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ALERT: Phishing for Apples
Last week Apple had their big Apple Watch release event. The Press took note, and has been full of news about the models, and pricing ever since.
CyberCriminals are also taking note, and are trying to ride the wave of enthusiasm for the newest smartwatch.
CyberCriminal gangs are setting up Twitter accounts named “Apple Giveaways”, targeting users that mentioned the smartwatch in their Twitter feed. They tell people they have been “chosen”, and promise them a free Apple Watch. All they ask them to do, is to click the link in the message. The link leads them to a series of links and instructions, leading them to other dubious web pages.
CyberCriminals also have set up Facebook event pages asking victims for their 1st and last names, including Facebook handle. They are asked join the event, and invite a minimum of 100 friends. They are told that 100 invites earns them an Apple Watch, 250 invites = an Apple Watch Sport, and 500 invites = the Apple Watch edition (sold by Apple for $17,000).
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Regular weekly ALERTS on the latest security threats to your computer network
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An urgent security warning for businesses running Windows XP, Office 2003, and Microsoft Windows Server 2003!
Windows XP and Office 2003 are no longer supported by the manufacturer.
Server 2003 will no longer be supported by the manufacturer after April 2015.
If your business or organization is currently running Windows XP, Office 2003, Microsoft Server 2003, or Exchange 2003 on any computers or servers in your office, you need to know about a dangerous security threat that must be addressed NOW!
As your local Microsoft Partner, we are aggressively reaching out to all local businesses that use any of these programs to alert you to this serious security risk and inform you about what you need to do NOW to protect your company or organization!
WINDOWS XP AND OFFICE 2003 REPLACEMENTS MUST BE MADE NOW
WINDOWS SERVER 2003 AND EXCHANGE 2003 REPLACEMENTS MUST BE MADE BY JULY 14, 2015
Microsoft has officially announced that it retired all support for Windows XP and Office 2003 April 2014, and on the Server 2003 operating system on July 14, 2015.
This means any business or organization still running any of these programs will be completely exposed to serious hacker attacks, aimed at taking control of your network, stealing data, crashing your system, and inflicting a host of other business-crippling problems you do NOT want to deal with.
This is such a serious threat that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued an official warning to all companies still running these programs, because firewalls and antivirus software will NOT be sufficient to completely protect your business from malicious attacks or data-exfiltration. Running some of these programs will also put many organizations out of compliance.
This email scam is the latest CryptoWall attack that has affected businesses world-wide.
An email is sent, which has an innocent-looking email attachment that claims to be a fax report from your own business or home.
If you receive an email that claims to be a fax report, that seems to come from your own domain/business/home, but the link ends in “.CHM”,
The email attachment link will look similar to the one below:
If you click on the link to open it, it will download malware, which will lock up all your files,
and potentially all files of everyone else in your business or organization.
The CyberCriminals responsible for this scam, then demand a $500 Bitcoin ransom to get your files back.
This malware is being sent in waves, attacking computers all over the world.
Power Surge vs. PC – Had a power surge? Here are some things to check.
Now, if you got away unscathed, count yourself very lucky.
If you need some parts replaced, call a reliable, qualified computer tech to quote you on the parts & labour. And consider your hand slapped.
A device that allows your computer to keep running for at least a short time after the primary power source is lost.
A UPS contains an internal battery which, in case of a temporary total power failure, can keep your equipment functioning for a short amount of time. Usually, just long enough for you to shut everything down…safely.
A UPS is invaluable for computers, servers, etc. Anything that could cause a loss of data, or damage to the equipment, if not shut down properly. A bonus to the UPS, it will protect your equipment against damage from any power fluctuations. Most UPSs will provide surge protection to equipment plugged into the battery backup outlet. Most also have additional surge protection outlets (without battery backup), for other computer equipment (ie. printers, monitors, etc.).
A small device designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes.
Similar to power bars, but surge protectors can detect when power surges are larger than an “acceptable level” for your devices.
In a surge protector, excess power is re-routed to a grounding wire and fuse, which will burn out when power exceeds what it can handle. Surge protectors provide adequate protection for vital devices such as monitors, printers, tvs, entertainment systems, and smartphones.
*Something to note: surge protectors can come with different “joule ratings”. The higher the joule rating, the more excess power the surge protector can take .
A block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable (typically with a plug on the other end), allowing multiple electrical devices to be powered from a single electrical socket.
Most power bars available, include a built-in circuit breaker. This provides some protection against power surges. It is a great, affordable option for devices that aren’t critical (ie. lights, fans, radios).
The component that supplies power to a computer. Most personal computers can be plugged into standard electrical outlets. The PSU then pulls the required amount of electricity and converts the AC current to DC current.
You can locate the power supply on a system by simply finding the input where the power cord is plugged in. Without opening your computer, this is typically the only part of the PSU you will see.
If you were to remove the PSU, it would look like a metal box with a fan inside, and some cables attached.
Modern computers use a switched-mode power supply.
ALERT: Microsoft Volume Licensing
Corporate users are sent a phishing email that appears to be from “Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)”, according to researchers with Cisco Managed Threat Defense.
The email looks similar to this:
The email has a very personalized welcome line, and asks recipients to click on a link to login to the VLSC.
Clicking on the link will result in the authentic VLSC login page opening, but will also trigger a ZIP file to download that recipients may not notice is being delivered from a different website.
The ZIP file contains a Windows Executable with a SCR extension – a screensaver file – and opening it results in the system being infected with “Chanitor”, which is used to download other malware.
Everyone needs to be aware of the security risks (and responsibilities) that come with using a computer these days, and employees need to be educated about security risks, and what to look for.