So what is ransomware? Ransomware is malware that blocks a computer or computer system. The malware will lock the computer until the victim pays a ransom of money. Here at Computer Geeks, we fixed an alarming number of ransomware cases in the last several weeks. And we don’t pay these hackers a dime! The rise of ransomware: it’s bad, people.
I saw an interesting chart about Windows and ransomware attacks. This chart compared Windows 7 and Windows 10 devices. Also, it shows both systems facing more malware attacks. In fact, by Microsoft’s own admission, attacks increased four times over in one year.? We’re talking more attacks since January 2016. Both systems’ numbers went up. But according to this chart, Windows 7 devices are more accessible to ransomware.
Windows 10 devices are 58% less likely to attack. Many credit Smart Screen Filter blocks. Windows 10 devices was the main selling point in converting from Windows 7. It was a free upgrade until August 2016. Now, the upgrade will cost $120. It’s good at preventing exploits before they even make it to the device. And then there’s Windows Defender. It says what it means. It means what it says. Windows Defender was upgraded six months ago. And it’s allegedly stronger and bigger than ever. Windows Defender blocks a good percentage of these attacks.
Other than going to Windows 10, what else can we do to prevent ransomware? The most important thing: Don’t give in to the hackers! Turn your computer off, wait a while, then turn it back on. Often times this works. If not, then call someone to get the ransomware off. We at Computer Geeks specialize in fighting such malware. If you give into these cyber criminals, they’ll have your debit/credit card number and everything else. Whose to say they won’t exploit that as well? Here are some other tips to prevent ransomware before it gets started. What else can you do to prevent ransomware?
China has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It also has one of the strictest censorship laws in the world. In addition to that, they just passed another online censorship law. Could China’s online censorship cripple business?
So effective November 7, China signs a new cyber security law. It tightens the noose on online companies and how they operate. It requires online companies to register customers’ real names and real personal information. Also, it blocks ‘prohibited’ content. Furthermore, they require localized data within the Chinese borders. But that’s not all. Companies must report all network security issues to the government. It doesn’t matter if they can fix it on their own. And another thing: Companies are to provide tech support during government investigations, whether they want to or not. There are other laws too.
So you know the global response is swift and harsh. An advocacy group called Human Rights Watch vehemently opposes China’s new measures. They complain the law isn’t clear enough. The international group says this puts hundreds of millions under stricter state control. But it gets worse. This new law forbids certain content. One illegal phrase includes, “overthrowing the socialist system”. That tells me something. That should tell you something. In China, many have a computer, tablet and smartphone. Also, many have all of the above. Many in the country love their social media, and now they have to watch what they say? Isn’t this bad for business?
The Human Rights Watch is on point. These laws are vague. When laws are vague, they can be twisted. For example: ‘Overthrowing the socialist system’ could mean anything anti-Chinese government. That’s a problem. Can you imagine a law like that here? I can’t . I hope I never have to.? But what about the big companies who work in China? What about Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and other tech giants who depend on China’s growth? It’s no secret these companies are in deep with the Chinese government. So what will they do? Will they use their power to fight such oppressive laws? Or will they give in to the Chinese government just to keep their bottom line in tact? What would you do?
Dyn is a major domain name system (DNS) hosts. Hence, the attack caused a Level 3 outage. According to outage maps, attack hit the Northeast US hard. Also, the outage hit some of the US Southwest hard. Consequently, the websites affected include CNN, Business Insider, HBO Now, Paypal, People.com, Playstation Network, Twitter,?and Reddit. They attacked many more websites as well.
Also, the attack hit lots of news media sites, like Boston Globe and New York Times. You see, DNS is like the phone line system of the Internet. Since they process your request for a website, they make sure you go to the right website. For example, you type yahoo.com on your Web browser. The DNS makes sure you get to Yahoo, not some other website. But when the DNS, aka the phone lines go down, there’s no way the server can read, or process, your request. This happened many, many websites during this outage.
But the scariest thing isn’t the outage itself. We should be thankful it was resolved when it was. If the outage went on two days longer, what would the result be? Let’s face it: Even a few hours can be too long. In July 2015, a major airline went down for several hours. Therefore, flights went down, backups piled up and tempers flared. It only took a few hours for that situation to spiral out of control. So what if this outage lasted longer than it did? Furthermore, what if these hackers went after DNS hosts that affected our food supply, our fuel/oil/electricity, or sanitation, or our military defense? And what if that lasts for days and days. I’m not trying to sound like a fear monger. But with all this talk of cyber attacks, we must be realistic and aware. What will it take to prevent this potential disaster?
Therefore, US government agencies banned the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone from all aircraft. Agencies include DOT (Department of Transportation) and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). So this includes all individuals, passengers as well as flight crew. Furthermore, the Feds ban such smartphones for carry-on and checked bags. Don’t bother carrying it in your pocket either. That is illegal. In addition, even shipping these phones is illegal. The ban goes into effect On October 15, 2016.
Most noteworthy are the consequences of flying a Galaxy Note 7. If airport staff see you with a Galaxy Note 7, you will be denied boarding. Yes, even if you did pay $1,200 for a first class ticket. Also, if you try to check a Galaxy Note 7 in a bag, authorities warn you could increase the risk of explosion. Doing so could result in stiff fines and criminal prosecution. Also, authorities urge Galaxy Note 7 owners to contact Samsung. Samsung customers are urged to trade in their phone, or get a refund. In other words, do whatever it takes to get rid of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Some may call this move ‘big brother’ or invasive. I call this move, “Better safe than dead”. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 crisis is weeks old now. What I’m saying is this: Ladies and Gentlemen, rid yourself of this phone. It’s not getting any better. Samsung gives you every opportunity to do so. You can get a new phone. You can get a refund. Samsung even quit selling the Samsung Note 7. There are plenty of smartphones that do everything the Note 7 does. But they won’t blow up in your face, literally. Is this the final nail in Note 7’s coffin? Will Samsung ever recover?
The Obama administration accused the Russian government of stealing emails. These hack attacks could influence the presidential election next month. Some speculate whether or not Obama will impose sanctions on Russia. The compromised emails went on WikiLeaks. They also went on DCLeaks and Guccifer 2.0. These two websites have ties to Russian intelligence. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement. The statement said only senior Russian officials could pull this off. However, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s name wan’t brought up. However, does it even need to be? The elephant is in the room.
The DHS is responsible for fighting cyber attacks. The Obama administration struggled to blame Russia. For weeks, they wouldn’t do so. But the election is under a month away. Now is the time to address this issue. Nonetheless, some of Hilary Clinton’s people aren’t biting their tongue. Rather, it’s quite the opposite. Some on the campaign trail accuse Russia of hacking to throw the election to Donald Trump. Also, some accuse the Trump campaign of helping them.
It seems like these allegations couldn’t have come at a worse time. This goes on while US Secretary of State John Kerry wants Russia and Syria tried for war crimes. This is over the attacks on civilians in Aleppo, a once thriving city in war torn Syria. And yesterday, the United Nations had an emergency meeting about Aleppo. Why do I bring up Syria? Because this war and these accusations only add fuel to already tense relations between the United States and Russia. Now they accuse Russia of throwing an election. Maybe they did. Maybe they didn’t. What would Russia have to gain? Does it matter? Aren’t the elections messed up already? Let’s suppose Russia hacked the DNC. What else are they capable of?
A Yahoo mass data breach hits millions of Yahoo accounts. This happened in August, about a month ago. So why am I talking about it now?
Because they’re just getting around to confirming the breach. This is according to a recode.net article. Various sources said the breach hit over 200 million accounts. Last month Yahoo claimed to be investigating the matter. The hackers themselves claimed to be infecting and selling the accounts online. Here’s more irony. A well known cyber criminal named Peace has claimed responsibility. Peace claimed he sold the combined 200 million Yahoo accounts for only $1,800. This includes usernames, easily encrypted passwords, other people’s emails, and account holders’ personal information.
The confirmation of this hacking will be announced in the days to come. This comes at a time when Yahoo looks for buyers, like Verizon. Yahoo could be sold for as much as 4.8 billion dollars. But this hack could scare new investors and buyers to death. I’m almost certain this massive hack will drive the price down. But Yahoo and Verizon continue to negotiate a merger. However, this is another blow to Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer’s already turbulent resume. They had such high hopes Meyer could turn Yahoo around. But this hack is just another bad end to what has been a very sorry episode.
This episode includes being overpowered by Google and other search engines. Then came controversy over time off after birth. Don’t forget the mass exodus of Yahoo leaders who couldn’t deal with it anymore. Now they deal with a massive hacker attack. Let’s talk about these criminals. A crook calling him/herself Peace is selling your information, and mine, for only $1,800. That sounds like a good amount of money at first. But they’re selling 200 million accounts. That breaks down to 90 cents per 2,000 accounts. That’s how little you’re worth to these cyber criminals. That’s how little your security is worth to these cyber criminals. So I’ll put Yahoo, Verizon and the rest on notice. How much is our online security worth to them?
