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/

Microsoft Tricks Users Into Upgrading to Windows 10

After requesting assistance in configuring their computers after upgrading to Windows 10, I have had several customers claim that they did not agree to the upgrade to Microsoft's new OS of solid awesomeness. The customers said that they simply woke up one morning to find Windows 10 had been installed over night.

It turns out, Microsoft changed the Get Windows 10 dialogue box so that clicking the "X" to close the box caused the user to effectively agree to the scheduled upgrade to Windows 10, rather than dismiss the scheduled upgrade as had previously been the case. I was pretty surprised to discover this fact as it would put Microsoft in violation of its own user experience guidelines for developers on how to design dialog boxes. I am sure this will only exacerbate the conspiracy theories flying around the internet, but I too am wondering; Why all the effort? I mean, if it was just Windows 8 that was being so excitedly upgraded, then I would understand - Perhaps a big apology from Microsoft. But Windows 7 too? Windows 7 is tried and true! The "version 2.0" of XP, if you will.

Anyway,
I just thought I would publish this to let clients know - you werent imagining things and the upgrade wasn't your fault!

Windows 10 for Businesses?

So here's something interesting;
I've been reading a few articles that predict  that half of all organizations will have commenced their Windows 10 roll out by January next year.
"I believe that CIOs will begin to upgrade to Windows 10 this year if their software vendors support it," said Matt Mielke, director of IT at Innovations Federal Credit Union.
John Gracyalny, VP of IT at SafeAmerica Credit Union says "We have board approval for workstation memory upgrades and for moving to Windows 10 and Office 2016 this year. But it's not so much a result of what Microsoft has done as it is that our various technology vendors now support it."
Dirk De Busser, IT manager at Fashion Club 70, claims that he has been rolling out Windows 10 Enterprise since October last year on new computers.
I found this particularly interesting as I have actually gained new clients as a result of Windows 10 and the problems users encountered. That's not to say that the OS is a problem - but companies usually take the "Let's Wait and See" approach when it comes to upgrading OS's. Heck, I know companies who are still on XP and choose to pay the various fines that come with running the obsolete OS. Windows 7 simply wasn't compatible with their back-end systems.

From what I have seen at the front lines, it seems that the dust is only just now settling with Windows 10 after several large updates.

Regardless, I'm happy with Windows 10 and am actually using it on my primary system. I suppose these articles and the aforementioned quotes shows that Windows 10 is more than ready. But I'm still getting emails along the lines of "Hey Christopher, I just installed Windows 10 to get rid of the Microsoft nag - now how do I go back to 7?"

You've got to love Symantec! 

 

The Windows 10 Update We've Been Waiting For

Windows 10 seems to be getting off on a rocky start. Some of my clients are experiencing no problems at all and are loving the new Windows experience while others are having so many problems they cant even use their computers and may have to downgrade. As I have explained to a few of my clients, I am confident that a series of updates will be released to solve these problems.

Windows 10 Version 1511 cumulative update (KB3118754) was recently released and is a step in the right direction. The update fixes a lot of problems with Windows 10. Microsoft is streamlining activation, restoring colored window title bars, integrating Skype, and improving the Edge browser.

New Activation Methodology

I personally did not have any trouble activating Windows 10, but if you are or did - that's been changed too. When it was originally released, Microsoft didn’t really explain how the upgrade process worked. Activation now works as it should have originally. When you install Windows 10, you can enter your PC’s Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 product key and it should activate properly if that PC was eligible for the upgrade. The “digital entitlement” process — where your PC activates automatically without entering a product key — is also better explained. Under Settings > Upgrade & security > Activation, you’ll now see “Windows 10 on this device is activated with a digital entitlement” if it activated without requiring a product key.

Colored Title Bars! WOOO!

If you were part of the many who were put off by the standard white title bars, you can now go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and switch on “Show color on Start, taskbar, action center, and title bar”. The color you choose here will be used for your title bars.

Ads on the Start Menu

You might notice the small and innocuous "Suggestions" section of the start menu, recommending apps you should install when you open it. If you don't much care for it, you can easily disable these ads, if you like. Visit Settings > Personalization > Start and disable the “Occasionally show suggestions in Start” option. I'm hoping that this is a continuing trend for Microsoft in response to the bad press Windows 10 has gotten with regards to privacy and a lack of options preventing troubling background activities.

Track Your Lost PC

Windows 10 now includes a “Find My Device” option under Settings > Update & security. This means Windows 10 finally has built-in tracking, so you can track your laptop or tablet if you lose it via GPS and location services. Much like the Windows phone, you can also tell Windows 10 to periodically send your device’s location to Microsoft’s servers, allowing you to view its last known location if you ever lose it.

Edge Gains Browser Sync and Tab Previews

The big two user-facing features are tab previews — just mouse over a tab in the titlebar — and syncing of your favorites and reading list across all your Windows 10 devices.

Microsoft Edge won’t be receiving browser extensions yet, however — those have been delayed. And, interestingly enough, Microsoft isn’t updating Edge via the Store as originally promised. Edge updates seem to be held back for major new versions of Windows 10, unlike Windows 10’s other included apps, which are updated more regularly.

The Windows 10 Background on the Login Screen Is Now Optional

One thing in particular that annoyed me when I first upgraded to Windows 10 was the inability to change that new login background to just a solid color. I personally used a few registry hacks to get what I wanted, but now you can just go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and disable the “Show Windows background picture on the sign-in screen” option. Weirdly enough, you cant choose your own background. I foresee that in a soon to come update.

For more tips and tricks, shoot me an email at Help@MooreITHelp.com