Watch Out for Ransomware Attacks - They're Nasty!

I'll start out bluntly with a reminder: Please don’t click on any emails or attachments you don't recognize, and avoid suspicious websites altogether.

This is an especially important practice because there is a type of widespread cyber attack using ransomware schemes to bilk uses out of money once their computers are hijacked and locked by the hacker. 

The problem begins when the victim clicks on an infected advertisement, email, or attachment, or visits an infected website. Once the victim’s device is infected with the ransomware, the victim’s files become encrypted. In most cases, once the victim pays a ransom fee, he or she regains access to the files that were encrypted. 

The financial impact to victims goes beyond the ransom fee itself, which is typically between $200 and $10,000. Many victims incur additional costs associated with network mitigation, network countermeasures, loss of productivity, legal fees, IT services, and/or the purchase of credit monitoring services for employees or customers. 

Again, be very, very careful these days especially about emails, websites, or phone calls offering computer tech support, no matter how official the offer sounds. 

You can read the full article, which I summarized above, here: 

http://www.ic3.gov/media/2015/150623.aspx

If you suspect your computer is infected by ANY malicious sfotware, unplug if from the Internet immediately and request trusted LOCAL tech support.

Thanks for reading. Your feedback is appreciated!

Aloha, Sam

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The Myth of the Impervious Mac

The Myth of the Impervious Mac

What's the issue?
Conventional thinking in computer user land - and rightly so for awhile now - is that Macs are unlikely to be infected by viruses. 

That thinking must now change. 

I can attest to working on four infected Macs in the last week prior to writing this article (June 2015). Mac users must start being more Internet-security savvy and protect their computers with security software and best practices.  

Why is this happening?
The infections I cleaned up targeted browser weak points and/or enticed the users to download software - social networking type of exploits. 

In one case the client I helped had downloaded software that launched a webpage prompting her to call a number for tech support. When someone with a thick foreign accent at a call center answered, she was immediately suspicious. When that person asked to remotely connect to her computer, she hung up. Then she called for our help to remove the infection. 

Another client was not so fortunate. She fell for the scam and allowed them remote access to her computer. After she realized the danger and disconnected the remote tech, she called us. I removed 51 infections on her Mac, including some Trojan viruses.

How to not fall victim to tech support scams?
In one of my previous blog posts, linked here, I explained how to be careful about requesting computer tech support. Be suspicious of anyone offering tech support online or calling you. And be very careful about downloading software on your computer. When in doubt, don't do it, or at least spend some time researching it. 

I recommend taking these protective measures on your Mac:

• Back up all important data at once and do so frequently.
• Make sure you have all Apple updates installed, and keep up with doing this.
• Try using Firefox instead of Safari and keep it updated.
• Create an admin account on your Mac, password protect it, then demote your usual account to standard user level and password protect it.
• Install an antivirus program like Sophos, Avast, or AVG and scan you entire Mac; do the scan weekly, or at least monthly.
• Make sure you are behind a hardware firewall in your home or business network.
• Keep up with Mac-specific security news.

Here are some additional Mac-specific security tips, which are a little more techie, such as enabling the Firewall and turning on Vault (to encrypt).

In Sum
Sorry to say it, but Mac users can no longer relax in thinking that Windows systems are the focal point for hackers. It's open season on everyone now. Be careful, and protect yourself the best you can. It's all we can really do, except for limiting computer use on the Internet, which of course, is an option given how much we use our smartphones these days for web and email. I wrote on this subject in this blog post.

Update 5/27/16... here's a post that references the hows and whys of Mac infections...


Thanks for reading,
Sam

You can subscribe to email tips by visiting www.kokuadigital.com and entering your name, email, and "add to email list" in the request form, then click Send. 

Windows 10 - Upgrade Optional, Can Wait And See

Here's an alert for Windows 7 and 8 users: Soon, if you haven't already, you may see a little Windows Start icon in your system tray at the lower right of your screen. 

While this image may resemble a spyware program, it is the notice Microsoft is foisting on its Windows 7 and 8 users to promote upgrading to Windows 10. I want to let you know that you DO NOT have to feel any pressure to upgrade to Windows 10, in spite of whatever buzz Microsoft is creating. 

Customers currently running the Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 operating systems have a full year to take advantage of the free Windows 10 download, available from 29 July 2015.

(If you want the notification mentioned above to go away, here's a techie reference for how to do this.)

In my opinion, you SHOULD NOT download Windows 10 without careful consideration of how it will affect your current programs, printer installation, network connections, etc. 

If you have a computer running Windows 7 or 8 that you want to tinker with, then by all means, download the upgrade. Just be aware it could not go well. (After all, this may be one giant beta test on the public.) Or it could go perfectly fine and delight you. But it's a risk. 

In my opinion, businesses especially should play the wait and see game. 

I'll provide more info as this issue unfolds. 

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Microsoft Windows Updates - June 9, 2015

Microsoft has released eight updates to address vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. 

Exploitation of some of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution or elevation of privileges.

I recommend you close all your open programs and check for Microsoft Windows Updates asap, then install them. 

Here's how to install updates in Windows 7:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/install-windows-updates

Here's how in Windows 8:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/windows-update-faq

You should be notified to reboot your computer so the updates can be installed. I recommend checking for updates a second time just after the first batch is installed to ensure you have acquired all the updates. 

And while you're in update mode, I suggest updating your security software as well. 

Refence: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/ms15-jun.aspx

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