April 26, 2010

LET’S GO! HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER

Filed under: Computer Performance, Data Doctors, PC — Tags: computer professional, computer virus, Microsoft Windows, optimization service, PC, PC Users, speed up your computer, Windows, Windows Desktop — admin @ 8:56 am

When you first logged on to your new PC, you felt like you were flying down the Autobahn in a tricked out German sportscar.

Today, your once-speedy vehicle seems to plod along like a Model T with a hand crank.

A slowed-down computer is nothing unusual. With time, PC users with Microsoft Windows watch their speed decrease. The system simply requires more time to respond to your commands to open files, surf the ‘net and perform other tasks.

There are a few steps you can take to boost your speed. It may not return to its original pace, but you may see significant improvement.

First, and most critically, make sure you have sufficient and proper hardware to support Windows.

Next, consider making time for some simple housekeeping. Is your Windows Desktop littered with files? How many of them do you really need or consistently use? Several dozen files on your Desktop use lots of operating memory, and that slows the computer down significantly–and needlessly.

Make sure you keep alert to those nasty viruses. They can create havoc beyond speed issues.

In addition, keep on the lookout for spyware and adware. They can be loaded into your computer (without your knowledge!) by companies that want to find out more about you. These programs are seldom created for malicious reasons, but they can slow down your computer. If you just purchased a new computer and it seems slower than it should, you could be right. When one buys a computer from a supplier like Dell or HP, the standard computers come with ‘bloat ware.’ Trial ware that companies pay to have on the computer in hopes the user will buy it. With each of the trial programs it may add to the number of processes at startup.

This remains true as you install and uninstall programs some pieces of the program may remain on your computer, even after it tells you it fully uninstalled.

Remember that it’s easy to get over your head as your deal with these issues. A computer professional can help you address the speed issue safely and effectively.  Data Doctors optimization service tunes up your computer, getting it back up and running. Due to Data Doctors not believing in the ‘quick fix,’ our optimization service includes scanning of all hardware and software. This ensures that we get to the root of the problem.

April 19, 2010

Not Protected After All: Antivirus Infections Strike Despite Your Security Software.

Filed under: Computer Performance, Fake Antivirus, Viruses, data recovery — Tags: anti-spyware, anti-virus, antivirus, Antivirus 2009, computer infection, computer recovery, computer security, data recovery, firewall, firewalls, Pro Antivirus, Safe mode, security software, Software, System Antivirus, Ultimate Antivirus, Vista Antivirus, Windows registry, Windows repair, XP Antivirus, XP Antivirus 2008 — admin @ 3:10 pm

You got your polio and whooping cough shots as a kid and you never came down with either of these dreaded diseases.

You might think that your security software on your computer works the same way. You took the preventative measures to avoid the infection, so you should be safe.

But, surprisingly, security software does not always provide the kind of protection to your computer that your childhood vaccines provide to your body’s immune system.

Your anti-virus/anti-spyware programs and firewalls can be made vulnerable through fake antivirus program scams that fool even savvy computer users.  The fake antivirus program scams arrived last year as “XP Antivirus 2008.”  It lives on in many variations, including “Antivirus 2009.” This scam is successful because it cleverly mimics Windows warning screens and legitimate antivirus programs. Virtually every legitimate antivirus company has a product called Antivirus 2009, so it’s no wonder so many computer users are confused–and duped!

Here’s how the infection scam works. You get an official looking popup warning or an e-mail message telling you that you are infected. To remedy the situation, you are instructed to click on a link that takes you to a website. Then you are told you need to download software.

As a result, you click on links that generate malicious code or downloads and runs questionable files. You will inadvertently override your own installed protection. In some cases, you will actually disable your protection programs! Even worse, the scam will make it look as if your protection programs are still running, so you will be none the wiser.

Any popup or error message that refers to Antivirus 2008 or 2009 (including System Antivirus, Ultimate Antivirus, Vista Antivirus, Pro Antivirus or XP Antivirus followed by a number) should be considered extremely suspicious. If you see any reference to a virus that is not specifically from the product that you have installed in your computer for protection, you should consider it a fake–and dangerous.

Windows won’t ever alert you of a virus infection.

Getting rid of the code once it has infected your system is quite involved. In our service business, we use a combination of several manual detection and removal processes, along with multiple scanning programs to recover your data. This ensures that all potential re-infection avenues (temp files, restore points, modified dll files, etc.) have been removed or restored. We routinely warn novices not to attempt this without help.

Depending upon how long and which version of the malware you have been infected with, you may also need to run a Windows repair after you remove the code. Certain Windows files become corrupted as a side effect.

If you know how to work with the Windows registry, operate in Safe Mode and have a current backup of your critical files, you should be able to find instructions online for removing the exact version of the infection that you have. If not, consult a tech savvy friend or a professional. Again, removing this infection so that you don’t re-infect is technically complex and not for the novice.

April 15, 2010

Don’t Fool Around with the F1

Filed under: F1 Scam, Microsoft, Microsoft Security Essentials, Viruses, security advisory — Tags: computer, computer help, computer security, computer service technician, computer services, computer technician., computers, F1, F1 Scam, internet explorer, keep your computer safe, malicious web page, march Microsoft advisory, march Microsoft security advisory, March security advisory, Microsoft, Microsoft advisory, Microsoft Essentials, Microsoft Security, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft virus, Microsoft viruses, security advisory, security services, security virus, security viruses, service technician, snopes, snopes.com, virus, Viruses — admin @ 12:59 pm

It sounds like it couldn’t possibly be true, but Microsoft itself confirms it: pressing F1 on a computer keyboard can actually activate malware for Internet Explorer users.

Microsoft released an advisory March 1, 2010 that warns of the F1 scam.

“Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in VBScript that is exposed on supported versions of Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 through the use of Internet Explorer. Our investigation has shown that the vulnerability cannot be exploited on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008. The main impact of the vulnerability is remote code execution. We are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time[…] Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This may include providing a security update through our monthly release process or providing an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs.” By: Microsoft TechNet.

With this security issue, a dialog box is displayed by a malicious web page or other Internet site. Then a prompt occurs that urges users to press F1. The prompt often appears repeatedly. When users hit the F1 key, malware can cause malicious code to be run on the user’s computer.

Microsoft admits that there is not a patch for this vulnerability at this time.

If you are online and a site is trying to convince you to press F1, you are advised to simply log off the system. You could also use the Task Manager to kill the Internet Explorer process. Making sure that you have working security software such as Microsoft Essentials is most essential to keeping your computer and information safe.

The F1 scam is currently one of the Hot 25 on the scam-busting website Snopes.com.

Check back for updates on security advisories!  Should you suspect that your computer has been infected with a virus, contact your local computer service technician.

April 8, 2010

Open your eyes when surfing the internet!

Filed under: E-mail, Online Safety, Viruses, Wireless Internet — Tags: computer, computer expert, computer security, computers, cybercrime, Internet, minneapolis, minneapolis minnesota, minneapolis mn, minnesota, open wifi, security, spam e-mail, spam emails, spyware, surfing the internet, surfing the net, virus, Viruses, WiFi — admin @ 2:57 pm

Would you cross the roads with your eyes shut?  Open your eyes when surfing the internet!

Reading the Star Tribune on Sunday, we learned that Minneapolis is now ranked the seventh-riskiest city in America for cybercrime!!  Eeek, now that is hitting a little close to home.  Every day we are hearing or seeing in the news something about a new virus attack or online threat to our computers.  It’s not like all the computers in Minneapolis are going to grow legs and arms to strangle us.

The Minneapolis area does have one of the highest populations of in-home computers and computer users in the nation.  Minneapolis is growing to become known as a very internet savvy city.  Due to this, we are more likely to encounter spyware, spam emails and other viruses.

Keep yourself safe by never fully opening an email, use a preview window to read your messages  (both entourage and outlook allow you to do this), do not log into confidential sites when you are on an open wifi network unless it is secure, and make sure you know what you are downloading before you hit ok.  It’s just like you’re a kid again and your mother is teaching you how to cross the road. Look both ways to ensure that there are not any viruses coming before you begin to access the site and keep looking both ways as you access the site to make sure a virus doesn’t pop up out of nowhere.  If you are nervous or have questions, ask a computer expert. We’re here to help and answer questions.

April 6, 2010

Gmail Introduces New Security Against Scammers

Filed under: E-mail, Gmail, Google, security advisory — Tags: computer, computer security, computer security expert, computer security expert warns, computer security experts, computer security experts warn, computers, E-mail, e-mail security, gmail, gmail account, gmail account hijacked, gmail advisory, gmail hijacked, gmail scam, gmail security advisory, gmail security system, gmail’s new security, gmail’s new security system, Google, google engineering director, pavni diwanji, scam, security advisory — admin @ 12:28 pm

A friend in need is a friend indeed, says the old axiom.

Computer security experts are warning you to be wary of old friends who show up in your e-mail box and in need of your money. Your friend may be an innocent and unknowing pawn in an elaborate scheme that seeks to rip you off.

One of Google’s own, an engineering director named Pavni Diwanji, was targeted by such a scam. The Google executive reports that he recently received an e-mail from one of his legitimate acquaintances who was reportedly in a jam in London, broke and desperate due to a series of unfortunate events.

Turns out a scammer had hijacked the acquaintance’s account. That allowed the scammer to not only know where the acquaintance was, but to also have access to all of his e-mail contacts.

It’s not an isolated case. The Data Doctors have seen several cases where local clients have unknowingly had such e-mail pleas issued from their accounts.

The scam prompted the Google engineering director to initiate tightened up security measures in an effort to prevent Gmail customers from having their accounts hijacked.

The new measures are especially effective when logins appear in quick succession from different countries.

Here is the link to find out more about how to protect yourself and to learn about the new “security system” in place with Gmail accounts.

March 31, 2010

Picking Better Passwords Is Key to Security

Filed under: Internet, Online Safety, Passwords — Tags: choosing a password, computer, computer security, computers, online security, password, password security, password use, Passwords, security, security expert, security experts, symantec, symantec report, symantec survey — admin @ 10:31 am

Security firm Symantec heard from 400 customers in a just-completed survey about password use.

Turns out far fewer of them (a mere 3%) admit to using the old favorite ‘password’ for their password.  The name of a pet is the top category of passwords in the survey, with 10% of respondents reporting that they tap in ‘Tigger’ or somesuch name when logging into secure accounts.

Security experts frown on using the name of a pet, a significant other, a child’s name, a middle name or a birth date when choosing a password. All of these passwords could be ascertained from information readily available or easily guessed, especially with the information now available on social networking sites.

Choosing and using effective passwords is considered an efficient and effective way to keep your online accounts secure and lower your risk with online scammers.

A whopping 59% of those who responded to the Symantec survey reported that they relied on their memory for recalling a password.

Here are some suggestions on how to choose passwords that will be memory-stickers for you, but will be tricky enough to thwart a thief:

• A longer password is more secure than a shorter one
• Alter passwords with numbers or symbols at the beginning or end
• Mix up letters and numbers. Toss in punctuation symbols as well. For example, if “Billie Jean” has always been your favorite song, replace each ‘e’ with a number, and toss in an exclamation point at the end, so now you have Billi9J9an! which is both memorable and difficult to crack.

You can view the full responses to the Symantec survey.

March 15, 2010

Bug Alert: Am I infected with the April 1st virus (Conficker C)?

Filed under: April Fools Virus, Conficker C, Viruses — Tags: April Foods virus, Conficker C, free checkup, internet worm, virus, virus scan, Viruses — admin @ 11:08 am

An Internet worms known as Conflicker has been in circulation since late 2008.  Also known as the April Fools virus this third generation pest labeled Conficker C is far more dubious than the preview two versions.

Conficker C is so bad due to the it specific design to bypass and disable most security programs and websites.  TO make it worse Conficker C, is extremely good at hiding.  It has been built with the ability to evolve over time and learn how to best hide itself.

So do I have this virus?  Good questions.  Go into your Windows Control Panel and check to see if your automatic updates have been shut off.  If you find that it has been shut off, it doesn’t mean that you are infected, however if you know that it was previously on, you’d be wise to bring it in to do a deeper evaluation.

There are many online instructions on how to remove the virus but you have to have working knowledge of the Windows Registry.  If you don’t have a computer resource available any one of our locations would be available to help.  We provide free checkups to help those with concerns to determine your computer status.

If you wish to try removing it yourself, go to google and type in ‘Conficker C removal’ and you’ll get a large amount of results that may assist you. To watch for updates on viruses and how to prevent them check out the virus blogs.

February 24, 2010

White House Goes Viral

Filed under: Internet — Tags: iPhone, IPod touch, live streaming, mobile, mobile applications, mobile apps, online live streaming, online political steaming, political live streaming, president, president barack obama, president obama, president of the united states, social media, united states, united states of america, us president, video streaming, white house, white house social media, whitehouse.gov — admin @ 9:15 am

Political junkies have a new way to keep abreast of activities at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, without the filter of the traditional news media or White House correspondents.

The White House has launched a first-of-a-kind application available through the Apple iPhone and the iPod touch. The app is free.

It will feature live streaming of President Barack Obama’s public events at the White House. It will also include web chats with officials in the Obama administration, daily press briefings and other events.

Subscribers also have access to content from WhiteHouse.gov. It provides access to behind-the-scenes photos, on demand videos and full videos from recent speeches, press briefings, and special events.

During the campaign, Obama and his strategists got high marks for utilizing new communications avenues to connect with voters, especially young Americans and the technically savvy. A White House spokesman reveals that the iPhone app is one piece of a larger mobile strategy, with other mobile products planned for the future, allowing WhiteHouse.gov to be accessed on all mobile phones.

Photo: photo credit: M☮nique

February 22, 2010

Protect Yourself Another “Big Brother” Could Be Watching!

Filed under: Google, Internet, Online Safety — Tags: big brother, computers, facebook, facebook profiles, george orwell, identity theft, keep yourself safe, online privacy, Online Safety — admin @ 8:28 am

In his ominous novel “1984,” George Orwell imagined an overarching government (“Big Borther”) that collected data about everyone, with no detail too small to track.

Today, you may have more to fear from yourself than from any vast bureaucracy. You may be giving away some of your own vital secrets to anyone who has access to your Facebook profile.

Most people with FaceBook profiles post their birthdays, and enjoy getting special wishes on their special day.

But identity thieves know that many of us use all or part of our birthdates as passwords or as personal identification codes. When numbers that should be guarded are given out freely, it can be dangerous.

Your Facebook profile may also include your nickname or the names of your children or pets, which are also popular categories for passwords. Perhaps your mother, complete with her birth name, is one of your Facebook friends. Ascertaining that information could allow a cyberthief to have a crack at that popular security question about “mother’s maiden name.”

Increasingly, people use FaceBook for business and networking purposes; for them it is impractical to suggest that they deny “friend” status to someone who may be unknown. That friend request could represent a lead as a new customer or client. Creating a list with different privacy settings for different groups of your connections is another way to control who sees what information included in your profile.

That’s why it is crucial that you take a critical eye to your page. Look closely at what you are revealing. You can still be yourself on FaceBook while deleting personal information that could put your identity in peril. It turns out “Big Brother” is watching, but it’s in the form of identity thieves, rather than the government.

February 19, 2010

Get a Deal on Craigslist!

Filed under: Online Safety, Tips — Tags: craigslist, internet safety, internet shopping, safe, savvy shopping tips, shop, shopping, shopping online, stay safe — admin @ 8:26 am

Craigslist is a cheap matchmaker, for buyers and sellers. It represents an affordable way for millions of people to connect, whether they are searching for a new couch, a new job or a new love.

If you’re a Craigslist newbie–or looking to sharpen your buying skills–here are a few tips to help you make the most of your transaction as a buyer.

First, be smart to stay safe. There have been millions of people who have happily bought and sold via the site. A minute fraction have led to dangerous situations, which have garnered a disproportionate amount of media attention. We’ll say no more about it, other than to urge you to always meet strangers in public places, take someone with you when visiting a private home and to trust your gut instinct–if you get into a situation that makes you uncomfortable, get going. Quickly.

Next, study the site. It’s straightforward enough. Spend a little time playing around in different categories to get a feel for what’s available and at what price.

If you see a good deal–grab it. Often the offerings are one-of-a-kind. If you think it’s a great bargain, so will others. Send an e-mail expressing interest. It does not commit you to buy the item, but it does put you in line for it. The treasure hunt aspect of Craigslist is what makes it both so much fun and so addicting.

Once you are in touch with the seller, make sure you agree on the method of payment. Most sellers want cash or checks.

If the item has been for sale for a while, you may be able to negotiate the price. Don’t be afraid to counter offer.

When you show up to see the item, be prepared to pay for it and haul it away on the spot.  If the item is not as it was described, you are under no obligation to purchase it. And if the seller tries to change the terms you had agreed upon, you are well within your rights to walk away.

Finally, there are great deals to be had on Craigslist on gift cards. But before you buy someone else’s unwanted gift card at a deep discount, verify the balance on the gift card. Cards often contain printed instructions on how to verify a balance.

Remember that not every item for sale on Craigslist is a bargain. Do your homework to see what an item is truly worth. It’s easy to get carried away!

For more information on Craigslist, check out this article with other savvy shopping tips.