With a new year comes new ways for hackers to attempt to gain access to your personal information and data, and 2016 is no different. Actually, 2016 is foreseen to have the most frequent cases of the most malicious viruses ever: ransomware. Security Magazine predicts ransomware attacks to grow this year because “greater numbers of inexperienced cybercriminals will leverage ransomware-as-a-service offerings which could further accelerate the growth of ransomware.”
Ransomware is a virus that stops you from using your PC, and holds your PC or files for ransom. Some versions are called “FBI Moneypak” or the “FBI virus” because they use the FBI’s logos to trick people into sending the hacker money. The virus will often claim you have done something illegal with your PC and you will be fined by your local or federal government agency. Obviously the claims are false, but if you pay the fine to the supposed agency, then there is no guarantee that paying the fine will give you access to your PC or files again. Here is an example of a page that may pop up to convince you that you are paying the government for your illegal actions:
The virus can prevent you from accessing Windows, encrypt your files so you can’t access or use them, and stop certain apps, such as your web browser, from running. The hacker will demand you to do something to regain access to your PC or files; it is usually to send them money in the form of BitCoins over the internet or a MoneyPak. Ransomware has been known to charge over $1500 to give your data back, but of course that is not always the result of this expensive transaction.
A family of these ransomware viruses is called FakeBsod. FakeBsod uses a malicious piece of JavaScript code to lock your web browser and show a fake warning message when you visit a compromised webpage. The message says to “contact Microsoft technicians” because of an “Error 333 Registry Failure of operating system” on a blue screen. If you call the number shown on the blue screen, you will be asked to pay money to “fix” the issue. This is an example of the fake warning message:
After the ransom note has been displayed, the virus begins encrypting files. When a file is encrypted, the ransomware generates a key for each file that only the hacker knows. This means that the hacker holds your files hostage paying the ransom is no easy feat and there is a good chance that after you empty your wallet, your files may still be irretrievable.
Unfortunately there is no easy or guaranteed solution to restore a PC or its files after they have been infected with a ransomware virus. However, there are some steps you can take to protect your data from it:
Back up your data regularly. Simply putting your most important files on a $10 thumb drive from Staples could save you hundreds of dollars in the event of a ransomware infection.
Verify email sources. Many virus infections come from emails, so make sure you check the sender’s email address before opening any link or downloading anything from your email. Even if it seems enticing, don’t do it!
Bookmark websites. Bookmarking your frequently visited and trusted websites can prevent you from visiting a malicious website by accidentally typing the wrong web address.
Update your security software. Update any antivirus or security software you may have to provide an extra layer of protection for the latest ransomware viruses.
Use specialized software to block encryption viruses. Computer Doctor can install specialized software to help protect you from this specific attack.
Hopefully you will be lucky enough to avoid these harmful and cruel viruses and you take the necessary precautions to protect your valuable data. In the horrible event that you believe your computer is infected with ransomware, please call the Computer Doctor at 862-7019 as soon as possible! The sooner you catch the infection, the more likely it is that your information can be retrieved. The Computer Doctor has dealt with ransomware countless times and is the best resource in the area to return your PC and files back to you— without encryption and at a much better price! He has a customized and tiered approach to ransomware. For your own specialized software to prevent a horrific infection, look at our Crypto Innoculation page!
Come see us at 50 Main Road North in Hampden, in the same building at River Town Family Eye Care. You can call us at 862-7019 if you have any questions! We also do Remote Support Sessions as well as House Calls. If you bring in your computer for a virus removal, mention this article until February 15 and receive 10% off!
We want to wish you a Merry Christmas from us at the Computer Doctor! We appreciate all your support and want to thank you for your continued business!
If you or anyone you know is going to receive a new computer or laptop this holiday, then we suggest letting that person know about the default privacy settings in new Windows 10 systems. If you are part of the minority of people who read the Privacy Statements or Terms of Service Agreements, then you probably already know about the lack of privacy in Windows 10. However, if you are part of the majority who doesn’t read them, we’ll let you know what to look out for on your new computer!
You would be surprised by the amount of personal information Windows 10 collects from its users—information including phone numbers, GPS location, credit card numbers, and even video and audio messages. All of this collection of data is outlined in the Privacy Statement that you would most likely agree to without reading (because who has the time to read the whole thing anyway?!).
Microsoft goes through 3 ways to use your personal data: “(1) to operate our business and provide (including improving and personalizing) the services we offer, (2) to send communications, including promotional communications, and (3) to display advertising.”
“To operate our business…” essentially means that the Microsoft applications that you use require your personal information to operate. For example, the application Maps needs your location to assist you properly. However, Maps is not the only application to use your location. Cortana, (the Windows equivalent to Siri), also uses your location and the only way to prevent that from happening is to not use Cortana at all. Microsoft also collects data to improve applications and try to fix any bugs, but this also means they track your usage of these applications. For instance, if you are using Microsoft Office and it crashes, then Microsoft will be able to see all of your documents that were open during the crash.
“To send communications…” means that Microsoft needs to make sure it can reach you if the primary means of communication fails. Microsoft discloses in the Privacy Statement that it collects your phone number, email, and mailing address; but claims that it uses this information to send promotions— and also to share with Microsoft partners. Click here to manage these communications.
“To display advertising.” is similar to the tracking that Facebook and Google uses to sell ads. Microsoft generates revenue from ads and sells demographic information to third-party advertisers. You even have your own advertising ID for your interest-based advertisements. You can choose to opt-out of these interest-based ads, but it won’t prevent data collection or less ads. If you don’t want to be tracked on the internet or if you want less ads, then we recommend installing this free extension for your browser.
To protect your personal information and data, then go to your privacy settings by clicking Start, then Settings, then Privacy. From there you can change how your computer uses your information from your location, microphone, camera, etc. You might also want to click on Feedback & Diagnostics and change the Feedback Frequency to “never” and Diagnostic and Usage Data to “basic” to prevent Microsoft from gathering random information.
If you are concerned about your private information, then you should not create a Microsoft account at start up. By not creating an account, your activity and information will be local to your computer and won’t be sent to Microsoft to further piece together your identity. To delete or mange your Microsoft account, go to Settings, then Accounts, then Your Account.
Your privacy is also at stake when you are using the internet. Microsoft Edge, (the new version of Internet Explorer), sends your internet browsing history to Microsoft to improve Cortana. To prevent the sharing of your browsing history in the settings for Microsoft Edge, go to Advanced Settings, then click View Advanced Settings, and under Privacy and Services turn off “Have Cortana Assist Me in Microsoft Edge.” And while you’re at it, back in the Privacy and Services menu turn off “use page prediction to speed up browsing, improve reading, and make my overall experience better.”
Cortana seems to be one of the most intrusive components of Windows 10 because she has to gather so much information from you. She collects anything from location, to contacts, to even speech and handwriting data. And all your interactions with Cortana are stored in the cloud. If you are suspicious about the data Cortana collects from you, you can adjust your settings and clear your data that she has learned from you.
While Windows 10 is very customizable and has a lot of neat features, there are some security aspects that could be concerning. At Computer Doctor, we want to protect you and make sure all your personal information is safe.
If you are worried about your privacy or need assistance in setting up your new Windows 10 computer, please give us a call at 862-7019! You can also stop in at 50 Main Road North in Hampden or come to Reboot Computer Services at 88 South Main Street in Brewer.
Merry Christmas and take 25% off any service if you come see us and mention this article before January 25!
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