AMSTERDAM and SAN FRANCISCO – 4th June, 2013 – AVG Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), the provider of Internet and mobile security, privacy and optimization solutions to 150 million active users, today announced a new partnership deal with Cellusys, the leading provider of SMS security and roaming solutions. Under the terms of the partnership, the two companies will integrate AVG’s LinkScanner® technology into Cellusys SMS Defence, to provide even greater mobile protection.
AVG LinkScanner provides preventative real-time protection against online threats by identifying infected sites and initiating protective measures before a possible attack. This technology will be integrated into Cellusys’ SMS Defence, an SMS firewall for mobile networks, which allows mobile operators to protect themselves and subscribers from SMS spam, spoofing, smishing and viruses. When SMS Defence detects a harmful SMS, the system blocks it and sends the subscriber a notification that the SMS was stopped by the mobile operator.
“With the mass proliferation of smartphones, an increasing issue of concern today is ‘smishing’ – in other words mobile phishing – which can represent as much as 33% of all SMS spam,” explained Dawood Ghalaieny, CEO of Cellusys. “Most smartphone users do not realize that when they download apps, enter competitions or submit their details online they are leaving themselves open to attack. SMS spam, spoofing, smishing and viruses are becoming more and more prevalent for the consumer while for mobile network operators in this day and age, it’s not just an advantage, it’s imperative to have an anti-smishing capability.”
“By partnering with AVG, we are able to provide an even more effective defence against all these threats, with LinkScanner allowing us to add nearly 1,000 dangerous URLs to our system every hour.”
Working within the network, the Cellusys SMS Defence solution currently secures all operating systems including Blackberry, iPhone, Android, Palm, and Symbian. The technology features a comprehensive SMS Firewall, SMS Anti-Spam, SMS Faking, SMS Spoofing, SMS Flooding, SMS Anti-Virus, Home Routing, Key Word Analysis and Parental Control, plus the ability to incorporate into MVNOs and Multiple Operator Networks.
“While we may not traditionally associate SMS with security threats, attacks of this kind are becoming pretty commonplace. As our customers increasingly rely on mobile devices to stay connected, it is our responsibility to continually improve the protection available to them and our alliance with Cellusys will further enable this. We are delighted to be able to offer customers greater peace of mind that they are using SMS safely and, equally importantly, that their mobile operator is committed to their protection.”
“Recent attacks have left mobile operators open to customer service complaints, revenue assurance issues and weaknesses within the security of their own customer portals,” added Ghalaieny. “The added benefit of our solution from a mobile network perspective is that it not only protects customers, but it also increases customer trust in SMS and the resulting revenue.”
About Cellusys
Cellusys is a privately held company, based in Dublin, Ireland. It provides leading-edge solutions for mobile networks including a comprehensive SMS Firewall, Roam Management Solutions and other value-added services such as Parental Control.
About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)
AVG’s mission is to simplify, optimize and secure the Internet experience, providing peace of mind to a connected world. AVG’s powerful yet easy-to-use software and online services put users in control of their Internet experience. By choosing AVG’s software and services, users become part of a trusted global community that benefits from inherent network effects, mutual protection and support. AVG has grown its user base to 150 million active users as of March 31, 2013 and offers a product portfolio that targets the consumer and small business markets and includes Internet security, PC performance optimization, online backup, mobile security, identity protection and family safety software.
Contacts
Cellusys
Anne-Marie Curran, Drury Communications
+353 1 260 5000
annemarie.curran@drury.ie
Rick Carter, Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, Cellusys
+1 770 536 2425
rick.carter@cellusys.com
AVG Technologies
US
Ty Sheppard
Finn Partners for AVG
ty.sheppard@finnpartners.com
+1 (415) 249-6775
UK
Amy Bunn
Waggener Edstrom for AVG
abunn@waggeneredstrom.com
+ 44 (0)20 7632 3857
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