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| Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom |
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Happy New Year to all! I hope everybody had a lovely holiday season. I certainly did, with some really special family gatherings and lots of comings and goings. As a matter of fact, i was so wrapped up in the holidays that I never found time to compose my December newsletter, so please accept my apologies.
On a more serious note, it's been over a year since I first warned you about Cryptolocker, a virus that encrypts all of your personal data and holds it for ransom. Unfortunately, since then, this type of ransomware has become more common and I have had a few clients fall victim to it. So please keep reading for an update on how to protect yourself.
Here's to a safe and fabulous 2015 to one and all!
Regards,
Julie Marto
508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com
www.facebook.com/thecomputermom
P.S. Did Santa bring you some new technology? Give me a call if you need help setting it up! |
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| | Crypto Infections Revisited 
In October of 2013 I sent out a warning newsletter about a new kind of virus infection that encrypts all of your documents, pictures and files and holds them for ransom. At the time there was only one threat, called Cryptolocker. Those particular criminals were kind enough to actually give you your data back if you paid the ransom. Almost a year later the original Cryptolocker has been shut down but there are now dozens of copy-cat viruses in the wild. Your best defense is to avoid infection and keep yourself backed up. Backup is a big topic I have mentioned many times - if you need help choosing and setting up a backup system please give me a call. As far as avoiding infection is concerned, these viruses are usually spread through email attachments, so use extra caution before opening any attachments, especially if you don't recognize the sender or weren't expecting the email.
To provide an extra level of protection, I highly recommend installing a program called CryptoPrevent from an outfit called FoolishIt. I have been installing the free version on every system that comes to me for a virus repair. There is also a paid, premium version which includes automatic updates.
If you want to install CryptoPrevent on your system, start by downloading it from this link at MajorGeeks. Installation takes a few steps. The program will ask you if you have purchased a product key and if are interested in buying one. it's fine to say no. Then it will ask what level of protection you want - default is fine. It will also ask if you want to whitelist existing applications. Say yes if you are sure your computer is free of infection. If you are unsure you might want to have me take a look at your system. Regardless, after you install the program you must restart your computer for it to take affect.
If you are using the free version, you should click on the icon to run it every so often and check for updates. If you don't want to worry about checking for updates manually you can always purchase the premium edition. Regardless, you won't notice the program running at all - it sits in the background waiting to block the viruses from installing.
Remember, if you get this type of infection there is little to be done to get your data back. So back things up, keep a watchful eye, and install the CryptoPrevent progorm and you should be just fine.
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 Downloading Safely Part III - Where should I go to download software?
I've published a few articles about downloading safely, but never one that tells you specifically where to go when you need to download software. If you are purchasing software such as Office or Norton Antivirus you can always trust the manufacturer's site or Amazon.com. However, if you search for free programs to download you are often directed to sponsored sites that bundle your software with adware and spyware. To avoid that problem, here are my recommendations:
or http://www.majorgeeks.com/. Both sites also have a good selection of computer tweaking tools, and neither bundle in anything with their downloads.
To download additional browsers I head straight to the source:
If a website tells me I need a newer version of Adobe Reader or Flash I close the webpage and go directly to Adobe for my update:
If I need a driver for a printer or other peripheral device I go directly to the manufacturer's site and search for the model number:
If you want to download games for your tablet or phone the App Store for your device is always safe. And the iTunes store is a great place for Mac software. Unfortunately I have yet to find a site to download free games for a PC that never bundles them with some sort of junkware, so you need to use caution whenever downloading free applications for a PC. |
| |  Some highlights from my Facebook page
Whenever I come across an interesting article I post it on my Facebook page. Here are a few of my favorites for those of you who don't use Facebook!
- People often ask me which browser is best. This article goes into detail about the differences between the major browsers in speed, security, and ease of use.
- Microsoft is finally going after some of the tech support scammers, at least those in the US. Hopefully they can shut some of them down!
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