Don't ... FREAK OUT ... about RANSOMWARE

If your PC is critical to your daily life, then it makes sense to avoid 

borrowed from askleo.com

ransomware at all reasonable costs. 

The simple truth is that common sense and a few ounces of prevention are all you need.

• a firewall - preferably a fairly up-to-date router
• anti-malware: I recommend Norton for many reasons but, for free, Microsoft Security Essentials will provide decent real-time protection
• common sense:  only click on attachments, links and pictures that you KNOW are safe;  if not sure, find someone trustworthy to help - and of course, feel free to call me

For additional peace of mind, (a) make backups of your critical stuff and (b) have a recovery plan at the ready.  Again, feel free to call me.

Leo Notenboom, from AskLeo.com, states quite nicely in his blog/newsletter on ransomware that there are two reasons not to pay the ransom.  I would add a third.  On the only PC that I recovered where the owner paid the ransom, the PC had more adverse settings than those where the ransom was not paid. 

All but one PC, where the ransom was not paid, I was able to recover control and restore complete functionality to the pre-infection settings.

In other words, from my seat, paying the ransom removed the initial block but   that made anything less than a complete factory reset unreasonable at best and incredibly time consuming and difficult at worst.

By the way, I subscribe to Ask Leo.  He is one of the best bloggers for helping the tech-ignorant and tech-adverse;  it is not ironic that I find he writes in a clear, concise, understandable tone.

TED Talks



http://www.ted.com/talks

Are you a member of Mensa?  Do you like smart people whom share their knowledge, experience and passions?  Then TED, short for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, can provide you with hours of videos of TEDTalks.

Here is a TEDTalk from November of 2011 that is not only informative, topical, and very relevant to many people whom own or operate electronics that accept or are manipulated by wireless communications.  Avi Rubin, a professor of Computer Science at the Johns Hopkins University, describes how many common as well as hi-tech medical computer-controlled devices have been hacked.  His specialty is in trustworthy computing.

In addition to many of the electronic systems in late model cars, Dr. Rubin provides these examples of implanted medical devices that are designed to be reprogammed wirelessly, yet do not have security features to prevent, uh, undesired changes:

• insulin pump
• artificial pancreas
• programmable vasectomy
• artificial neurostimulators
• obesity control
• artificial vision

Overall, his talk was humorous, yet ultimately sobering.  You might enjoy many of the other TED presentations.  Go to www.ted.com.  But not while you're at work!

Safe Surfing Starts with Anti-Malware

It's now called "Anti-Malware," as anti-virus and anti-spyware have long since crossed their borders.

I've recommended Norton's Anti-Virus ever since Symantec, Norton's parent company, bought into the IBM Anti-Virus technologies in the mid-1990's and took it over in 1998.  In 2009, Norton Anti-Virus - which resides under Norton Internet Security and Norton 360 as well - was revamped.  It now installs quickly and easily, removes previous versions with virtually no fuss, has a minimal impact on bootup as well as program & definition updates.

For free anti-malware software, AVG Anti-Virus Free 201x gets the nod.  Note that if you're a Comcast Hi-Speed Internet (Xfinity) customer, Norton Security Suite (N360) is available for free.  Install it from your Comcast connection, though. 

Click for Neil J. Rubenking's comparison at PC Magazine:

The Best Antivirus for 2012

Macs are not Immune

Tsk-tsk, Apple.  Taking the road of many a cele-tician recently outed in scandal, Apple denies any malware attack.  Industry blogger Mike Murphy covers the story as Apple changes course midstream and offers support to defeat the MacDefender virus.

http://blogs.siliconvalley.com/gmsv/2011/05/apple-addresses-malware-a-youtube-milestone-and-facebook-wants-your-kids.html

So are you a Mac or a PC?  Tell me why. 

READ ALL ABOUT IT - CLICK HERE!

Here's the drill:

1. An email or even a link on a website shouts some attention-getting headline  
2. If the source is not both obvious & trustworthy, don't click on it
3. If you are still curious - verify the content - first - before clicking! 

Whether the news is true or false, always consider the author or the provider of the information before clicking on it.  I often use Snopes.com if I cannot identify the author or the publisher.
A friend sent me an email about a virus behind a link to a video about Osama bin Laden being captured & hung.  Snopes says it's real risk but could be a hoax.  This particular warning was first identified in 2004.
Makes sense?  I'm trying to say, "Look before you leap."  So go to my Facebook page and "Like" me!

Just Say, "No Way, Jose!"

Got an email that isn't quite what it says it is.  Is Comcast really alerting me to unlock my account?  No!  A screen shot of this email appears below.  This is a phishing scam and it's also known as spoofing - it looks official, but it is truly fraudulent at least and possibly malicious as well.

The highlighted link does not go to my Comcast account.  It does not go to Comcast at all.  Here's the link (with a big red X inserted to disable it):

http://Xwww.kcaer.re.kr/zboard/data/yy.php

So - anyone care to go there, test it out?  Be prepared for a virus or some sort of malware at the least, and perhaps the need to reformat your hard drive.

The email sure looks official, including the sender's address: