed to same security threats"

T.S.Wong 
Director - Sales, APAC,
Panda Security

What are the highlights of the new Panda Global Protection 2011?

Panda Global Protection 2011 is an antivirus of one of its kind. The product gives value for money to the consumers. Panda Global Protection 2011 comes with individual licence keys for multi-users, which helps each of the users to avail the benefits of the product for a span of the entire 12 months from the day of registration. Along with this, Panda Global Protection 2011 brings in the security package that aims at protecting the computer from all kinds of online threats like virus, hackers, online fraud, identity theft and all other known and unknown malware. It keeps the inbox spam free allowing safe and private navigation of the Internet with Panda safe browser. An improved Parental Control allows the children for safe access to the Internet also. 

What is Panda's approach to Cloud services? Can endpoint security be offered as a service?

In 2006, we decided that the traditional approach to fight against malware was dead. So, we started building what we called Collective Intelligence, a cloud approach to detect malware and protect our users. The good thing about the cloud is that you don't have to rely anymore on physical updates, saving bandwidth to the users. It also allows running a lot of heavy processes in the servers we have in this cloud and so the users can get rid of them and thus enjoy one of the lightest antivirus ever. Panda Cloud Antivirus (www.cloudantivirus.com) was the first-ever antivirus suite built by us around the cloud approach. Nowadays, every Panda product takes advantage of the cloud. 

Yes, endpoint security can be offered as a service. Actually, this is what we are doing with our product Panda Cloud Protection. It is a cloud-based security solution, delivered in a SaaS model that provides complete protection services for the major threat vectors: endpoint, email and web. The whole cloud Protection solution provides uninterrupted security for laptops, desktops, servers, removable devices with Panda Cloud Office Protection, email with Panda Cloud Email Protection and internet traffic with the new Panda Cloud Internet Protection.

Given the consolidation that is taking place in the IT security space, how is Panda helping its channel partners to stay abreast with what is happening in this sector?

At Panda Security, we believe that constant communication is a key factor of keeping our channel abreast of what is happening. For which we release a lot of information through our distributors to disseminate to our resellers. Of course, online media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and other social media are being utilized to their full extent. 

The nature of IT threats is constantly evolving. What are you telling your channel partners to focus on?

Trojans Horses dominate the ranking of new malware that has appeared in 2010 (56 per cent of all samples), followed by viruses and worms. It is interesting to note that 11.6 per cent of all the malware gathered in the Collective Intelligence database is rogueware or fake antivirus software, a malware category that despite appearing only four years ago is creating much havoc among users.  These samples are the ones we are telling our channel partners to focus on, although we cannot forget that there are more than 60 million samples circulating and we have to protect against all of them. 

Which key market verticals are you focussing on in 2011 and why?

Actually, due to the advanced threats, as well as an increase in the number of regular malware variants, we believe in focussing on a particular vertical might not be of any help to us. We are urging our partners to focus on every kind of vertical since all of them are exposed to the same risks and all of them are crucial to us.

What will be Panda'ws main focus for its channel in 2011 in India?

Our focus is to increase our partner network across India, with Cyberstar heading the challenge of building this network. Panda Security has solution that caters for home users and large corporates. Therefore, our target is not limited. What we do know is that Cloud Protection is the way to go. And, Panda Security being the first cloud security, the company will be able to fulfil a lot of requirements of channel partners. If they are retail shops with walk-in customers, then we have our retail solution to fulfil that market sector; if they are system integrators that cater for SMBs/SMEs, we have our endpoint solutions based on Cloud Protection. And for large enterprises, we have gateway protection. So, with such complete suite of products, we can work with any/all channel partners. 
 

For more contact:
samrita@varindia.com