The following is a true story from a few years ago.
A dad found a laptop on sale and bought it as a last minute Christmas present for his family. It was opened on Christmas day, and his son, little Johnny, immediately wanted to play with it. Unfortunately, within an hour or two of playing games on it, Johnny called to his parents and asked them to fix it. A ton of pop-ups and other items had gotten onto the computer. Even after restarting the computer, the pop-ups kept coming back.
I received a frantic phone call that night from their dad. He explained what had happened, and asked if I could fix it and “work my magic” on it. I did a factory reset, then added Computer Maintenance and Security items to it, including anti-virus and anti-malware programs, as well as ad blockers and updates to Microsoft and other programs. I also optimized the start menu so that it was running better than new. Upon returning the laptop to him, the father thanked me, and explained that they were planning on having me look at during the week after Christmas, but he never realized what could happen. Lesson learned. Be careful using a computer right out of the box. Make sure that you have it professionally setup.
Contact Esser Consulting, LLC, a better Business Bureau Accredited Business, at (920) 735-1806.
Shopping online on Cyber Monday (or any other day)? Here Are Some Online Security Tips:
Use a credit card, not a debit card. Better recourse. Better protection vs. fraud.
Consider using a separate credit card, with a smaller credit limit, for shopping online.
Don’t use public Wi-Fi. Too easy for data to be stolen, or to connect to an unsecured or spoofed hotspots. Mobile users should use their data plans instead of public Wi-Fi.
Only shop on secure sites. Look for https (s=security) and padlock.
Be careful when clicking on links. Make sure you are on the correct website and that you spelled the website name correctly. Signs of some spoofed websites include bad spelling and poor grammar. It is very easy for hackers to spoof legitimate websites.
Make sure that your web browser, operating system and other software such as Adobe Flash Player are updated to the latest versions. Outdated software is more vulnerable to being compromised. Latest browser updates warn about insecure sites. For Windows computers I recommend using Patch My PC.
Use good passwords. Make sure they are different on each site. Longer passwords are more secure. Use capital and small letters, numbers and characters. Using unique passwords is especially important as hackers are testing passwords compromised on a breached account on other accounts.
Review your statements. Beware of small charges on your card. Hackers use them to “test” your account. Report any discrepancies to your card company.
Beware of pop-up and other digital ads that are not from the store’s official social media page. If you have to answer questions (survey scam) or share on Facebook for a deal that is too good to be true, it’s probably not legit.
If using a mobile device, only download and install apps from the O/S official store (Google Play, Apple iTunes, Microsoft App). Also, install a security app, and keep your apps and O/S up-to-date.
Cyber breaches are becoming a daily occurrence. Whether you are part of a large company, small company, governmental unit, or using your home computer or mobile device, you are at risk if you don’t take proper precautions to secure your systems. What are the risks and what should be done?
Getting a virus by clicking on an infected email attachment or visiting a compromised website can let a hacker access your account, take over your computer, even encrypt your files, in effect holding them hostage. Hackers have targeted not only victims who can afford paying larger ransoms, such as hospitals and others in the medical industry, but also individuals and businesses of all sizes.
A compromised email account can lead to identity theft. The hacker can send out email from your account, request money be transferred, or reset passwords and take over any account connected to that email account. CEO spoofing has lead to millions in unauthorized money transfers as well as theft of employee and customer data.
Adware, spyware and other malicious software (malware) can also slow down your computer, change your home page or search settings, and redirect your web surfing, possibly resulting in a more serious problem. Compromised ads have been linked to ransomware infections in addition to hackers being able to remotely controlling computer systems.
Users need to be educated to be on the lookout for cyber threats. Beware of spoofed emails which will try to get them to open a virus-infected attachment or click on a link to a malicious website. Only install programs and updates from trusted sources. Even the best security precautions cannot prevent a careless user from causing serious damage.
Backups need to be done on a regular basis. A copy should be kept locally as well as remotely. Off site backups are important because ransomware can infect USB and network attached drives. If a machine becomes compromised, it should be immediately disconnected from the network to prevent other machines or your network storage drives from being infected.
Security measures including anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall, intrusion detection and prevention software needs to be installed, updated and monitored on a regular basis. E-mail filtering needs to be done to block spam and virus infected emails from reaching end-users. Mobile devices also need security software installed.
Operating system and other software updates also need to be done on a regular basis. Unpatched systems might contain a security vulnerability or “hole” that can provide hackers and virus writers with access to your computer.
Passwords need to be changed on a regular basis. Password cracking programs can guess any word, including slang and obscene words. Use a mixture of small and capital letters, numbers and special characters. Longer passwords are much harder to compromise. Three letters, three numbers and the shift key can result in an easy to remember 12 character password.
Being vigilant and taking the proper precautions can significantly reduce the chance of being a victim of cyber related problem.
Curt Esser is the owner of Esser Consulting LLC, a BBB Accredited Business specializing in Computer Consulting, Internet Security and Privacy. He is also a contributor for PatchMyPC, a free, easy-to-use program that keeps over 100 programs up-to-date on your computer. He can be reached at (920) 735-1806 or cesser@esserconsulting.com. (This article was originally published in the October 2016 WI Better Business Bureau newsletter for Cyber Security Month.)
A key component of staying safe online is keeping your computer up-to-date. Hackers and virus writers love outdated software. It might contain a security vulnerability or “hole” that can provide them with access to your computer. Outdated software can also be buggy, or have performance issues, which are usually fixed with a newer version of the software. These are two of the main reasons why it is important to keep the software on your computer updated (or “patched”).
Microsoft, Adobe, and occasionally Oracle release updates or patches regularly to keep their products secure. These updates are normally released on the second Tuesday of the month, which is known as “Patch Tuesday”. Microsoft’s updates can be installed manually or automatically. I recommend doing them manually, as a computer restart is usually required. You can also check to make sure that they were installed correctly.
Several years ago I was looking for an easy way for my customers to keep Adobe’s Flash Player and Oracle’s Java updated. I came across Patch My PC, and after corresponding with the developer, was asked to join the team as a contributor. Patch My PC Updater is a free, easy-to-use program that keeps over 100 programs up-to-date on your computer. It is also an easy way to install any of these programs on to your computer. Scammers and hackers sometimes trick people into installing fake updates for these programs. Patch My PC is a safe and secure program which ensures that you are installing the valid program.
Whether you are a computer novice, semi-tech savvy, the go-to tech person for your family and friends, or an IT professional, Patch My PC Updater will make patching your PC easy. It can be downloaded from this link: https://patchmypc.net/download.
Virus, Adware, Spyware, and other Malware (Malicious Software) Removal and Prevention.
Internet security & privacy including computer maintenance.
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