Showing posts with label tech talk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tech talk. Show all posts

Tech Talk: Microsoft really wants you to move to Windows 10

Sunday, July 19, 2015


By Brian Boston

Though the mainstream press been quiet about it until recently, the tech press been very busy around the impending launch of Windows 10. Starting July 20, you will see a lot more about it as Microsoft starts its advertising campaign for Windows 10, with an associated charitable effort, Upgrade Your World.

It won't be like quite like launch of Windows 95 in August nearly 20 years ago or even the Windows 7 or 8 launches in October 2009 and 2012. Thirteen cities around the world will host fan celebrations. And, as you would expect, there will stuff happening at the local Microsoft stores and associated retailers.

The celebration on your PC actually started a month or so ago. Nearly all of you running Windows 7 or 8.1 right now have evidence on your computer that Microsoft wants to you to upgrade. It’s this little Windows Flag on the “System tray” portion of the Taskbar, next to the date and time.


For most people on 7 or 8.1 who are receiving automatic updates, this flag quietly showed up on June 1str though the update itself has sitting in the Optional Updates since March. It was discovered and documented by ZDNet blogger and Windows book author, Ed Bott in April. What changed is that the Optional update (known as KB3035583) was upgraded to an “Important” update, the kind of priority update that is automatically updates the system..

When you hover over the flag, a little pop-up makes its purpose clear, “Get Windows 10.”

That’s not all. Should you go to Windows Update in either 7 or 8.1, a banner appears on that screen as well (providing no updates are pending).



Can I make this go away?
Yes, you can uninstall KB3035583 in Control Panel/Programs/Uninstall a program after clicking on “View installed updates.” the flag and banner will go away. While it will be one of the more convenient ways to get Windows 10, it won’t be the only way..

The question is whether you really want to do so.


Annoyance or Opportunity
Some critics have said this little flag is “ad-ware,” downloaded without permission, imploring you to upgrade to the next available version of Windows. However, the defining element of most adware, the desire to sell you something is missing. Microsoft just wants to you get it.

More than anything, Microsoft wants Windows 10 to be the new baseline for PCs, an operating system that today’s software developers will gear all their new and existing programs towards. An OS version that computer manufacturers will embrace completely without feeling the need to offer alternative versions. A version that everyone just uses. And, for a time, Microsoft is willing to give the OS away to make that happen.

Upon release, Windows 10 will be free to all qualified systems (Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1) for the next year after its release. So, Microsoft is offering you the opportunity to download this version at no cost to you, other than the use of an Internet connection. This is largely a consumer opportunity as system running the large business version of Windows (known as Enterprise version) don’t receive this benefit.

Should I upgrade?
Though Microsoft has gone to a lot of trouble and expense to make as easy as possible to upgrade, it doesn’t mean that you have to upgrade right now. Many people simply move to a new version of Windows when they buy a new computer. Or, they wait a few months to let Microsoft get the “kinks” out of the product.

Or they never upgrade at all. That’s what Microsoft is trying to avoid. Normally, Microsoft Windows’ worst competition is the previous version of the operating system. The competition for Windows 10 is the last two versions of operating system. The negative impression of Windows 8 slowed its adoption, leaving a large number of people still on Windows 7. Last year, many people who had to leave the comfort of Windows XP after a decade or more went to Windows 7 to avoid using Windows 8 or 8.1. Microsoft wants to avoid making Windows 7, another “XP.”

But this doesn't answer the question of whether you should upgrade. That is really your decision, but the next set of Tech Talk posts will be dedicated to helping you make that decision as well as how to reserve a free upgrade for your system. Whether you chose to upgrade now, later, or never, I do recommend reserving a copy to keep your options open.

~~~~
Boston LegacyWorks, LLC offers talks and individual help on technology topics, troubleshooting and tutoring on PC usage, and services so you can manage and maintain your computer, your network of computers, or how they connect with the world. Contact us for information on how we can help you.



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Tech Talk: Give Reboot Some Respect

Monday, July 7, 2014

Give Reboot Some Respect!


My wife made a point of showing me this recent Dilbert cartoon.

Dilbert makes a desperate plea based on his engineering expertise to Dogbert on the Tech Support phone line to not ask him to reboot the computer as part of the troubleshooting process … and Dogbert gleefully ignores the request.

Yes, it’s funny, especially the way Scott Adams writes it. And my wife thinks it’s funny too. It’s always good policy to agree with her.

However, I would have done exactly what Dogbert did. Okay, maybe not the “glee” part. I would have respectfully asked Dilbert to restart the system one more time, starting with something like “Please indulge me for a moment….”

Rebooting Reluctance is a State of Mind

People are people. Despite our titles, training, and proficiency, we are subject to “human nature.”  If there is a obvious way to shortcut a series of steps because they seem unnecessary or redundant to us, we will do it.

For most people, the necessary steps for good tech troubleshooting are a tiresome time-suck on their day. I am sure there many other things they either need or prefer to be doing, like dental work or unclogging drains.

Restarting the computer is sometimes my second step in the process of basic troubleshooting that starts just past that sad but necessary query, “is it plugged into a live power outlet or power strip?”  It’s too bad because rebooting and restarting really deserve more respect and some serious consideration.

Whether it’s a computer, smartphone, or today’s audio/video gear, don’t underestimate the power of pulling the plug. I had a client who mentioned a problem with his Blu-Ray player. It had become unresponsive to the remote control or to buttons on the device.

When we unplugged the player for about 10 seconds and plugged it in again, it started up just fine and has behaved well ever since.

Sometimes Hardware Gets Confused

“Confused,” while not an engineering term, describes for me a transient condition where hardware is unable to meet its design specifications. This temporary state makes a device unaware or unavailable for interaction with other hardware/ software components … or you.



Hardware awareness?  That doesn’t sound like traditional hardware behavior. It isn’t … at least the concept of hardware most people have.

Hardware Isn’t Just Hardware Anymore

Most device hardware or device components do contain traditional electrical hardware (switches, gates, motors, diodes, capacitors). However to meet our more sophisticated needs, additional components control these parts.

Chip-mounted “controllers” direct their more traditional cousins to perform necessary tasks. These controllers would have easily been considered computers on their own in earlier times.

As computers, controllers do need direction in the form of software instructions. Stored directly on the controller chip or another chip, these instructions are called firmware, since they do not disappear when power is removed.



You will find this new “smarter” hardware on nearly everything, from your computer’s video display and network routers to a microwave oven or your alarm clock.

The great thing about this hardware evolution is that the instructions can be modified and updated through firmware updates, allowing problems to be fixed or functionality to be improved. It also means that power fluctuations or environmental changes can temporarily “confuse” the set of instructions or the controller’s ability to respond to them.

“Powered Off” Isn’t the Same as No Power Applied

It was pretty novel when Westinghouse premiered their Instant-On TVs in the late sixes. TVs of that era used tube technology throughout. Since tubes took time to warm and become functional, it would often take a minute or two for the TV to display a picture.

Westinghouse got around this by have the “Off” button only reduce the current to the TV by 50%. The resulting tube warm up time was reduced substantially. The picture would appear as within a second or two instead of a minute or two.


Your electronic bill also increased by a proportion proportion. Some TVs also had what was called a “vacation switch” to reduce costs when the TV would not be in use for a while.

Today’s instant-on electronics use less power but with similar goals. It can also mean that clearing hardware confusion might not be possible until the the device is unplugged.

The Lingering Effects of an “Always On” World

Up to this point, we have been talking about confusion in the semi-smart hardware world. Today’s computers, smartphones, tablets, TVs and other more sophisticated devices are designed to always be on in some form.

Even when you tap the power button on your laptop, it’s likely programmed to either “sleep” (shut down most hardware but keep current work in memory) or “hibernate” (same as sleep except memory is saved to a large hibernation file on the hard drive).


Over time, the chance of subtle changes in the memory or memory image without the rejuvenating effect of a system restart increase, especially after a few weeks of a start up/sleep cycle. Some programs tolerate this well. Others may not release memory after it's used (known as a memory leak) or start behaving badly in other ways.

That is why I usually recommend a mix of sleeping and restarting for PC/Mac desktops and laptops to give you the benefits of both forms.

  • Sleeping on a daily basis provides prompt access. It give you quick startup time, places you where you left off on the device and allows the device to wake up and receive necessary updates in a timely way. This can be done manually or automatically after a defined internal of no usage.
  • Restarting once a week keeps the system stable and responsive. A restart insures that any transient problems associated with the environment, software or other less predictable factors are cleared.

Does Restart Correct All Hardware Confusion?

No it doesn’t. Restarting does not remove power from the system. It only flushes the system RAM memory and cannot be counted on to correct the more basic hardware confusion mentioned earlier.
Shutting down and unplugging are the most complete ways of clearing the confusion. Just make sure you follow those two steps in that order to minimize damage from a sudden loss of power.
So, the next time you are asked to restart, understand that in many ways it doesn’t have to be an ordeal, just the beginning of a thoughtful troubleshooting process.

Tech Talk goes on summer schedule

Speaking of next time, you won’t be seeing a Tech Talk next weekend. We are switching to a summer schedule for the next few months. Look for Tech Talk again in the next couple of weeks.
Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.


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Tech Talk: Beware When Temptation Meets Opportunity in the Mobile World

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Beware When Temptation Meets Opportunity
in the Mobile World
By Brian Boston



Playwright George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “Marriage is popular because it combines the maximum of temptation with the maximum of opportunity.”

Shaw didn’t have the experience of seeing “Flappy Bird.”

Flappy Bird?


If you aren’t familiar with this game, designed for mobile devices, let me get you up to speed.

The goal and design of Flappy Bird is very simple; guide a cartoon bird through breaks in columns of green pipes without touching them. You tap your device to keep his wings flapping enough to navigate though the breaks. Of course, that is a fiendishly hard task … and, as it appears, highly addictive.

If you’d like an idea of the game, here’s a YouTube video of the game played by a veteran. He made 90 points look easy on this try. Most people manage less than 5 points.

Released last year for iOS and Android devices, the game became the number one free game in Apple’s US App store and developed quite a following. Then, in what Vietnamese creator Dong Nguyen later described as a fit of conscience around the game’s addictive nature, he removed it from both the App Store and Google’s Play store in February.

That Is When Things Went Crazy…

Nguyen received death threats. The prices of phones with the game pre-installed went through the roof on Ebay. Instead of dissipating as Nguyen hoped, the frenzy around the game increased.

This is where maximum temptation mixed with maximum opportunity. Flappy Bird clones started appearing.


Over the next month, Pocket Gamer estimated that 60 clones were appearing each day in the Apple App Store. Apple and Google started rejecting apps that resembled the original game.

More Game Than You Expected

SophosLabs reported in detail one direct copy of fake infected Flappy Bird they found in alternative Android markets within days of the Flappy Bird’s removal from the Google’s Play Store.

“…if we dig into the permissions of the original app, and compare them to the impostor, you'll quickly see what's changed. The genuine application asks for network access (it serves ads), but not much more: But the impostor wants as much as it can get, notably including the right to send SMSes for you.”

The latest news on this front is what MacAfee Labs released in their June Report. They tested 300 of the available Flappy Bird clones and found that 80% of the apps contained malware:

“Some of the behavior we found includes making calls without the user’s permission; sending, recording, and receiving SMS messages; extracting contact data; and tracking geolocation. In the worst cases, the malware gained root access, which allows uninhibited control of anything on the mobile device including confidential business information.”




Step Back From the Clones

Clone apps or apps that claim to offer the same features and functionality are an ongoing problem for most mobile app stores. If a newly popular app shows up in one major mobile store, you can count on clones showing up almost immediately in the other stores or even in the same store, like another popular game called “2048.”



While not all Clones are malicious, they are rarely as good as the original. ArsTechnica reported on an uncannily duplicated clone of 1Password, a well-regarded password database. The clone, now removed from the App Store, retailed for $1.99, $16 less than the price of 1 Password developer Agile Bits' original login-storing app and provided less protection.



How Do I Avoid Cloned and Possibly Malicious Apps?

Make sure that you get the app you are searching for. Often the best place to start is not actually in the mobile store itself. With millions of apps overall and dozens of similar apps, the chance of getting the wrong app is high if you try just searching the store. 

Start with a general web search for your desired app. Often popular, legitimate apps will have a separate web site or you will find a review site with the app’s information. Either they will have a direct link into the store, or, armed with the app author’s name or company, you will be able to discriminate between the app you want and similarly-named clones.

Look carefully at app permissions. This is a screen we usually blow by when getting an app from a mobile store. A free app may need network access to update in-app advertising but it usually doesn’t need to send or review text/SMS message or access your contact information.



Look at your permissions in the store before installing the app. Does it make sense, especially when you look at similar apps?

Android users should avoid downloading from third-party stores. While iOS devices must use Apple’s App Store, Android lets you “sideload” apps from other stores.

This is important since Amazon, Samsung, and many other smartphones and tablets makers have their own store in addition to the Google’s Play Store … and there are non-affiliated stores I would not use unless you were confident of their app submission policies.

I’m Baack…in August

Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen on May 14th revealed that the game will return as a multiplayer version in August “and be less addictive.”

I wonder what George Bernard Shaw would have thought of that.

Space Wars: The Wrath of OneDrive?


The recent launch of Amazon’s Fire Phone with its cloud storage options two weeks ago has launched a new salvo, followed by a major upgrade by Microsoft of its storage options this past week.

The Fire Phone allows you unlimited cloud storage for your entire collection of Amazon purchased books, video, music and photos you have taken on your phone. In addition, you get 5 gigabytes (GB) of “personal storage” and free backup of your phone settings.

After my previous exploration of Space Wars, Microsoft returned fire on Monday on the OneDrive Blog by announcing that the 7 GB free that most people had is moving up to 15 GB. In addition, the home version of Office 365 which previously supported 5 people with 20 GB per person of storage is now up to 1 terabytes (TB) per person. This matches it with a similar upgrade in Office 365 for Business a few weeks ago.

In addition, prices for additional storage dropped 70%.

Who’s next in the Space Wars Saga? It’s anybody’s guess.

Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.



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Tech Talk: Space Wars - Cloud Storage Providers Seek to Connect with Free Online File Space

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Sunday afternoon, June 22, 2:30 - 4pm,  Brian leads his final Computer Q&A at Third Place Commons before the series takes its summer break. Upper level, Lake Forest Park Town Center, intersection of Bothell Way and Ballinger Way. More information at BostonLegacyworks.com


Space Wars: Cloud Storage Providers Seek to Connect with Free Online File Space

Last weekend, I was playing with storage … online storage. Before you think this was some geekish form of entertainment, I was preparing for a class on Cloud Computing, preparing a folder on one of the many online storage services with which I have accounts. And this email arrived:


For those of you not viewing the image above, Dropbox congratulated me on being a “Dropbox Guru,” and awarded me 48 gigabytes (GB) of additional storage for the next year. Suddenly the 3 GB I have been carefully using ballooned up to “51.23” GB. And that wasn’t the end of it.

Within the same second of the first mail came a second mail using the same basic format but awarding me another 48 GB for two years!  In the matter of seconds, I had gone from 3 GB to 99.25 … and had no idea why.

I started with Dropbox a number of years ago. They were my first cloud storage provider, and one of the easiest to understand and use, especially for a beginning cloud user. The only downside for me with Dropbox was the small amount of free space they offered. I can’t complain really … it is free storage, after all!

Based on some research, it looks like the testing of Dropbox’s sharing features caused me to complete the set of criteria that defines “guru” status … and automatically moved into a promotional offer extended by a mobile device maker. Dropbox has promotional offers in place for certain HTC phones as well as Samsung phones and tablets


Lucky me! 

Actually luck had nothing to do with it. It was a combination of actions and circumstances that triggered the awarding of more free storage space. That is something you can make happen in a very deliberate way … and not just with Dropbox.

Some Cloud storage providers are offering all sorts of incentives for you to use their services. The thinking is that if you have a lot of space offered to you, you’ll use it.

When that free, time-limited space goes away, they are betting you will pay to continue to keep your stuff there rather than move elsewhere. Like that storage locker or bedroom full of memorabilia and family heirlooms, you’ll keep it there rather than make the hard choices of what to give up.

Friend and Features Use = Free Space

Perhaps the solution to your dumping is to find more free space elsewhere. Before my Dropbox windfall, I did upgrade my available free space by one GB through getting some other friends set up with the Dropbox service (500 MB per friend). That offer was isn’t time-limited like the 48 GB offers, though.

Microsoft’s OneDrive also matches the Dropbox’s friend referral at 500 MB/person. However, OneDrive’s limit is set at 10 friends (a total of 5 GB) versus Dropboxe’s 32 friends (16 GB total).
If you set your mobile devices’ camera roll to OneDrive, that’s good for another 3 GB on the drive. The best deal, though, is using Bing Reward Points. I was even able to add 100 GB for a year by racking up search reward points using Bing.


Where Microsoft really starts throwing around its limited-time offers of disk space if is you buy their other services. Besides the free 7 GB that comes with Microsoft Office 2013 and Windows 8/8.1, Office 365 adds an additional 20 GB per user. With the Office 365 Home version, you can have 5 users with 100 GB total as part of the version’s annual subscription.

15 GB…and Then You Pay

The wet blanket award goes to Google Drive. Though the initial free storage on Drive is promising at 15 GB, that space is divided between their Gmail email storage (including attachments), Google+ Photos, and Drive itself.


While there are no space giveaways like there are with Dropbox and Onedrive, Google has some detailed rules about what type of files count against the 15 GB limit. For example, any file created with their online tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides does not count towards the storage limit.

In Google+ Photo, any pictures are 2048 x 2048 pixels or smaller, they don’t figure into the storage limit. Videos 15 minutes or less are also not counted. While it is possible to structure your storage to take advantage of this, it is easier just to pay Google’s monthly fees to store what you want … and that may be their point.

Less Space…Even If You Pay

Apple’s ICloud is notable, like Drive, for its lack of free space options, aside from the initial 5 GB. But while Google backs up its approach with paid plans going up to 30 terabytes (TB), iCloud caps its paid storage at 50 GB, a surprising limitation given the number of iPods, iPhone, iPads, and Macs that might wish to use the space.


That was a strategy that worked with Apple’s iTunes Match service when Strategy Analytics showed they had 27% of the cloud-based media service market a couple of years ago. That was before most of these current “space wars” began.

This has led some industry watchers to state that Apple “missed the boat” on competing with Microsoft, Google, Dropbox and relative newcomer, Amazon Cloud Drive.

Free Space for the Future

The future? It’s hard to see how these online storage services will fare.

I remember an article from MakeUseOf in 2010, “4 Best Sites To Get 10GB Free Online Backup & Storage.”  Since then, Window Live Skydrive went through two name changes and a total revamp to become OneDrive. Hymyo was sold to Trend Micro and became the paid service “Safe Sync.” Binfire converted from storage to be a coloration and project management service.

Only iDrive has survived in a form similar to what is described in the article with some small enhancements. They still offer 5 GB of free storage with additional free storage if you refer others, like or follow their social media, or install their desktop or mobile device software.


All we know for sure is that the Space Wars will continue … and we continue to benefit. Just remember to keep track of your space and don’t count on any free space that is time-limited.

Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.


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Tech Talk: Protecting Yourself from Some Nasty Malware

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Protecting Yourself from Some Nasty Malware


Last week’s edition of Tech Talk shared some background behind the Gameover Zeus (GOZ) trojan, the botnet that supported its ability to steal personal and financial information, and Cryptolocker, a more recent tool used by the botnet’s bad guys to encrypt your personal files and hold them for ransom.

Have You Checked Your System for this Malware yet?

It also gave step by step directions to check your Windows-based system for these threats, especially valuable now as the botnet was taken down by law enforcement agencies in 10 countries. They are predicting that the take-down is a temporary action since members of the criminal group that ran the botnet are still capable of reviving the botnet and restoring contact with hundreds of thousands of infected systems.

So, if you haven’t read last week’s article or followed the directions to ensure the malware is not on your system, now is a good time to pause and go do that. These steps are not only useful for avoiding attacks from these particular threats; they will help you find other pesky critters inhibiting your system.

Go ahead…
            ….I’ll still be here when you get back…


Avoiding Inflection in the First Place

Last week, we addressed the question, “Am I at risk?” This week, the focus is on “How do I avoid inflection.” To answer that question, we need to understand the behavior of trojan malware.

The principal behind trojan is not very technical at all. As depicted in the Homer’s second book of the Aeneid, The Trojan Horse was a ruse by the Greeks used to take the City of Troy.


In other words, its success depended on predicting the actions of Troy’s citizens who pulled the wooden structure inside their city walls. This allowed soldiers hidden inside the structure free access and the ability to open doors and let the rest of the Greek soldiers into the city.

The Trojan Horse and Trojan Malware both use the same means to be successful: you.

It’s called Social Engineering

Security Consultant Christopher Hadnagy on his educational web site, Social-Engineer, calls it a blend of science, psychology and art. All these complex elements are simply focused on how to influence you to do what they want.

In Unmasking the Social Engineer: The Human Element of Security, Hadnagy says, “A social engineer writes emails that use fear, curiosity or authority to get the reader to perform an action that is not in his or her best interest.”

It could be something minor like making that impulse purchase, or encouraging you to fill out that contest form. Or it could be clicking on that attachment in email.

That is how GameoverZeus gets on your computer. It’s called phishing and you are the target.

Here’s the scenario:
You receive an email claiming to be from a major bank, shipping company, or government agency that requires you to take action to correct a problem or confirm information, or claim a prize. When you click on the attachment or link provided, it launches a program that downloads GameoverZeus which takes control of the system without your knowledge.

How do you tell a phishing mail from a real one?


There is no clear straightforward way to know, but there are often signs. These emails consistently want to take action whether it is opening an attachment or clicking on a link.

While they may come from a bank or shipper you know and may even contain official-looking brand images, the style or the request is often unusual for that company. For example, Microsoft and FedEx have strict guidelines and do not send unsolicited mail. Other things to look for include:
  • Misspellings in the email. In an “official communication,” this is a big tipoff.
  • Links don’t match the company website or even what is displayed. If your email allows you to hover over a link to display its full address, you may find the company name buried in the address but it isn’t the actual web site. Big giveaways are sites that just use an IP address (http: // 107.183.12....).
  • Attachments are often .zip or .exe files
  • The subject line may not match the contents of the message.


“Let’s be careful out there” (Sgt. Phil Esterhaus at the end of every role call in “Hill Street Blues”)

Ultimately, you have to trust your gut and suspect anything that seems out of order with the email. Browse your spam or junk mail folder to get familiar with things that are routinely stripped from your incoming mail and see if you can figure out why.

Treat email like your neighborhood. Just as there are probably alleys or other environment that don’t appear “safe,” based on your experience, start building your “street smarts” for email.

In the meantime, avoid opening any unexpected email attachments, no matter how attractive or urgent the message appears to be.


Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.


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Tech Talk: Getting Out in Front of Some Nasty Malware

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Getting Out in Front of Some Nasty Malware


I have getting inquiries recently about Cryptolocker and Gameover Zeus (GOZ), largely due to the recent news about takedown of the GOZ botnet and the filing of criminal charges against the Russian-based leader of the criminal group responsible for this malicious software.

This takedown was remarkable because it required synchronized actions by 10 countries to sever and redirect communications between infected systems and the botnet’s decentralized servers. The result is 500 thousand to 1 million computer have been freed from the botnet.

But that is not what actually interests or concerns people at this point. It’s more personal than that. Key questions are boiling down to:
 “Am I at risk?”
 or
 “How do I avoid infection?”
The answers to both of these questions primarily depend on actions by you. And, based on estimates by security experts, you have a limited-time window to protect yourself before this botnet might reappear.

Limited Time?

The takedown of the GOZ botnet has prevented infected computers from communicating with the servers that are either collecting personal or financial information.

If your system happens to be inflected by Cryptolocker, the takedown could also be preventing the encryption of your user documents, photos, and files, holding them for payment of a ransom.

UK's National Crime Agency warned on June 2nd that “There is a unique two-week opportunity for internet users to rid and safeguard themselves from the GOZeuS and Cryptolocker malware.” That was a nearly a week ago.


Some Background

GameoverZeus made its appearance in 2011 as a variant of other Zeus-named malware that would harvest bank account information. It is a Trojan, a piece of malware that pretends to one thing but is actually another.

To get into your system GOZ typically depends on our curiosity as an attachment that appears to from a business or friend. It depends on you to open it. Once activated, it looks for financial information and starts tracking keystrokes to capture login information to your bank or shopping sites.


The results are sent to collection servers so your accounts can be exploited or your purchases rerouted. Over $100 million dollars in losses from businesses and individuals over the past 2 ½ years are attributed to GOZ.

This Is Where It Gets Creepy

Last fall, GOZ, started installing Cryptlocker on the exploited systems that weren’t providing a lot of financial information. Cryptlocker’s goal is to encrypt all your data system with a practically unbreakable scheme. It then pops up a notice saying that you have 72 hours to pay a ransom or the key to your encrypted files will destroyed. The later you pay, the higher the cost.


And if you don’t pay, there is currently no way to get those files back. According to FBI charging documents, this even happened to a local police department in Massachusetts who even had “its main file server, including administrative documents, investigative materials, and digital photo mug shots, encrypted by Cryptolocker.” The police were forced to pay $750 to regain access to their files.

It’s estimated that Cryptolocker has infected over 230,000 computers in less than a year. At least half of those systems are the in the United States.

Sounds pretty dire, doesn’t it. It doesn’t have to be. That depends on what you do, now. We have a narrow window of opportunity to correct this problem and protect your computers and your data, thanks to the botnet takedown. It’s time to get ahead of the bad guys for a change.

And that bring us to your questions…

“Am I at risk?”

You could be. We need to discover whether your computer is impacted or not.


If you have a Mac and don’t have Windows running on the system at all, you’ve ducked the bullet this time. That doesn’t mean that Macs are immune from malware, as I note in a previous Tech Talk.

Steps to determine if you have GOZ or Cryptolocker:
  1. Make sure your anti-virus program is fully updated and run a virus scan. Select any items found and either quarantine or delete them, depending on your anti-virus program
  2. Download an additional security scanner to check the system again. Anti-virus program vary on their detection methods so a second scanner will often find items the first scan did not. Since these scanners only run when you want them to, there is no resident conflict with your regular anti-virus program.  Make sure that the scanner you use is a different brand from your anti-virus program. Here are some free scanner options for you:
  3. Use Windows update on your version of Windows to check for, download and install any updates that have not yet been applied to your system. It’s important to eliminate any vulnerability that could be exploited.
If you believe you have been infected, take the following actions after completing the steps above to eliminate the threat.

Change passwords on your computer and any critical accounts (email, banks & financial institutions, and shopping sites) to reduce an residual effects from the infection.

Review your accounts on these sites, looking for unexpected transactions that you might need to report or contest.

Order copies of your credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com to check and appeal any unauthorized activity. This is a free service required by Federal law and provided by TransUnion, EquiFax, and Experian. You are entitled to one free report from each credit reporting agency.

Next week, we will address, “How do I avoid infection?”

In the meantime, take advantage of the moment and use the steps above to determine your risk and take action. Remember:

Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.
---Motivational Speaker Denis Waitley

Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.


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Tech Talk: Scaling Social Networks - Balancing Virtual Content and Real Life

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Scaling Social Networks - Balancing Virtual Content and Real Life


  • Social Networks are an amazing way for people to connect around the world, sharing information, experiences, and laughter.
  • Social Networks are major distraction in your daily life, taking chunks of your time, and disconnecting you from local interpersonal contact and connection.


Both these statements are true. I find the balance between the two statements tips one way or the other depends on the day.

The Positive/Negative Struggle

If it is a “writing/research” day, the scales tip to the virtual side of the scale. Social media is a great learning tool for me; a way of keeping up with other techies out there, and a way to survey the diversity of opinion that is often simplified in the mass media.

On the other hand, a day full of hands-on teaching / troubleshooting  / client connections moves the scale towards Real Life. Those are the days when you realize that social networks stream a lot of information 24 hours a day / 7 days a week whether you are available for it or not. It’s relentless!
   
How Relentless is It?


Twitter streams an average of 500 million tweets per day (follow it here in real-time!). Facebook users create 2,460,000 pieces of content per minute (messages, pictures, etc.).

Even the most dedicated user can be overwhelmed at times with the enormity of information. The challenge is how to keep the scales balanced. One way to do this is by using a “curating” service.

Cur…what?


Curating services take information and organize it for easier and more convenient consumption. We take information we read and hear throughout our day, internally organizing it and sharing it, when appropriate, in a refined form to others we know might be interested. That is really all curating is.

Just as a museum curator organizes artworks to improve the experience, curation services can improve how you consume content from social networks and the Internet.

The Tweeted Times

An an example, The Tweeted Times uses access to your Twitter account to combine tweets and links of people you follow into an attractive online paper that is updated hourly. If a linked story is tweeted by more than one of your followed friends (or a friend of a friend), it is given a higher “grade” and placed higher in the list. 


Besides hosting your paper, The Tweeted Times also has curated posts from major newspapers and personalities. Using Twitter’s list feature, a curated collection people can subscribe to tweets by list members in groups diverse as “Journalists Unplugged” or .”no-blab-just-design-links.”

While The Tweet Times’ approach lets you aggregate your Twitter easily, it isn’t very customizable, especially if your goal is to share your resulting paper with others. You have to make sure you are following the right people for your audience.

Paper.li


If you would like more flexibility in the look, feel, and content makeup of your papers, Paper.li should be something to consider. Like The Tweeted Times, it can pull content from your Twitter account, but it also will do so from Facebook, RSS feeds, YouTube Channels, and Google+.

Paper.li can also filter each source, delete or move resulting articles and have more control over the paper publishing process. There is a professional version of the service that might be attractive to businesses who wish to use the paper as an information and promotional tool.

Scoop.it


If you are less interested in aggregating the online content for yourself and more interested in hands-on curation of content for others, Scoop.it, might be the tool that interests you.

Besides your accounts and searches of Scoop.it’s database of links, you can add a “bookmarklet” to your web browser to pull in articles you’ve found on your own. Regardless of the source you are limited to 5 “scoops” a day unless you chose their Pro upgrade.

Recommendations

For my purposes, Paper.li, and The Tweeted Times do a good job with less effort than Scoop.it. Paper.li provides me the extra control for tweaking content.

You are free to browse my papers, Legacyworks Tech Review (Paper.li) and Boston LegacyWorks (The Twitter Times) and, of course, try out building a paper yourself. Though both papers are free, they require using sign on through Twitter (and Facebook in the case of Paper.li).

Twitter and Facebook manage their own account access, not these curation services. That means you can revoke access at any time through Twitter’s Applications section in Settings or Facebook’s Apps Settings once you are signed in.

Even if you don’t chose to create your own paper, browse the papers available on all three of these sites. You may find an interesting area to explore or an unexpected news source.


Do you have a follow up on this topic or technical question on that needs to be answered or explored? Please share it with me at brian@bostonlegacyworks.com. Your question may show up here on Tech Talk.


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