Can I use / trust Panda Cloud Antivirus?

I like a good conspiracy theory just as much as the next guy, but this is borderline ridiculous paranoia.

Could a cloud-antivirus do all those things you say, and more, with a malicious intent to invade your privacy? Yes, of course. But so could your traditional non-cloud AV or that game you played a few hours ago or that image editing software you just downloaded or even the OS itself. And, again, you wouldn't know if it was.

What you are suggesting is called malicious intent and ANY software you have already installed on your computer or even the OS itself could do that, not only a cloud-based antivirus.

The only reason to try to equate a cloud-antivirus (but no other software) to malicious invation of privacy is to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about a specific product or vendor, either for fanboy'ism or for money. If you are really concerned that an AV, whose only purpose is to protect you from malware, might be more of an invasion of your privacy than any other software out there, then I suggest you throw your computer and your phone immediately out the window and run for the hills.

 

It isn't "Y'all", it's one poster and his/her opinion. You are choosing to focus on what that poster has said, and ignore everyone else including one of the designers of Panda Cloud (pbust). There is really no sense on continuing this thread as you have apparently learned all that you want to learn about cloud AVs..........I guess it's on to your next future former AV, as you seem to be hard to please by reading the threads you have started.

 

Man,but i know you are so easily influenced...Do you really need someone else to make decisions for you?Don't trust everything you read and make some judgments by yourself.

 

My o my! I just couldn't agree more. Very well said pbust/. Those are real valid points you made there. And that should shut anyone with huge FUDs.

 

Exactly.

And I think it's very disrespectful and offensive to all the members who have posted in this thread except for that particular individual who Berry chose to follow.

 

I think you observed right.

That is a great advice which I always try to follow. I think you should too berryracer. Trust me it'll do you good.

 

What he is saying is not PANDA is bad but you should always question and test the product yourself. Ask yourself is this really right for me? Where is the data going? Can it be compromised or used for no good? But most of all does the product really work!

That's my main gripe with the cloud, does it work. I think signature based detection's are still worth a lot in AV terms.

 

Cloud-antivirus is still signature based detection.

 

Don't take it personally but if we were all like you then we probably still using typewriters and bicycles instead or PCs and cars. I am sure you are kidding or just trying to fuel up the FUD

Does it still make sense to keep this thread alive? Who want to understand should have already by now. Who don't will never do....

 

I think it's a bit unfair of the OP to focus on Panda, when really the concern appears to be about cloud AV's generally. Long and short...if you feel you can't trust it, then don't use it. Many do trust and appreciate this technology, and it's their choice. Don't ask others to choose for you.
This thread might be useful to read: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=328020&highlight=weather cloudy

 

I'm not really saying, or suggesting, anything about intent. In a way I'm taking that question out of the equation by zeroing in on a simple technical question. What information does/can this piece of software (as released) send off the user's computer to another party's cloud? The answer to that is central to the "What are the information security and privacy implications of using this software?" question. Which of course is one of several important questions that someone trying to select or configure a product would want to properly investigate.

This plus your earlier remark, coming so very soon after the thread was started, suggests to me that you have not done what I encouraged you to do. The advice I gave to you I follow myself. I know how long it can take to evaluate just this one aspect of a product. In the end, your image of Panda Cloud Antivirus and your decision regarding whether or not to use it is entirely up to you. I worry, though, that you aren't spending enough time considering very important and rather complicated issues.

 

this sounds like paranoia to me.Have to put your faith in something.
And running a computer without an anti virus product is just plain stupid.
I mean why not go the whole hog and pull the plug completely.!

 

what is your current AV.?
Why do you not trust them any further,?
I would go for comodo the full security suite.

 

You put your privacy at risk the moment you connect to the Internet. This is a bit too much IMO. So I might give Panda a try.

 

Could not disagree more. I think Panda shined through all this cloud pessimism in this thread very well. All the questions have been answered about Panda Cloud several times...

 

The OP could have saved some time and just read the FAQ on the Panda site.

Panda are already fairly clear on how they handle the files they upload.

Any program given the same rights as an AV could potentially do almost anything on your computer - you've given it control over your PC afterall. Whether or not the program is a 'cloud antivirus' doesn't change that.

 

You are correct that any program you allow to run on your computer could attempt to send information out. That is a theoretical possibility that can be checked for by running a network sniffer. That is also a theoretical possibility that you can attempt to block via firewall(s). A cloud antivirus program relies upon the ability to send information out and does so regularly. IOW, that theoretical possibility becomes a matter of fact. That is what changes. Its a very unfortunate consequence of the design.

 

Thats why I liked ESET cloud, you still can be part of it and not submit statistics or any file AND you can exclude files/extension from upload manually, I think only ESET is this way, few cloud AV has opt-out options about what uploading your files.

 

Well, the way I look at the "Cloud" in security products is sort of like Give&Take but the other way around. I take advantage from the cloud, but I also want to give something (new unknow/suspicious files etc...) back when the product/client wants to send them to the vendor