spyware « HITman Services Clifton Park Computer Repair

Posts Tagged ‘spyware’

Who’s At Fault For Your Computer Crashing?

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Last week a client brought their PC into our computer repair office in Clifton Park, NY. The problem was the computer was crashing as it had the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

When one of our techs took a look at it they discovered that the client had decided to remove the anti-virus system we installed and put on one they thought would be better. As this computer had a virus issue originally, I thought this was kind of odd.

On my way home I was thinking about the situation and it reminded me of my brother-in-law and a young man. My brother-in-law is a big man and has a great sense of humor. Several years ago he was talking with a teenager who had a wiffle ball bat. My brother-in-law asked the young man if he could see the bat. After the bat was given to him, he gently tapped the boy on the head with the bat and handed it back to him. He again asked for and was given the bat. Again he tapped the teen on the head, then handed the bat back. This happened for a third time.

How many times do we have to do something which causes a negative impact before we learn not to do it any more? In the case of our client above, he has still has another shot left.

This article was authored by The Boss at HITman Services. A computer repair and IT services company located in Saratoga County of New York.

Tags: AntiVirus, Bat, Blue Screen of Death, Brother-in-law, Malicious Software, Personal computer, Security, spyware
Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »

Porn is a Tricky Issue

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

As an IT provider we work with many different types of people and a in variety of situations. Some can be awkward at times. Case in point is from an issue we dealt with earlier in the week.

It is very rare that we have a computer come back regarding a virus removal. Usually we remove the virus and/or malware, secure the computer and the computer is good-to-go. When we setup the computer for this client, he stated he wanted a less stringent security policy than one we normally use.

We received an urgent call from Mr. X’s office, his administrative assistant said he had a virus and it was very important we got over there to take care of it as quickly as possible. While working on the system it became obvious the owner was using his computer to surf porn sites. As the owner, he certainly has the right to do with his time whatever he chooses, and he doesn’t complain about us charging him for the almost periodic virus removals.

This does put our technicians in a very peculiar situation when they come upon an issue such as this. In all my years of working on computers, I only came upon a scenario such as this once, and while it wasn’t the owner, the man held a very high position in the company.

If someone wants to browse for porn, that is their own business. But for the sake of their company’s security, they should not do it on a computer used for the business.

Tags: Anti-Virus, Malicious Software, malware, Personal computer, Security, spyware, Spyware and Adware, Trojan horse (computing), Virus, Viruses
Posted in Business, Security | 1 Comment »

Spyware and Malware Misconception #3

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

If my computer is working fine right now, I don’t need to perform maintenance on it.

This is probably one of the biggest and most deadly misconceptions that most computer users fall victim to. Computers are just like cars. If you don’t change the oil, change the filter, rotate the tires, flush the transmission, and perform other regular maintenance on your car, it will eventually break down and cost you FAR MORE to repair than the cost of the basic maintenance.

There are certain maintenance checks that need to be done daily (like virus updates and spam filtering), weekly (like system backups and a spyware sweep), and monthly or quarterly like checking for and installing security patches and updates, disk defrag, spyware detection and removal, checking the surge suppressor and the integrity of the hard drive, and so on.

Your computer repair technician should be adamant that you have regular maintenance done on your computer and should offer to set up automatic virus definition updates, spam filtering (to avoid viruses), and automatic system backups that are stored on an OFF SITE location (this protects the backup from fire, flood, or other natural disasters).

Lack of system maintenance is the NUMBER ONE reason most people end up losing valuable files and incurring heavy computer repair bills.

Tags: Backup, Computer virus, E-mail filtering, Malicious Software, Security, spyware, Spyware and Adware, User
Posted in Privacy, Security | No Comments »

Spyware and Malware Misconception #2

Monday, April 5th, 2010

It is my computer’s fault that I continue to get attacked by spyware, malware, and viruses.

In all cases, malware, spyware, and viruses are a result of some action taken by the user (you or a family member that uses your computer). Remember, cyber criminals are incredibly clever and gain access to your computer via some of the most innocent and common activities you are performing; that is why it SEEMS as though it is your computer’s fault.

For example, many of the clients we see simply downloaded an emoticon software program. Emoticons are the smiley faces and action characters that you see at the bottom of many people’s e-mails. In doing so they also (unknowingly) downloaded a payload of spyware and malware and before they knew it, could no longer use their computer due to the instability and pop-ups.

Other deadly programs to avoid are free “enhanced” web browsers, screen savers, and just about any “cute” programs you come across that are free to download. Always read the terms and conditions before downloading ANY program to look for clauses that allow them (the software vendor) to install spyware programs on your computer.

Installing programs is not the only way a hacker or malware program can access your computer. If you do not have the most up-to-date security patches and virus definitions installed on your computer, hackers can access your PC through a banner ad on the web that you accidentally clicked on or through an e-mail attachment that you opened.

Just recently, hackers have even been able to figure out ways to install malicious programs on your computer via your Internet Explorer web browser EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T CLICK ON ANYTHING OR DOWNLOAD A PROGRAM. Microsoft is constantly providing patches to their operating system software and all it takes is one missed update to leave you completely vulnerable.

Finally, you should COMPLETELY AVOID any and all peer to peer file sharing networks such as KaZaa and filezilla. These sites are the absolute WORST online activities you can participate in for your computer’s health because they are pure breeding grounds for hackers, spyware, malware, and other malicious attacks.

Incoming search terms:

emoticons no malware or spyware

Tags: AntiVirus, File sharing, Internet Explorer, Kazaa, Malicious Software, malware, Microsoft, Security, spyware, Virus
Posted in Privacy, Security, Software | No Comments »

10 Surefire Signs That You Are Infected With Spyware, Malware, and Viruses

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Since most malicious programs such as viruses, spyware and malware are designed to hide themselves, detecting their existence is not always easy.

Recently a person who came into our computer repair facility in Clifton Park asked how they could tell they were infected with a virus, so we put this list together.

Here are a few surefire signs that you have been infected:

1 – You start getting swamped with pop-up ads that seem to come from nowhere and constantly interrupt your use of the computer.
2 – Your computer is unstable, sluggish, locks up, or crashes frequently.
3 – Your web browser’s home page changes on its own and you cannot modify the settings. You may also see toolbars on your web browser that you did not set up.
4 – You get a second or third web browser popping up behind your main browser that you didn’t open or request.
5 – Mysterious files suddenly start appearing.
6 – Your CD drawer starts opening and closing by itself.
7 – You get constant runtime errors in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.
8 – You find emails in your “Sent Items” folder that you didn’t send.
9 – Some of your files are moved or deleted or the icons on your desktop or toolbars are blank or missing.
10 – You suddenly see your self appear in a window from your webcam.

Tags: Clients, Clifton Park computer repair, computer crashes, Computer virus, malware, Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, spyware, Toolbar, Virus, Web browser, Webcam, WWW
Posted in Security, Technology | 1 Comment »

Cybercrime On The Rise

Friday, March 26th, 2010

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.

Tags: Clifton Park computer repair, Hacker, Identity theft, Malicious Software, Password, Security, Social media, spyware, Windows
Posted in Life Management, Privacy, Security, Software, Technology | No Comments »

Spyware and Malware Misconception #1

Friday, March 19th, 2010

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.

Tags: Ad-Aware, Anti-Virus, Detection and Removal Tools, Malicious Software, malware, Security, spyware, Spyware and Adware
Posted in Security, Software | No Comments »

Posts Tagged ‘spyware’

Who’s At Fault For Your Computer Crashing?

Porn is a Tricky Issue

Spyware and Malware Misconception #3

Spyware and Malware Misconception #1

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