Facebook
Spyware
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File a Complaint
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Links from Previous Issues
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MS OFFICE 2007
X-Converters
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Converter
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Really Free Credit Report
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Welcome New Subscribers!
Coming Soon! Available on-line Archive copies of the newsletter. In the interim, please email me if you want copies of any or all of the first 5 issues.
Mr. Computer not only fixes computers, sets up networks, connects you to the
internet and removes viruses, but we also connect and integrate audio/video
equipment like that new Flat Screen TV. We do training.
FIX IT NOW? We can fix your computer REMOTELY! Need an appointment in the evening? Early morning? With the use of remote control software we can control your computer from afar and fix 95% of what ails it, often in the same day. Remote calls can be less expensive too. If we can't fix it, there's no charge for the remote session so long as we schedule an appointment to come out and make the repair. Remote software is temporary and removes itself when the session is over.
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 November turned out to be Facebook spyware month. I make
many calls each month involving the removal of spyware and viruses. This month there were an inordinate number of cases that could be attributed directly to innocuous visits to some
Facebook link. I have had incidents this month wherein a client has done
nothing more sinister than clicking on a webpage link.
Just to review, these pirates' only objective is to gain
access to your credit card numbers. They profess that your computer is infected
with viruses and spyware and they offer to remove the maladies for a fee. If
you pay, they will more often than not, drain the entire credit line on that
credit card before the provider gets wise and as they are in the Ukraine or a similarly
difficult country, they get the money and you get nothing.
It turn out that these "on-line thieves" have managed to
bypass the security systems put in place by Facebook management and to generate
these web pages prolifically and in an automated fashion. From a trade magazine
article: "The Facebook spyware attack coincides with an FBI warning released
today saying that cybercriminals are increasingly using social networking
websites, such as Facebook, to launch attacks. Among the popular techniques used
by hackers are hijacking a user's account and sending spam to their friends
that leads to a phishing site; creating applications on the site that include
malware or rogue antivirus software; and using malware to gain access to users'
personal information on their profiles."
The Internet Crime complaint center (link to left) makes the
following recommendations:
- Adjust Web site
privacy settings. Some networking sites have provided useful options to assist
in adjusting these settings to help protect your identity.
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Be selective of your friends. Once selected,
your "friends" can access any information marked as "viewable by
all friends."
- You can select those who have
"limited" access to your profile. This is for those whom you do not
wish to give full friend status to or with whom you feel uncomfortable sharing
personal information.
- Disable options and then open them one by one
such as texting and photo sharing capabilities. Users should consider how they
want to use the social networking site. If it is only to keep in touch with
people then perhaps it would be better to turn off the extra options which will
not be used.
- Be careful what you click on. Just because
someone posts a link or video to their "wall" does not mean it is
safe.
Here's my recommendation: First, do use the "settings" tab
and then the "privacy settings" available on Facebook and all of these
networking sites to limit your exposure. Then, in addition you might want to create
a "limited" account for each computer, call it "Browser account" or something
like that. When you're going to browse Facebook or any other potentially
hazardous sites, do so using this limited user account. You see, "limited
users" cannot, for the most part, install permanent software, including spyware
on a computer.
In fact, in practicality, everyone using a computer would
benefit from being a limited user. When
new software needs to be installed, this would be the time to use an "Administrative"
account. If you browse with a limited account and spyware strikes, in most
instances, a restart will clear it out.
Forgoing this approach, consider using Mozilla Firefox or
Apple Safari as your primary browser as both of these browsers in not supporting
"Active X" controls, (Microsoft's "do it for you" browser helper) are less
subject to spyware interventions.
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More on 7: if
you're thinking of upgrading your computer to Windows 7 and you've run the compatibility
check (see October issue or Link to left) then the next
step is to determine which version you need.
Windows 7, comes in several editions
(Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate are the most common) and 2 flavor in
each edition, 32 bit and 64 bit. Simplistically, 32 and 64 are the number of bits
that the registers and processor can gobble up and execute at any one time. 64 bit runs a bit (or 32 bits) faster and can
address a large pool of memory or RAM. You will find more application compatibility
with 32 bit versions as software and drivers have been, in the past, more
commonly written for 32 bit systems. A "bit" is either a one or a zero and is the smallest amount of data information that the computer can process.
I've provided a link to the Microsoft webpage
that allows you to selectively determine what version might be right for you
and one with a further explanation of 32 versus 64 bit architectures. The page
of version selection is actually geared to your purchasing the software but
does a good job on letting you determine what version might be right for you
based upon the check box selections of needs and wants that you make.
If you do decide to upgrade, you can purchase an upgrade
copy at a reduced rate. If you're currently running Windows Vista, it's just a
matter of putting the disk in and letting the software guide you through the
upgrade process. If you're on an XP machine, it gets a little more complicated.
You can still use an upgrade copy but you are going to have to wipe everything
out and install 7 from scratch. In both instances I strongly recommend that you
totally backup all of your data (pictures, music, documents and emails) before proceeding.
Finally, in both a Vista and XP upgrade, though more likely
with XP, there might be peripheral and integrated drivers that you might need
to research and download on your own. A
driver refers to the software, provided by the manufacturer, of for instance, the
video card, the sound card and those printers and scanners that you attach,
that make the connection between Windows 7 and that device.
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 Make your own PDF: We're all familiar with Adobe Acrobat Reader
and in the past it came installed on your computer when it was delivered.
Actually, Dell computers purchased today,
are no longer delivered with with Acrobat Reader
installed. If you do not have reader find a link to the left for you to download and install. If you use the link be sure to
uncheck any additional software or toolbars being preselected for you in
advance and that you don't want.
Reader lets you view documents that are
created in a "Portable Document Format" transparently. If you have a PDF or one
comes attached an email and even if one is integrated into a web page, you
double click it and Acrobat reader opens the document for you to view. The advantages
of a PDF are many but significantly they are smaller in size (ergo their "Portable"
label) and from a providers point of view, the are not modifiable, thereby
assuring that what you see or what you pass on to others is actually what was
sent.
If you want to make your own PDF files, you can purchase a
copy of Adobe PDF Writer (not Reader) at a list price of several hundred
dollars for the basic software and up to $600 for the "Bells & Whistles"
copy.
There are however several free products on the market that will produce basic
PDF files from anything that you would normally print to a standard printer. My
favorite product is "Cute PDF", link to the left of course, and after installing
it and its partner converter (also free, you'll be prompted to download it),
you just select the Cute PDF writer when printing and Voile! You have your very
own PDF documents to store or send.
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 MisterComputer Asks:
Is your computer getting sick?
BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP!
Some of your most precious possesions, your documents, photos, music and
emails reside on your computer or more accurately on the hard drive within. A hard drive is
actually one to several magnetically charged platters, similar in width to a CD
or DVD.
Each platter between an eight and a quarter inch thick, in conjunction with
other platters in the same enclosure, all rotating on a series of rubberized bushings
traveling at anywhere from 5,400 to 15,000 time around per minute. Each
platter with a series of tiny record player like needles for reading and
writing information, works to store this information for you.
If one needle
should fall off its bindings or if a bushing wears out of round suddenly the
drive stops functioning properly and you might just kiss those photos goodbye.
Because hard drives have a lifespan measured as its "mean time before failure", I address this type of problem at least once a week and my tools for recovering
data after just such a debacle are successful no more than half the time. That
means I need to tell a lot of clients that their precious memories are gone forever.
So backup your data as often as you add or change
information that, in your opinion, you would not want to lose. I backup my
changeable data daily. There are a variety of flash drives from 1 to 16 gig and
hard drives up to 1.5 Terabytes (1500 GIG) that can be had for from 8 to 150
dollars. Take your pick; Plug the device into your computer and at the very least
copy and paste the important stuff to this alternate vehicle. Need help? I can remotely configure whatever device you
buy to automate the process for you transparently. Send me a note or give me a call to make an appointment.
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I hope you find this newsletter helpful. Look for future issues.
Sincerely,
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Ish Y. Alter
MisterComputer.com |
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