The latest scam to hit is one which is especially devious as it instills fear in most Americans.
The email states in the subject line something to the effect of “Under Reported Income Notice”.
Once opened, it starts its insidious work by downloading software to seal sensitive data such as bank information.
In the event the link in the email was clicked, unplug the computer from the Internet and contact a professional to help resolve the issue.
Part of my job at HITman Services is researching software at our Clifton Park office.
Over the weekend I was trying out some new BlackBerry apps. One which I thought was very interesting was Visible Vote. I signed up for an account and started using the application.
Shortly thereafter I received an email from the company with my user name and password in the email. I was under the impression that the practice of sending passwords in emails ended years ago, but obviously I was wrong.
When I sign up with companies I am not familiar with or whose security procedures I am unsure of, I use a throw-away password. Which in this case turned out to be the right thing to do.
I sent the company an email regarding their antiquated security methods, and have yet to hear back.
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As our company has a very good technical staff, it is rare I that I go on service calls anymore.
Yesterday afternoon I received call with a request to install some new hardware for a friend of mine who also happens to be a customer of our Clifton Park computer repair business. As I knew they didn’t want to go without their system for the entire weekend, I told them I would come by and take care of it for them..
Everything went well and they were very appreciative of the fast response on a weekend night. The best part for me thought, was hearing them rave about their recent experience with one of our techs.
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It doesn’t seem that a day goes by where there isn’t some new virus, hacker attack or exploit in the news.
We see a lot of computers come in to our Clifton Park computer repair center, loaded with spyware. Many times it is from children or guests using the computer to surf the Web.
When the computers come in we strongly recommend that every password the user has get changed. While this may be quite a bit of work, the ramifications for not doing so are great. They include impersonation in social media sites, financial ID theft, money transfers and more.
If you find yourself in the position where your computer has been compromised, do not change the passwords from that computer. Make sure you change them from a computer you know is safe.Preview
For more tips, please download our free security guides at HITmanServices.com.
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How Vulnerable Are We?
Last year while attending a government sponsored event, one of the speakers stated the Chinese government had an cyber army of 10,000 which were attacking us daily. Earlier this month, more information was released about how China is targeting us, specifically the power grid.
During the fall of 2009, I was at a symposium on electromagnetic pulse (EMP), both natural and man-made. The results would be devastating, leaving us with something out of a horror movie.
It is a fact that there are bad guys out there, looking for any way possible to strike us and it doesn’t seem like we are paying enough attention.
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Spyware and Malware is easy to remove.
Some spyware and malware CAN be easily removed.
However, not all malicious programs can be removed – or even detected – using the above software. Many programs integrate so deeply into the operating system that it takes a skilled technician several hours to fully diagnose and remove the malicious program. In some extreme cases, we have had no alternative, but to wipe the hard disk clean by deleting all of the files on it and re-installing the operating system.
Obviously this is NOT an ideal situation and we do everything within our power to avoid it. Unfortunately there are some malicious programs that are so intelligent that there is simply no other way of removing them.
You can use Spybot or Ad-Aware as a first attempt at cleaning your machine; however, if you continue to notice that your computer runs slow, if you continue to get crippling pop-ups, or any other of the tell-tale signs discussed earlier, you will need to seek the help of an experienced computer technician.
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Earlier this week, our lead developer and myself gave a talk to one of the local Clifton Park Boy Scout Troops.
The young men were inquisitive and respectful. We spoke primarily on Internet security and websites. Most of the troop were knowledgeable and asked insightful questions. A couple of the dads posed questions which moved the conversation to new areas which was great.
In all it was nice that we were able to share some information with the next generation.
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This afternoon we are holding a photo and video shoot at our Clifton Park office in conjunction with Dave Bigler of Bigler Productions.
I knew there was a lot that went into the preparation, but not to the extensiveness. It all started yesterday when Matt from our technical staff started the room preparation. This morning Dave came in with more lights and cameras that I have ever seen in one location (and I have been interviewed for local newscasts and in a local commercial).
Next came many of our clients for the photo shoot. Dave was kind enough to give Toby, my dog a photo shoot of his own.
While we provide 24/7 support for our clients, our office hours close at 1:00 on Saturdays. Phones off, cell phones silenced, doors locked, servers and computers shut down.
So here I sit with my earbuds in.
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Interesting article from National Terror Alert
The Cell-All initiative may be one such savior. Spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate ( S&T ), Cell-All aims to equip your cell phone with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals at minimal cost—to the manufacturer ( a buck a sensor ) and to your phone’s battery life. “Our goal is to create a lightweight, cost-effective, power-efficient solution,” says Stephen Dennis, Cell-All’s program manager.nationalterroralert.com, Cell-All: Super Smartphones Sniff Out Suspicious Substances, Mar 2010
It seems we’re all looking for ways to trim expenses. We routinely review communication and technology expenses, looking for possibilities to reduce costs for our clients.
One of the more recent reviews dealt with BlackBerrys and Microsoft’s Exchange Server. We focused on this because the additional cost for moving from the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is roughly $200 per year, per device.
By using the BlackBerry Internet Service and performing manual sync’s throughout the day, saves the above mentioned $200 per BlackBerry.
The downside to this is that the BlackBerry user needs to remember to synchronize before they leave the office. Also any changes made to their calendar if they share it, will not be sent to the BlackBerry.
Similarly, additions and/or edits made on the BlackBerry will not be reflected on the Exchange Server until a manual synchronization is performed.
Email is delivered almost instantaneously when using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and typically between 5 and 10 minutes when using the BlackBerry Internet Service.
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