2 billion logins affected in possible record-breaking data breach

2 billion emails and passwords on the compromised list.

A new data breach has the internet world sitting up and paying attention.  It is estimated that over 2 billion email addresses and passwords have been compromised.  If you use the same credentials, email/password on multiple sites you should consider changing your password.  It is recommended that you use at least 12 characters in a password, see this link about password security.  https://www.berylliuminfosec.com/unique-passwords-matter-here-is-why/

There are password keeper programs available but realize those can be hacked as well.

Another way of securing your information is using multi-factor authentication.  Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft provide this service.  I use this security feature on admin accounts for client Office 365 accounts.

There is a free website that allows you to check if any of your emails have been compromised.  I have written about this site in the past, and if you have not checked, please do so today.  It is HaveIbeenPwned.com.  Type in your email address and if it is on the list, change your passwords.

To read more, click on the following link;

http://www.fox9.com/news/2-billion-logins-affected-in-possible-record-breaking-data-breach

other recent data breach news,

Agency waited weeks before telling anyone about massive data breach

https://newsok.com/article/5620604/agency-waited-weeks-before-telling-anyone-about-massive-data-breach

Marriott Establishes New Loyalty Program After Massive Data Breach

http://fortune.com/2019/01/16/marriott-loyalty-program-data-breach/

Marriott: Hackers accessed more than 5 million passport numbers during November’s massive data breach

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/04/marriott-hackers-accessed-more-than-million-passport-numbers-during-novembers-massive-data-breach/?utm_term=.7589793be0c4

Worst Data Breaches of 2018

https://securitytoday.com/articles/2018/12/27/worst-data-breaches-of-2018.aspx

Apple takes swipe at rivals with ad at CES in Las Vegas, Amazon Smart Speaker share slips and other important tech news.

Apple has a message for Amazon and Google and it’s plastered on the side of a hotel at the biggest tech conference of the year

CES, the annual meeting of world business leaders and cutting-edge technology is going on in Las Vegas this week, Jan 8-11.  Big names in technology and entertainment will be introducing new products and technology at the show.  Samsung is introducing new shape-shifting TVs aimed at large applications such as billboards and even larger TVs for the home.  Thanks to a new agreement between Apple and Samsung, new Samsung Smart TVs will feature iTunes along with Hulu and Netflix.  Apple announced that several TV makers will include Airplay2 that allows casting content from an Apple device to the big screen display.

Over 4500 companies will be participating in the show.  However, one company that will not be participating is Apple.  Apple normally does not participate at CES but this year took a shot at the privacy concerns surrounding Google and Amazon recently by posting a huge advertisement on a Las Vegas hotel.

The ad's focus appears to be on phones, however, the real message Apple is implying is that we're not going to sell your data.

Read about this and more CES news at the links below;

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/06/apple-privacy-ad-ces-2019.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46721207

One segment that is expected to be in the spotlight at the CES show is AI, Artificial Intelligence. 

For 2019, we're being promised tags that will let smart speakers tell you where your pet or TV remote is hiding, as well as Alexa/Google Assistant-controlled pianos, heart rate monitors, lawnmowers, motorcycle helmets and meditation lamps.


Which segues into the next story.

Amazon Is Losing Its Grip on the Smart Speaker Market

In the past, I have written blog posts about the smart speaker market particularly with praise for Amazon's Echo which could be purchased on sale in the Dot model for $29 at times.  Today, more than 74 million people have smart speakers in 2019 which represents roughly 26% of all internet users.  Amazon's price has allowed them to dominate in the early adoption of smart speakers but with competition from Google's Home, the share is eroding.  However, this Christmas Amazon sold millions of Echo devices breaking sales records so they will continue to dominate the segment for the foreseeable future but Echo is no longer the default choice of consumers.

Read more at;

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-losing-grip-smart-speaker-190900716.html

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/01/06/amazon-losing-its-grip-on-smart-speaker-market.aspx

and consider the plight of this poor guy who wanted to upgrade to an Apple,

Looking for Top Shelf performance, SSDs and Intel Generation 9 based systems.

Consider upgrading your current system with an SSD, Solid State Drive.  A 500 GB Western Digital 2.5" desktop SSD is only $79.99.

Western Digital SSD WDS500G2B0A 500GB SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5inch 7mm Blue

Protecting your online Privacy and Info - DuckDuckGo, how to avoid being tracked Online

Have you ever searched for a product or service online and then found that webpages or social sites you visit are full of ads for the items you searched for?  Internet browsers and search engines are tracking your information and sites that you visit.  Your information is a revenue source for these companies and they are compromising your personal information for profit.

Now there is an extension for Chrome that works to secure your information.  It is called DuckDuckGO.

DuckDuckGo Website

DuckDuckGO's statement is that "We Don't store your personal information.  Ever."

The invasion of American's privacy is pervasive and wider than you think.  Facebook is under attack for privacy issues and many have turned to messaging apps such as Whatsapp, yet Facebook owns Whatsapp.  Waze the popular GPS mapping system is owned by Google.

To better understand how Google and other browsers and search engines track and use your information, visit DuckDuckGo's blog at  https://spreadprivacy.com/

You think you don't have anything to hide?  Three Reasons Why the "Nothing to Hide" Argument is Flawed  https://spreadprivacy.com/three-reasons-why-the-nothing-to-hide-argument-is-flawed/

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials.

The DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials app is only available for Chrome currently.  I have added the extension to Chrome on my desktop and set it as the default extension.  Privacy Essentials is free and there are other extensions available based on your needs.  Currently, I only have Privacy Essentials installed. 

https://duckduckgo.com/app

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/duckduckgo-privacy-essent/bkdgflcldnnnapblkhphbgpggdiikppg

Happy  New Year and safe surfing!

Intel 8th & 9th Generation based workstations. 

Driving Force pairs its processors and mainboard chipsets to give you the highest level of power and performance.  Whether an entry-level Core i3 or Top of the Line Core i9-9900K CPU, don't bottleneck your processor with cheap chipsets and parts.

Computer Virus hits newspapers coast-to-coast. MS Office 365, discount for new subscribers

Malware alert, be on guard.

Computer virus hits newspapers coast-to-coast

Newspapers across the nation were impacted Friday by a computer virus that affected the ability to print newspapers within Tribune Publishing, including the Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, Baltimore Sun and Orlando Sentinel.  Many subscribers of the LA Times & San Diego Union-Tribune were missing their newspapers on Saturday morning.  Online access was available.

The LA Times reported that the malware was of foreign origin.  So far there is no evidence that customer information or credit card info was compromised.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/computer-virus-hits-southern-california-newspapers-n953001

Microsoft Office 365 plans

If you are a daily user of Microsoft Office and still use an old version you should wait no longer to make the move to Microsoft Office 365.  There are many different plans that can be tailored to your needs.

The Office 365 Business plan offers the following applications, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Access (PC only).  It includes OneDrive which gives you 1 TB of cloud space that syncs with a folder on your computer for sharing on the cloud as well as providing backup.  Each user can install it on up to 5 devices, tablets, PCs or Macs.  With an active subscription, you always receive the latest version of Microsoft Office.

There is the Office Business Premium which includes Exchange, Sharepoint, OneDrive and Microsoft Teams for those who need email.  It also includes all the programs associated with Office 365 Business Plan.

Finally, there is Office Business Essentials that provides Business Email but not the Office applications.

There are web versions of MS Office applications available with all 3 plans.

See the details below, however, contact Driving Force, 404-728-0353 if you wish to buy, I can offer a discount off regular subscription price for new users.

https://products.office.com/en-US/compare-all-microsoft-office-products-b?tab=2&OCID=AID737190_SEM_A8sIhb8A&lnkd=Bin g_O365SMB_NI&msclkid=79248b1ad2c21e57e61ed736086d5d2f

Internet Browsers, MS Edge, Google Chrome's new User Interface UGLY, Bent iPads and lower iPhone sales

Microsoft Edge Retains Its Battery Life Advantage in Windows 10 Version 1809

I had never really thought about this much but in this day of online streaming, if one is using a notebook or tablet, Microsoft's Edge browser has a 24 percent battery life advantage over Chrome and 94 percent advantage over Firefox when streaming HTML5 video in full screen.

On average, Microsoft Edge provided a 24 percent battery life advantage over Google Chrome and a 94 percent advantage over Firefox. Edge lasted over 16 hours on average, compared to almost 13 hours for Chrome and 8 hours and 16 minutes for Firefox.

As reported previously on this blog, Microsoft is switching the underlying code for Edge to Chromium, an open source engine from Google.  Why Microsoft never touted this Edge advantage before I can't say.  It will be interesting to see if the advantage persists after the switch to Chromium.  Microsoft is making the switch to Chromium because of the large number of add-ons available for Chrome and lack of add-ons or interest in writing add-ons for Edge.

https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/196141/microsoft-edge-retains-its-battery-life-advantage-in-windows-10-version-1809

and while we are talking browsers...

Google Chrome's new UI is ugly, and people are very angry
The new UI is trash, users say.

Anytime you start changing things most people don't like it.  Let's face it, people don't like change.  Microsoft hopefully learned a lesson from Windows 8.  People couldn't get things done because of the difficulty Windows users had in learning the new user interface.

Now Google apparently learned nothing from Microsoft's mistake.  Starting back in September with Chrome version 69, a new user interface was rolled out with mobile devices in mind.  Some users voiced their discontent with the interface so Chrome allowed an option to modify a setting and continue to use the older user interface.  The new version, 71 released earlier this month has removed that option.  The lighter color and rounded tabs are difficult to distinguish on laptops and desktops especially when using multiple tabs.  The ability to mute websites has also disappeared with the new version.

The change has prompted a social media storm on sites like Reddit and Twitter with complaints being legitimate and no sympathy from Google engineers who have stepped in on the sites and told users to switch to other browsers.  Wow!

https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-chromes-new-ui-is-ugly-and-people-are-very-angry/

Apple's gaslighting over bent iPads is a stunning response to a serious problem

Starting in mid-December, people started complaining that their new iPad Pros were bent.  Photos started circulating online that clearly showed one side of the iPad perceptively higher than the other when lying on a flat surface and you know what?  Apple has announced that it isn't going to repair, replace or reimburse for affected models.

Apple wants you to believe that this iPad is normal.

https://www.macworld.com/article/3330576/apple/apples-gaslighting-ipad-pro.html

Massive iPhone Discounts Continue As Apple Risks Status For Sales

The days of Apple being able to dictate the price to consumers may be over.  Hell, I predicted a $2000 iPhone in an earlier blog.  Apparently, that's not going to be the case since Apple's latest models are not selling.  The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max are being discounted in the UK and the US and that practice is now spreading to other territories.

Analysts watching the supply line, the earnings reports from parts suppliers, and consumer reaction and interactions, are all estimating lower sales for this generation of iPhone.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2018/12/26/apple-iphone-xr-iphone-xs-iphone-xs-max-sale-discount-bargain/#6e50463344dc

and finally,

Apple may start building the iPhone XS and XR in India next year

Apple controls 13 percent of the smartphone marke worldwide, however, in India it's share is only 2 percent selling fewer than a million devices in the first half of 2018.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/27/apple-iphone-x-assembled-in-india-2019/

Intel Generation 8 and 9 based computers

Buy a new Driving Force Computer before Year End for Tax year 2018.

 

Report: Microsoft Will Scrap Edge for Chromium-Based Browser

Microsoft's Edge browser which was meant to supplant Internet Explorer as the default built-in browser in Windows 10 is in for a major overhaul.  While very innovative with new features, Microsoft tried to push it on users by making it not only the default browser but the default for documents, PDFs and many other applications that users did not want.  The final death knell for Edge 1.0 was the dearth of extensions (add-ons) for Edge.  Extensions are small add-ons that bring extra features, such as adblocking, VPN, password management and more.  While Edge did have some extensions available the number is small when compared to Chrome.  Many developers ignored Edge and concentrated on Chrome due to its popularity.

Microsoft plans to recreate Edge using Chromium.  Chromium is the open source project behind Google Chrome and Chrome OS.  This will allow Edge to use Chromium extensions.

Given Google's demonstrably shown penchant toward censorship of information available based upon its own beliefs and biases, is this a good thing?  Google's attempt to move into the Chinese market has led to bending to the whim of the Chinese government.  The search engine being developed for use in China allows for restrictive access to information and the ability of the government to track individuals locations and searches.  Some Chinese Google employees are raising alarm bells risking the ire of higher-ups and job security.

Is this who you trust to keep your info safe?

https://www.extremetech.com/internet/281715-report-microsoft-to-scrap-edge-for-chromium-based-browser

https://www.techradar.com/news/microsoft-confirms-edge-will-be-able-to-use-google-chrome-extensions

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/sep/18/google-china-dragonfly-search-engine

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-3-chinese-google-employees-202114194.html

Browser Alternatives and the future of Internet Explorer

On my desktop I use Edge, IE, Chrome and Firefox.  I use them all since I have to maintain multiple sessions of Office 365, LogMeIn and other programs concurrently which preempts multiple logins within the same browser.  I use Internet Explorer a lot because of compatibility issues with some websites.  I use Chrome because of the balkiness and performance issues with IE and I use Firefox more often than I use to because of Google's privacy issues and upper management's continued contempt and arrogance on certain issues.

Originally Microsoft committed to continued support of Internet 11 throughout the life of Windows 10.  However Microsoft has not hidden its attempt to push users toward Edge and even if Microsoft continues with security patches, I don't believe it will continue to add improvements or features found in Edge and other browsers.

Opera browser - https://www.opera.com/

Firefox by Mozilla - https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=firefox-com

Facebook has its own issues.

Facebook too is under increased pressure about how it uses information collected by tracking you.  Did you know that before Facebook, Mark Zuckerburg originally wrote FaceMash which purpose was to rank women at Harvard?  FaceMash would pull photos of Harvard students off of Harvard's Web sites.  When people visited Facemash.com they would see pictures of two Harvard students and be asked to vote on which was more attractive. The site also maintained a list of Harvard students, ranked by attractiveness.

In the fall of 2003, Harvard seniors Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra were on the lookout for a web developer who could bring to life an idea the three say Divya first had in 2002: a social network for Harvard students and alumni. The three had been paying Victor Gao, another Harvard student, to do coding for the site, but at the beginning of the fall term Victor begged off the project. Victor suggested his own replacement: Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard sophomore from Dobbs Ferry, New York.

The rest is history and the remake of the future.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-facebook-was-founded-2010-3

Doom: 25 years of a gaming legend

Hard to believe it has been 25 years since the release of Doom.  I had been playing Star Wars and Wolfenstein, another ID software 1st person shooter game about infiltrating Hitler's castle full of Nazi, SS soldiers and shooting them up.  That was in the day of Novell networks, 386 and 486 computers.  Enter Doom... after the 3rd time of being destroyed by the fireball throwing Imps of Doom I had to kick back, tell myself "relax"  it's only a game, WOW!  We were entertaining a friend's you son Chase that day.  Chase was only about 5 but he stayed in the office with me while I was on the computer.  Come here, watch this Chase I said...  I started another Doom episode and when I rounded the corner and the hellish Imps appeared throwing fireballs quickly killing my character.  I exclaimed, you see that Chase?!!!  I turned around, Chase was gone, hahaha!  25 years ago.

I recently got an update on Chase.  He is into the gaming industry and is now being paid to play and evaluate games.  Wow again.

https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/doom-20-years-of-influencing-gaming-1205980

INTEL Gaming Systems by Driving Force

beginning with the Generation 8 processors, Intel unveiled a new design for Desktop processors including more cores, threads, and features not found or supported with prior generations.  These processors, platforms coupled with Intel Optane memory offer unparalleled performance compared with prior offerings.

read this comment from a satisfied customer using an entry level Intel Core i3 8300,

12-10-18, J.Griffin:  Man!! My computer is so fast , THANK YOU!!  and I put a new roller in my scanner and it’s scanning multiple pages again. Feels like Christmas!! 😊

Now the ultimate platforms for gaming and graphics featuring Intel Gen 9  Core i5, i7 and the most powerful desktop processor ever, Intel Core i9 9900K.

Too late for some users but finally something is being done about the fake Tech Support scammers online.  Microsoft is on the attack!

Maybe you've encountered these warnings before.  You are in the middle of searching for content online, allegedly legit links off Google News and a pop-up warning that your computer is infected.  You need to call a 1-800 number for help.  I've seen these warning and often I have to use Task Manager to kill the process.  I also know of some users who fell victim to these underhanded tactics.  Microsoft will never contact you directly about internet or email issues, however, Microsoft is proactively working against these malicious operators.  In fact, Microsoft brought down the Russian "Fancy Bear" plot to attack the midterm elections.  You go Microsoft!

After Microsoft complaints, Indian police arrest tech support scammers at 26 call centers

Indian police raid 26 call centers, make 63 arrests

https://www.zdnet.com/article/after-microsoft-complaints-indian-police-arrest-tech-support-scammers-at-26-call-centers/

Get ready Microsoft Office users, Office 2019 is just around the corner and Microsoft is redesigning the icons.

If you don't have a subscription to Office 365, why not?  I don't understand the resistance of some users to buy the subscription model of the software.  Now I have clients who harbor an extreme disdain for Bill Gates and all things Microsoft but they still use Microsoft Office over the myriad of imitators and alternative office suites.

When you purchase the "I own forever version", you are limited to 1 machine and never receive any new versions.  However, if you have the Office 365 subscription, you are allowed to install it on up to 5 devices (business) or share with 6 users (home version) and as long as your subscription is current you will always receive the latest version of Microsoft Office!

The monthly subscription is cheaper than hosted email in some cases.  Home users can purchase all the premium applications for $99.99/year for 6 users.  If you are really miserly and live alone with 1 computer, $69.99/year.  There is always the Office Home and Student 2019 edition for $149.99, one-time purchase, 1 device, no updates.

Backup:  if you are paying for a backup service or do not have a backup, the OneDrive application provides 1 TB of cloud space.  Once installed OneDrive synchronizes everything in the OneDrive folder on your computer with the cloud.  OneDrive can store multiple versions of the same document in the event of a crypto attack or if a user overwrites critical information accidentally.  In addition, when traveling you can access your data via the Office portal from any computer in the world.

If all the above doesn't convince you then you will want to hear this.  It used to be that when a new version of Office came out it was way superior to the previous version.  That is no longer true for the one time buyer.

"Office 2019 is considerably less powerful than Office 365. There’s nothing new in Office 2019 that hasn’t already been available for quite some time to millions of Office 365 subscribers (the company says it has more than 31 million subscribers to consumer editions), and in fact, Microsoft left several features out of Office 2019 that it had introduced in Office 365 over the past few years."

Only Office 365 subscription users get all the enhancements.

Oh, and by the way, they're changing the icons too!

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3261024/microsoft-office/review-office-2019-is-the-best-advertisement-yet-for-office-365.html

Office 365 for business.

The subscriptions available for business come in 3 flavors on a per-user basis start at $5.00/user/month for business email, $8.25/month for Office applications only to $12.50/month for businesses that need email, Office apps, and other business services.

Driving Force is a CSP, Cloud Solution Provider.  We can provide help and guidance in making your decision and afterward assist in the implementation of your Office 365 experience.  Call us at 404-728-0353 or contact us at DForce.

https://products.office.com/en-us/compare-all-microsoft-office-products?tab=2

AD-(shameless plug.)

Intel introduces Generation 9 CPUs including the most powerful desktop processor yet, Core i9 9900K.

I have clients who contact tech support at a name brand computer maker and after hashing out their latest technical glitch are told, "find yourself a good system builder".  Don't buy a computer that is no longer performing as expected after 6 months.  Buy a custom system with quality, high-performance components.

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-9700K-vs-Intel-Core-i7-8700K/4030vs3937

Latest Security Hack, Microsoft passes Apple as most valuable Company

Latest Hack:  Marriott says its Starwood database was hacked on approximately 500 million guests

Marriott said the Starwood guest reservation database was breached, potentially exposing information on about 500 million guests.

Among the information stolen on many of the guests includes a  combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preferences. 

Payment information may also have been accessed on some guests.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/30/marriott-says-its-starwood-database-was-breached-onapproximately-500-million-guests-.html

Apple and Microsoft are going head to head for world’s largest company

What you may say... Microsoft?  It was Amazon and Apple that had been vying for the richest capitalization but the online retailing giant's stock has dropped in value along with Apple's beginning in October.  Meanwhile Microsoft stock has surged in part due to 2 areas, cloud and gaming.

Microsoft's growing cloud business and strong PC sales made Microsoft one of the few tech companies to grow in value following its September quarter earnings results. Apple's valuation, meanwhile, has fallen more than 20 percent since its own earnings results.

Microsoft topped AWS (Amazon Web Services) beginning in the 1st quarter this year with IBM trailing in 3rd place.  Both IBM and Microsoft posted very good 2017 4th Qtr results with IBM topping both AWS and Microsoft.  However, the gap between Microsoft and AWS started widening in that quarter.

Gaming has become a huge industry fueled by Fortnite, Red Dead video games online forums.  Gaming machines are very lucrative for hardware companies.  Video cards capable of delivering 4K graphics and high speeds can cost more than the average business computer alone.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/26/microsoft-passes-apple-most-valuable-company/

https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/26/apple-market-cap-microsoft/

https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/01/apple-stop-reporting-unit-sales/

https://9to5mac.com/2018/11/21/foxconn-cut-costs-iphone-sales/

AAPL chart by TradingView

AMZN chart by TradingView

MSFT chart by TradingView

DFORCE PCs - INTEL Generation 8 Computers, for Business & Gaming

Malware and Phishing attacks on the rise as Holidays approach

Phishing attacks and Malware attacks are ubiquitous.  Almost everyday I see some myself or receive emails from users wanting to know if this is real.  One I want to warn about is the "efax notification", eFax Notification Delivers Hancitor Malware.  If you received an email reference an efax, beware of attachments and/or links within these emails.

Fake Ransomware just overwrites MBR but demands payment

There is a fake ransomware trojan circulating that overwrites the MBR (Master Boot Record) and then restarts your machine.  The MBR is the code stored in the first sectors of a hard disk drive that contains information about the disk’s partitions and launches the operating system’s boot loader. If the MBR is corrupt or altered, the computer doesn’t know which partitions contain an OS and how to start it.

Upon reboot, the following ransom text is displayed and the machine is unable to boot as normal:



The message says;

Oooops!  Your OS is locked.  The harddisks of your computer have been encrypted with an military grade encryption algorithm.  There is way to restore your data without a special instrucrion for unlocking your computer.  You can buy the instruction.  To do this, you need to send $200 to Monero wallet: "a monero address" (This is a Monero address)

The claim that it has encrypted your files is fake.  According to SonicWall;

The only modification to the filesystem is the overwritten MBR.  No files have actually been encrypted and there is no encryption functionality present in the malware.  Although files can easily be restored by mounting the filesystem using a live OS booted via a memory stick, most users will likely consider their files gone and perform a full reinstall.  There is no contact information provided to “restore” files and no way of verifying if paying the $200 in Monero will suffice.

https://securitynews.sonicwall.com/xmlpost/fake-ransomware-just-overwrites-mbr-but-demands-payment/

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3133181/security/free-tool-protects-pcs-from-master-boot-record-attacks.html


Tips to Prevent virus and malware from Infecting Your System:

1. Enable your popup blocker: Pop-ups and ads on the websites are the most adoptable tactic used by cybercriminals or developers with the core intention to spread malicious programs.
   So, avoid clicking uncertain sites, software offers, pop-ups etc. and Install a powerful ad- blocker for Chrome, Mozilla, and IE
2. Keep your Windows Updated: To avoid such infections, we recommend that you should always keep your system updated through automatic windows update.By doing this you can keep your device free from virus.  According to the survey, outdated/older versions of Windows operating system are an easy target.
3. Third-party installation: Try to avoid freeware download websites as they usually install bundled of software with any installer or stub file.
4. Regular Backup: Regular and periodical backup helps you to keep your data safe in case the system is infected by any kind of virus or any other infection.Thus always backup important files regularly on a cloud drive or an external hard drive.
5. Always have an Anti-Virus: Precaution is better than cure. We recommend that you install an antivirus like ITL Total Security or a good Malware Removal Tool like Malware Crusher.

Email and Identity Theft - Has your information been Pawned?

There are always evolving threats to your online security.  Whether a phishing email, an email with a malware attachment/download or a compromised website, chances are you will experience at least one attempt each day.  Security software, firewalls, and antivirus software can provide a high degree of protection but it is no guarantee that your credentials will not be compromised.  You must be vigilant of phishing attempts and compromised websites.

A lot of attempts to steal your info is to spoof the email of someone you know to gain your confidence.  It may include an attachment that when clicked on takes you to a filesharing site, DropBox, Microsoft Sharepoint or OneDrive and ask you to log in.  It is easy to steal the source code of a website and mimic that site on a malicious web page.  Once you log in, BAM, they have your info which they will use to compromise your authentic email or access your online account.

Another ploy I have seen recently are emails that include a compromised password that is a real password that the user has or still uses.  The email states that they have private info about you that will be revealed publicly unless you pay a ransom to a Bitcoin wallet.  These wallets are very real and untraceable, so do not fall for this extortion attempt.

I have been contacted by users wanting to know if these are real because the email contains a current or past used password.  Again, they are only extortion attempts.  The next question is how did they get the password.  Below is a chart of information courtesy of "haveIbeenPawned.com".  Your identity and information are all over the web.  It is at your bank, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook etc.  This chart lists the largest data breaches thus far of user data at major corporations and websites.  And remember, these are just the largest, not nearly all.

Beneath the chart is links that you can use to check to see if your email has been pawned and your information was included in any of the compromised sites.

I have included the "haveIbeenPawned" website in a past blog post.  If you don't practice good password security yet and your email has been pawned please start today.  No one to blame but yourself.

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

https://www.lifelock.com/breach-detection?promocode=BreachEraser&nc=breachnortoneraser


Microsoft, Linux developers, and Apple are constantly releasing updates and patches to their operating systems to fix known and new exploits as they are found.  If you are using Windows XP then you have not received a security update since April 8, 2014.

Web browsers are evolving and getting better at warning the user that a website is not safe.  Google Chrome is good at warning you that a website is not safe and Mozilla Firefox will soon start alerting you to a breached site.  These browser updates don't necessarily happen automatically.  You should check if an update is available periodically and if so, install it.

If you are using Windows XP then you are using a way out of date, non-secure browser to navigate the internet.  I would not advise using an XP machine for financial transactions.

Support for Windows 7 extended support ends January 14, 2020.  Many software vendors will end support before that.

It isn't only the operating systems but recently flaws in Intel Processors have been exploited.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davealtavilla/2018/01/03/intel-processor-bug-leaves-all-current-chips-vulnerable-and-its-fix-saps-performance/#74f5a918570a

One last thing, it's all software that you use whether Adobe Acrobat/Flash Player, Java, MS Office, or browsers.  Hackers use exploits in all of these to gain access to your computer and info.  It is imperative that you patch and update your systems to remain secure.



NEW INTEL GENERATION 8 & 9 based WORKSTATIONS