Should I buy a new PC?

                

For some time now, I have been making clients aware of the age of their computer and arguing the value of repairs. Usually, my personal rule of thumb is that you may want to debate repairing your computer if it is over ~5 years of age. In my experience, computers over that age tend to be at a higher risk of hardware failure. Further, the average price of today’s computers makes extensive repairs somewhat risky for the average consumer.

If in the event a client comes to me with a 6yr old PC which requires a new hard drive, I may suggest replacing the computer instead. Aside from the cost of the part, replacing the hard drive would necessitate reinstalling the Operating System and could include transferring the data from the old drive to the new one. That could add up pretty quickly, and I would hate to see the client come back a week later with something like a fried motherboard. When a computer is that old (as upsetting as that sounds), these days, it can make more sense to simply replace the PC.

Though today’s low prices is an almost inarguable factor, I recently decided to check with a few local pawn shops to see what I could get for an old PC. Surprisingly, these pawn shops ran on my same rule, except even more strict. They refused to buy any PC older than ~3 years. Their reason? “It’s more likely that we could run into hardware issues.” Replacing the PC helps to ensure the continued reliability of parts and would also grant the added bonus of a one year (or more) warranty through the manufacturer. 

               

Additional Misconceptions In The Tech World

#1: If your computer is working fine right now, it does not need any maintenance.

I don’t think people really think this, but I find that people often will not have their computer worked on until it’s too late. If everything is working fine, I won’t get a call. There are several maintenance checks that should be done regularly. Not only should this be considered preventative maintenance, but during this Tune-Up Process, a technician can notice things that most people wouldn’t.

Lack of system maintenance is one of the most common causes of data loss and/or  heavy computer repair bills.

#2: The maintenance tools provided in the Microsoft Operating System and software are all the maintenance you need.

This is a common and terrible misconception, similar to the idea that any antivirus program is fine as long as you have something. Microsoft doesn’t even come close to providing the programs and features which can protect your data from viruses, hackers and data loss or prevent your PC from running slowly.

Additionally, Microsoft (and other software vendors for that matter) are constantly providing critical patches and updates to their software to protect you from viruses and hackers. However, if you don’t know to look for them, or if you don’t know how to install them properly, you could easily end up getting burned.

#3: My nephew/neighbor’s kid/brother-in-law knows this computer stuff and can help me solve my problems.

This one is actually my favorite because it gets me more business! Jokes aside, not all technicians are created equal, and I have run into countless machines which have clear residue from past tinkering. Just because a person is good with computer applications (what we call a power user) does NOT mean they know how to properly maintain a PC or complex networks. Technicians also need to be well versed in the latest tech to ensure that you are not only getting the most for your money, but that everything you are using is statistically rated the most reliable. Reputable programs change all the time, and I know of many “technicians” who are using the same programs and processing that they have been using for 10+ years.

Most people look for a part time “guru” to help them save money, but this often comes back to haunt them. If the person you have working on your machine is not a licensed technician by trade, it is almost a certainty that they don’t have the knowledge and experience to help you in an effective and reliable manner. Technology advances at lightning speed and it takes constant learning and practice to master it. If your part-time technician is not working on PCs and networks every day, they probably only know enough to be dangerous.

#4: All computer technicians are created equal. Your best option will be the one who offers the lowest price.

For the most part, you get what you pay for. I have gained many regular clients who, when I first met them, had several cheap computers that all needed serious work done. Instead, I usually replace these computers with one or two good, middle of the road machines. Just as with computers, if the technician is the cheapest, it could just mean that they have no idea what they are doing. When it comes to your tech world, the cheapest anything could end up costing you time and money. 

PC Maintenance Misconceptions

Through aggressive marketing, scare tactics and misinformation, many programs and practices have found their way into self proclaimed, mandatory parts of routine PC maintenance. Most of the time, however, they are just a waste of time and money. Further, they distract from what is actually important, which in my opinion, makes them harmful to your tech world.

I addressed Registry Cleaners a few years back in http://mooreithelp.blogspot.com/2011/12/registry-cleaners-good-or-bad.html But they are so popular and so bad that I’d like to touch upon them once again real quick;

The Windows registry is basically a huge database of settings, both for Windows itself and for programs. When you uninstall a program, there’s a good chance that all its registry entries are left behind. A Registry Cleaner will usually simply look for Registry entries that appear unnecessary and remove them. Registry cleaner companies want you to believe that this would result in big performance improvements so you’ll buy their software.

Though many users swear by the difference in system performance before and after running a registry cleaner, you will not find any reputable benchmarks or testing which irrefutably show the advantages to registry cleaning. You will, however, find reputable sources recommending against the use of these softwares, even going on to say that they are more likely to cause damage to your system than help in any way. One source being Microsoft themselves – the people who made your registry hive. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2563254/microsoft-support-policy-for-the-use-of-registry-cleaning-utilities)

Then there’s paid maintenance programs such as Iolo’s System Mechanic. These programs use graphics and wording to give the user a warm fuzzy feeling, delaying inspection by licensed technicians. This means that the real problems with your computer will pile up, creating a larger bill in the end. I cant count how many computers I have encountered with programs like Webroot and System Mechanic installed that end up needing a ton of work done. These programs are heavily lobbied and aggressively advertised as essential pieces of owning a computer. If you attempt to research the software through unbiased articles, you will find that the first few pages of Google results are from the manufacturer of said software, showing aggressive SEO strategies. I was, however, able to find this one. The truth is, most of the features of these paid programs are already a part of Windows and/or can be done better by free programs.  Further, many reputable programs designed for technicians will actually register the aforementioned maintenance tools as PUPs – Potentially Unwanted Programs (non-malware). This basically means that they advise the use of these softwares only at your own risk. These facts in themselves should make anyone skeptical of using said softwares.

Maintenance programs should be used by professionals, anyway. Reputable PC maintenance or anti-malware programs can misconstrue parts of valid programs as malicious. The program will usually present the user with the scan results, giving them the opportunity to check which items should not be deleted. However, a user is far more likely to simply click through all the dialogue boxes until the program is finished, let alone be familiar with the registry keys and files the program is claiming are malicious. Further, a good deal of the program’s potential goes unused due to the user’s unfamiliarity with how to properly use the program, or what the program is even doing.

Driver updaters are another thing I have come across quite often, to my surprise.
These programs are amazingly unnecessary and can definitely cause harm to the system, mostly for the aforementioned reasons. These programs will quite often incorrectly replace critical drivers, causing Blue Screens as well as general odd behavior. And once again, Windows already does this for you through Windows Updates!

Many people also seem to be under the impression that any Antivirus or Internet Security program is fine, and are nonplussed to find that they have become infected regardless. No Antivirus or Internet Security program is completely infallible.  However, it is a step in the right direction to go with what is statistically rated the best, not necessarily the cheapest. Further, these programs change all the time, going from best to worst in only a few years. 

Basically, this all boils down to – if you want to maintain your PC, bring it to a technician every 3 – 6 months. They are trained and have the experience to look for the right things and how to fix them properly. Also, you can blame them if something goes wrong 😊

Hard Drive Recovery, Click of Death

So, remember that time your hard drive was making noises and wouldnt work and instead of bringing it to a pro, you thought you would try a few things yourself? This is the result.

Whenever you hear odd noises coming from the drive, it more than likely means the heads are stuck and/or grinding against the platters (where all your data is stored).

This drive was used as it began to fail. When it finally failed, the user continued to try to plug it in and get it started in different ways. Unwilling to spend the money for recovery, they opted to dispose of the drive so I decided to open it up and see how bad it was. 

Aside from the obvious physical damage to the platters seen in the picture, the drive was also filled with black dust - Grinded down platter powder. This drive cannot be recovered. 

The next time your drive makes noises or begins to act strangely - turn it off and call a pro.

You can check out my latest reviews HERE!

Help@MooreITHelp.com

MooreITHelp.com

617-396-7044

Verizon Users - DO NOT switch to AOL

Along with Yahoo, AOL has also been on my list of domains to avoid and it too has been the victim of several data breaches. Its interface is more loaded than a Chinese newspaper, with so many windows, marketing ads and clickbate, just trying to check your email becomes an attack on the senses. Aside from that, its users have been on the unfortunate receiving end of such a hackneyed stereotype of being aged troglodytes for so long that it seems even AOL itself has begun to pray upon this potential vulnerability;

Upon using the website or the AOL Desktop program, the user will find several mycleanpc-esque ads that are actually from AOL. Aside from this blatant use of scare-tactics pertaining to issues which have been debunked again and again, a class action lawsuit was filed against AOL in 2012 regarding Support.com and AOL's Computer Checkup software, which used software developed by Support.com. The software was reported to often claim illegitimate problems with users' computers and would then offer to sell them software to fix the plethora of non-existent problems —for which AOL allegedly charged $4.99 a month and Support.com $29. Both AOL, Inc. and Support.com, Inc. settled on May 30, 2013 for $8.5 million.

Being that Google's top related search suggestions when researching AOL is "Does anyone still use AOL", "Do AOL email addresses still work" and "Does AOL still exist", it would become apparent pretty quickly that AOL is not exactly the top choice of email service providers. Knowing of how god-awful their service is as a whole, AOL has been known to ignore clients’ demands to cancel service and have also been known to send out reoccurring bills which clients never needed to pay before. The New York Attorney General's office began an inquiry of AOL's customer service policies, revealing that the company would actually reward employees who purported to retain subscribers. I have actually had several clients who would receive monthly small bills from AOL and never knew why. Due to the small amount and the client assuming it was something they needed in order to use their computer, they would often just pay these bills and never question it. That is, until I would come along and find that they were pretty much paying for nothing or that they didn't even use any of AOL's services anymore. 

I wanted to provide a concise source of information for those who are still using these services and could never get a straight answer as to why they shouldn't. It seems like a lot of people have been told that they shouldn't use these services, but not by those armed with any useful, compelling information. "Because, I mean, just look at it!" isn't a good reason for someone to uproot from something they feel is tried and true. Further, most of these users, if not all, are under the impression that they are so invested in the service that they could never leave - that all of their contacts, emails, and future emails would be lost. Though AOL and Yahoo would really like you to continue believing that, even taking steps to make it a rather needlessly irritating process to move on - I can tell you from experience that it is not only possible, but relatively painless. For you, anyway. For me, well....That's what I get paid for. 

Like I Said, Yahoo is Terrible

For several years now, I have been attempting to steer clients clear of Yahoo and anything related to Yahoo. Aside from the irritating interface of frames buried within more frames covered in ads, Yahoo has had several security breaches over the years, losing well over 1,600,000,000 usernames and passwords in total. At its peak, Yahoo was once worth over one hundred billion dollars before being bought out by Verizon for a mere 4.8 billion.

Yahoo officially solidified its position as one of the worst protectors of user data on Wednesday when they revealed in a press release that data from more than one billion user accounts had been stolen in 2013. This is separate from the breach which occurred in September, when it was announced that 500 million accounts had been compromised.

Having warned one of my clients for several years on his business’s use of Yahoo email accounts, I finally received the inevitable call when emails had been sent out from his account which he did not send. This particular hack resulted in some pretty specific emails being sent to people on his contacts list requesting things such as account numbers and wire transfers. Being that it was coming from his email address, users on his contacts list assumed the honesty and accuracy of the request and granted the hacker the information they requested.

I am now assisting my client in not only purchasing and setting up a proper domain name, but an email account for the aforementioned, and moving all contacts and emails from his Yahoo account to his new account. I have also set up a secure forwarder so that he does not miss any emails over the next few months before completely cutting Yahoo off.

AOL has also been on my list of domains to avoid and it too has been the victim of several data breaches. Its interface is more loaded than a Chinese newspaper, with so many windows, marketing ads and clickbate, just trying to check your email becomes an attack on the senses. Aside from that, its users have been on the unfortunate receiving end of such a hackneyed stereotype of being aged troglodytes for so long that it seems even AOL itself has begun to pray upon this potential vulnerability.

Upon using the website or the AOL Desktop program, the user will find several mycleanpc-esque ads that are actually from AOL. Aside from this blatant use of scare-tactics pertaining to issues which have been debunked again and again, a class action lawsuit was filed against AOL in 2012 regarding Support.com and AOL's Computer Checkup software, which used software developed by Support.com. The software was reported to often claim illegitimate problems with users' computers and would then offer to sell them software to fix the plethora of non-existent problems —for which AOL allegedly charged $4.99 a month and Support.com $29. Both AOL, Inc. and Support.com, Inc. settled on May 30, 2013 for $8.5 million.

Being that Google's top related search suggestions when researching AOL is "Does anyone still use AOL", "Do AOL email addresses still work" and "Does AOL still exist", it would become apparent pretty quickly that AOL is not exactly the top choice of email service providers. Knowing of how god-awful their service is as a whole, AOL has been known to ignore clients’ demands to cancel service and have also been known to send out reoccurring bills which clients never needed to pay before. The New York Attorney General's office began an inquiry of AOL's customer service policies, revealing that the company would actually reward employees who purported to retain subscribers. I have actually had several clients who would receive monthly small bills from AOL and never knew why. Due to the small amount and the client assuming it was something they needed in order to use their computer, they would often just pay these bills and never question it. That is, until I would come along and find that they were pretty much paying for nothing or that they didn't even use any of AOL's services anymore. 

I wanted to provide a concise source of information for those who are still using these services and could never get a straight answer as to why they shouldn't. It seems like a lot of people have been told that they shouldn't use these services, but not by those armed with any useful, compelling information. "Because, I mean, just look at it!" isn't a good reason for someone to uproot from something they feel is tried and true. Further, most of these users, if not all, are under the impression that they are so invested in the service that they could never leave - that all of their contacts, emails, and future emails would be lost. Though AOL and Yahoo would really like you to continue believing that, even taking steps to make it a rather needlessly irritating process to move on - I can tell you from experience that it is not only possible, but relatively painless. For you, anyway. For me, well....That's what I get paid for. 

MyCleanPC Revisited

A few years back, I decided to take the time to look into the much talked about MyCleanPC program. As expected, the program turned out to be a huge scam. Unfortunately, the company seems to not only still be in operation, but getting a hold of new customers.

Recently, a client of mine (who I hadn't heard from in awhile) called explaining various oddities and felt that his computer finally needed a good once over by a professional. Among other problems, I found the MyCleanPC program installed. I figured this would be a good opportunity to revisit the program to see if they had made any changes.

NOPE!

The program is still complete bunk. 

This program, and programs like it, use standard scare tactics to trick users into purchasing unneeded software. Their website promises that “the full, paid version of the MyCleanPC software will attempt to remove issues found with your PC’s registry and hard drive, including removal of junk files, unneeded registry entries, Internet browsing traces, and fragmented portions of your hard drive.”

However, both this description and the literal functionality of this program only features abilities which Windows already has. This means that you would be paying for a poor imitation of what you already have. 

MyCleanPC's "free diagnosis," simply provides an attempt to scare people into thinking their computers are in horribly dire straits and that MyCleanPC (or was it MaxMySpeed.com?) can fix it all for the low low price of $39.99.

After running a scan, you’ll see an alarming count of the number of problems on your computer. However, MyCleanPC creates the no doubt alarming results by:

• Counting every browser cookie and history entry as a single issue.
• Counting every temporary file as a single issue, no matter how tiny it is.
• Considering invalid registry entries as issues, when it has been proven time and time again that this would not make a noticeable difference in performance and could even harm the functionality of the computer.
• Counting every single little fragmented file as a single issue.

All of this works together to show the user a massive number in large red font, which is almost so ridiculously text book for scare tactics that I cant help but laugh out loud every time I see it. 

I've said it before and nothing has changed;

If your computer is acting strangely - call a technician. 

I'll even take a look at your computer remotely for free. Please take a moment to read some of my reviews HERE and do not hesitate to contact me directly at (617) 396-7044 with any questions or concerns.

Office Upgrade

I have seen time and time again business both small and large struggling with old tech.

Though being sensibly frugal in business is arguably beneficial, the reason this methodology doesn’t work with technology is because technology moves too quickly. Where this issue really comes into play is the fact that the world moves with these advances in technology.

Just recently a client contacted me saying they were having a lot of trouble with their mail systems, receiving bounce backs among other issues. Upon calling their exchange host, the rep immediately said “Are they using Outlook 2007 or older?” I said yes, but I was a little surprised that this was the issue. Now my client is going to have to upgrade everyone to the latest version of Office.

Another client had backend systems that were so old that it would cost over $15,000,000 to get the office up to code and at least two weeks of down time until the system was up and running again. Past technicians notified the higher ups over the years, back when the amount to fix the problems was reasonable. But being that the CEO and other powers never wanted to spend the money in the past, these other technicians over the years were forced to kept the system running through jerry rigging with batch scripts and third party programs with no support. This only made things worse and eventually resulted in the system coming to a grinding halt before the company was forced to file for bankruptcy.  

A Global Engagement Study collected data from nearly 5,000 full-time employees across 20 countries, working at companies with 250 or more personnel. Only 44% of employees said their company uses the latest technology to enable them to effectively perform in their role. That means that more than half of employees don't have the tech that they need to be successful at work. And just 38% said their company supports causes that are important to them.

To me, this is the Achilles heel for all corporations, especially in America. Cutting costs and not listening to employees who are dealing directly with clients must seem economically beneficial to the myopic suits, but the problem is that this only works in the short run.

Back when I was in high school, I worked at Staples as a technician. I don’t remember specifics, but I do remember the store being locked into ridiculous practices that benefited no one but were the demands of the seemingly blind higher ups. We had weekly meetings where the employees unanimously suggested must haves which were never granted. Today, it seems as though nothing has changed. The Easy Tech position is filled similarly to the way Home Depot moves employees around – when it is needed, regardless of the qualifications. I have met Easy Techs who admitted to me that they started at Staples as furniture associates and knew nothing about technology at all.  They admitted that a program which resides on a corporate flash drive does everything for them, and the rest is actually done remotely by someone they don’t even know. The associates in question told me that they didn’t even know what company was remoting into these computers – they assumed it was Staples Corporate. Further, prices on simple tech parts have skyrocketed. I recently purchased a DVI cable, an item which is usually around $9 for ~$40 in store. Though they had cheaper ones online, this was the only cable available in the store. I returned it as soon as the one from Amazon came in the mail.

If you feel that your office isn’t running as it should, give me a call at 617-693-7044 or shoot me an email at Help@MooreITHelp.com. I can give you a free consultation and tell you what you need and what you don’t need. 

iYogi is a scam.

So this isn’t really new news, but I felt it deserving of my attention. 

You may have heard of, or even have been a victim of iYogi “Technical Support”. Several clients have come to me with different stories, whether it be “This stupid iYogi thing won’t go away” or “No, I couldn’t possibly be infected because I am protected by iYogi.” So here’s the breakdown of what you need to know about iYogi without going into too much detail (because, believe me – there’s A TON of material on these guys).

iYogi is a remote tech support company based in Gurgaon, India which once provided end-user support for major tech companies like Dell and Microsoft. Avast, one of the companies iYogi provided support for, began receiving complaints from customers reporting that iYogi was using support calls to aggressively sell annual subscriptions by telling them their computers were compromised when, in fact, they weren't.

Since that time, iYogi has been sued by multiple organizations, individuals and even by the state of Washington for alleged illegal business practices to pressure consumers into buying unnecessary software. Dell, along with other major tech corporations have dropped them and Avast issued refunds to their customers and also jumped ship.

Many people have since received phone calls (usually from India) from people claiming they are from Microsoft to alert users that their computer is infected. They then try to gain remote access to your computer, and if you allow them, will proceed to tell you that your machine is riddled with infections.

I have had customers report that they have spent upwards of $200 with these phone calls before realizing it was a scam. Though these calls are not all from iYogi, they do participate in these aggressive, scareware-esque tactics.

Doing a Google search will yield (aside from a ton of fake websites that all redirect to iYogi’s page) a ton of negative press from both individuals and major businesses such as Consumer Affairs and several posts on the Norton forums regarding scams. According to many customers on the Norton forums site, iYogi is claiming to sell their services with Norton, implying a relationship between the companies and a sort of bundled deal. Norton officials have stressed on several occasions that they hold no relationship with the software.

Even before reading up on iYogi, I could tell that the software installed on my client’s computers was not to be trusted. This all really goes back to my articles on MyCleanPC and PCMatic, but the difference here is the tactics used to sell the same kind of software. These people are praying on innocent ignorance and borderline threatening people into buying their junk software. 

So if you ever get a phone call out of nowhere from some angry Indian guy who says your computer is going to explode, call a technician. Call me at 617-396-7044 and check out my website at MooreITHelp.com

Samsung Support

Keeping with the subject of my post on Microsoft Corporate Greed and the lack of quality in customer service these days, I've decided to share my recent pseudo-trolling of Samsung support.

I went to the Samsung Support Page looking for drivers for a Samsung laptop. Many manufactures have implemented a pretty awesome feature which allows the website to scan your system for the correct model number and sometimes even scan your system for appropriate out of date drivers. Samsung's website did not have this ability and it did not have a space for me to type in the serial number of the computer in question. Instead, the Samsung website gave a list of hundreds of model numbers for you to search through to find your system. Mine wasn't there. So I clicked the "chat now" button, figuring they could point me to the right driver page quickly.

Here is how well that went:

You are now chatting with 'Abhijit P'. The reference number for this chat is 4325958302.

Abhijit P: Hi, thank you for reaching out to Samsung technical support. How may I assist you?

Visitor: Need to find drivers for S/N:JBMW91RD104609H.

Abhijit P: Hello, I'll be glad to help you with the laptop driver information.

Abhijit P: What is the model number of your laptop? It is located at rear side/bottom side. The model number starts with NP or XE or DP.

Visitor: A S/N wouldn't be better?

Visitor: Okay, NP300E5C-A0DUS

Abhijit P: Thank you for the model number.

Abhijit P: It is not possible from my side to pull the information using the serial number.

Abhijit P: I'll help you with the Samsung SW update software download link, which will automatically download and install all the compatible driver for your laptop.

Visitor: Except the laptop in question doesn't have Ethernet or wifi drivers

Visitor: Soooo, ill need those first.

Abhijit P: Well, in this case the dedicated drivers are not available for your laptop model.

Visitor: How is that physically possible? Every computer on the face of the Earth has individual drivers.

It is at this point that I realized I wasn't going to get the support I needed and simply typed the Hardware ID of the WiFi card into Google. Within about 3 minutes, I had my wifi driver.....From the Samsung site.

Abhijit P: I understand your point.

Abhijit P: However, for your laptop model they are only available from Samsung SW update.
 

Abhijit P: You can download the this software on any other computer that has Internet connection.
 

Abhijit P: And enter your laptop model code to download the driver, then it will download the drivers and you can copy paste it in your laptop.
 

Abhijit P: Shall I help you with the download link?
 

Visitor: Sure.

Abhijit P: Once you click the link, it starts downloading automatically.

Abhijit P: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/SW/201601/20160115093742317/SWUpdate_2.2.5.16.ZIP

Abhijit P: Is the link accessible?
 

Visitor: Hold on one second, please
 

Visitor: Could you tell me what this is?
 

Visitor: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/DR/201210/20121022130058781/WLAN_Atheros_64bit_9.2.0.470.ZIP

*About a 5 minute pause*

Abhijit P: This is the WiFi driver.

Visitor: Aaaaaaand did you not just say that driver was not available?

*About a 10-15 minute pause*

Abhijit P: Just to confirm, where did you check if these are the compatible driver for your laptop?

Visitor: The Hardware ID matches

Visitor: And I just installed it

Visitor: and am now online

*About a 10-15 minute pause*

Abhijit P: Okay, great. However, we are not authorized to give different laptop models driver to another laptop.

Abhijit P: I hope you will understand,.

Abhijit P: You will also get the same file from SW Update.

Abhijit P: Is there anything else I can assist you with?

Visitor: ಠ_ಠ

Abhijit P: Could you please elaborate your last statement?

Visitor: ಠ_ಠ Srsly?

Abhijit P: I'll be glad to help you if you have any further questions for me.

Visitor: ಠ_ಠ Srsly?

Abhijit P: I will be right with you.

Abhijit P: I'm sorry for the delay. I'll be right with you.

Abhijit P: Do you have any further questions for me?

Visitor: ಠ_ಠ Srsly?

Abhijit P: I appreciate you efforts.

Abhijit P: Have a nice day!

Abhijit P: Thank you for chatting with Samsung Support. If you ever need to contact us in the future, please save and reference this chat transcript ID 4325958302.

Chat session has been terminated by the Samsung Agent.

God Damn It, Bing....

Bing and I share a very love-hate relationship....

I said MINUS Baseball...MINUS!

Zepto Virus

Terrible news shook the web the other day, as reports surfaced of a new ransomware virus circulating the web.

A new version of the infamous Locky ransomware has been unleashed upon users worldwide, affecting computers all across the globe from the USA to Mexico, Japan, Germany, and beyond. The unwelcome arrival of the new virus was first reported yesterday here and was later confirmed by another source.

It works like most ransomware does, seizing the files on a victim’s PC and encrypting them. Much like its predecessor, Locky, the new virus changes the name of the files to its own extension: .zepto, which is why it has now become known as the Zepto Virus.

Once the encryption process is complete, the virus then changes the desktop image to a ransom note, informing the affected user of the actions that had taken place and providing instructions as to how the victim can receive the decryption key. It also creates files with the same information in each of the encrypted folders titled “_HELP_instructions.html”.

The amount demanded by the hackers in exchange for the key is 0.5 Bitcoins, which is roughly the equivalent of $300; however, it is likely that that number will be substantially increased in the event large businesses or organizations are affected.

At this point, there is no known way of breaking the encryption, but cyber-security experts are already working on cracking the .Zepto code. As was the case with .locky, this new ransomware uses the strong RSA-2048 and AES-128 ciphers.

Users are advised to take extra precautions when browsing the web and especially when dealing with newly received emails. This is the way ransomware is most commonly distributed, so be especially critical towards spam emails, more so if they come with attached files.

If you have fallen victim to this rapidly spreading virus, it’s not advisable to give in to the hackers’ demands and pay the requested ransom. This practice is what stimulates the cybercriminals to continue with their illegal activities and there are no guarantees that you will receive any decryption key.

 

 

Reposted from http://www.tripwire.com/

PCMatic - Scam or Legit?

PCMatic.com

As soon as I saw this commercial, I was instantly reminded of the MyCleanPC and/or MaxMySpeed programs. I wrote a blog entry about it awhile back and it has actually gotten quite a few hits: http://mooreithelp.blogspot.com/2012/07/mycleanpccom-scam-or-legit.html

I’ve been meaning to write something regarding all these programs which claim to magically and quickly fix all your computer problems. Not only do these programs usually cost half of what real Internet Security programs cost, they claim that they will even make repairs and tune up a computer, making it run faster than ever. Many of them, including PC Pitstop PC Matic, claim that you will “never get a virus again” which is impossible. These registry cleaners and optimizers claim to speed up your computer by finding and removing orphaned and corrupt registry entries that are responsible for slowing down system performance. Unfortunately, the fact is that there is no statistical evidence to back such claims. These advertisements are borderline scams intended to goad users into using an unnecessary and potential dangerous product. I would not trust any results such programs detect as problematic or needing repair nor recommend using the options to fix them.

The registry is a crucial component of Windows, storing information and settings for all hardware, software, users, and preferences - basically the makeup of the Windows Operating System, to a degree. So, these programs which can aggressively scan and make violent changes to this system can render the system inoperable. Some may argue that these registry cleaners are required for specific types of infections, and that is true. However, improperly removing registry entries can make the removal process more difficult if your computer becomes infected. Removing malware related registry entries before the infection is properly identified (and steps taken to remove said infection) can contribute to system instability and even make the malware undetectable to removal tools.

I could delve into benchmark testing and detailed explanations as to how PCMatic and programs like it are basically advertising bold faced lies, and how its promises and "features" are borderline impossible, but to be frank - its not worth it. This program is just like all the other magic wands. Quickly, if you are willing to dig around the PC Matic web site, you will eventually find information about Super Shield, the proprietary real-time technology component to PC Matic. That page goes into a little detail about their use of a "white list" approach in addition to a "black list". Not mentioned is the company's use and explanation of its heuristic and behavioral detection technology. Aside from the numerous complaints filed against the company, the vendor's website doesn't specifically say how the product “protects against modern security threats”. They also fail to tell customers that their product has high false positive rates.

Expecting results similar to the MyCleanPC.com scams, I didn’t bother to do a scan on a test system like I did in MyCleanPC.com - Scam or Legit. I did, however, find that someone did it for me and it was exactly as I expected. Joe53 of SpywareHammer.com reported that the program found hundreds of "bad" registry entries on his system (which was working perfectly well), that his system had TCP connection problems (when he had no internet connection problems), extreme fragmentation of his hard drive (despite his regular use of Diskeeper), identified his System Restore files as "junk files", and suggested he delete them and identified that all his internet settings (HTTP, TCP, DNS et.al.) as needing to be optimized (despite the fact that SpeedTest measurements showed his connection and ping times to be well within parameters.)

Now,

Many people are starting to say that most of the negative press is from several years ago and that PCMatic has been perfecting itself over the past 4 years or so. To that, I respond with this very same article. The fact remains that this is a PRODUCT that claims to fix all your computer problems! It's half the price of a traditional, reputable AV and yet claims that it will not only REPLACE your Antivirus program, but that you will never get a virus again! The features and claims are so ridiculously silly, its not even worth a detailed examination.