As though you needed another reason to upgrade your XP machine

A printer bug that has not been fixed for XP systems. YOU NEED TO UPGRADE to a new operating system and in most cases a new machine! See full article here.

Microsoft starts downgrading OneDrive's free storage to 5GB

Engadget’s article reminding us that Microsoft’s free 10gb upgrade to handle your photos is being rolled back. If you didn’t take advantage of opting out of losing the storage space you will need to find an alternate source.

There are lots of other sources but if you want more space in many cases you will need to take out your wallet to get it.

Is Zepto ransomware the new Locky? – Naked Security

Just in case your wanted to learn more about this issue, Naked Security has a great article here.

Crypto attacks have become so prevalent that we feel that we can’t say enough about how careful you need to be to prevent having an issue with it nor being sure that you have enough protection in place to prevent a widespread data loss.

So be careful out there!

US senator: what does Pokémon GO know about us and our kids?

Naked Security article tracking Senator Al Franken’s questions on why the maker of this program needs our personal information and how it is going to distribute it to others. Very scary that we are giving away this data for basically unlimited use.

Huge uptick in Zepto ransomware spam, warn researchers

Security researchers have raised concerns that attackers are gearing up for a massive Locky-related ransomware campaign Ransomware that locks up business critical data and demands payment to release it continues to increase in popularity with cyber criminals, and a fresh campaign is underway, warn researchers. There has been a huge increase in the number of spam messages designed to infect unwary recipients’ computers with the Zepto ransomware, according to Cisco’s Talos security intelligence and research group. Zepto is a variant of Locky, which was one of the most widespread ransomware attacks in the first quarter of 2016, affecting organisations in 114 countries. Security researchers are keeping a close watch on Zepto and trying to find out as much as they can because of its close ties with Locky, its professional build and the fact that there is still no known method of decrypting the information. Talos reseachers are particularly concerned that Zepto will move into exploit kits and that attackers will move on from spam to other distribution methods, such as malvertising, according to ThreatPost. Zepto shares several technical similarities with Locky, including the use of similar RSA encryption keys and file types to infect systems. In May 2016, security researchers at Kasperky Lab and FireEye identified ransomware as the top threat to business. In April 2016, Eset reported that ransomware accounted for around a quarter of cyber threats targeting internet users in the UK. Talos researchers report that a fresh Zepto spam campaign started on 27 June 2016, with 137,731 spam messages carrying the ransomware recorded in the first four days. All use a compressed .zip archive which included a malicious javascript file used to infect the recipients computer with the Zepto ransomware. All the javascript files name start with “swift” and are followed by a set of hexadecimal characters. The spam messages use various subject lines, such as “document copies”, and various sender profiles, such as “CEO”, to encourage recipients to open the message and execute the malicious javascript. The body of the emails generally urge the recipient to look at their “requested” documentation, while the name of the attached .zip file is created by combining the recipient’s name and a random number such as pdf_copy-peter_461397. The malicious javascript uses ‘wscript.exe’ to launch HTTP GET requests to the defined command and control (C&C) domains, with some samples initiating connectivity to a single domain, while others connected to up to nine domains. Once the binary is downloaded and executed, the machine begins a process of encrypting the local files and then demands ransom in Bitcoin to decrypt the files. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Jude Daigle. We are receiving calls almost daily from customers getting hit with ransomware! It is not about IF you will get hit with this It's WHEN, and will you be prepared or will your organization be CRIPPLED. This is not just about having Anti Virus installed this is Ransomware and you may pay $500 or more just to release your files! Are you prepared? If you are not sure call Jude or Bob 724-838-7526 or email me at jdaigle@paconnect.com

789 East Pittsburgh Street - Greensburg, PA  15601 Call: 724-838-7526

Stupid SurfaceBook Issue

Sometimes the simplest solution to a problem can escape you completely. One of the SurfaceBook Pen’s neat features is its ability to launch the OneNote App and initiate screen captures in OneNote. I was doing some adjustments turning off functions in the SurfaceBook to conserve battery life. However, I noticed that when I clicked the top button on the pen it no longer launched OneNote. I am sure you are all instantly knowing what I did but if you don’t, take a quick look at whether you have turned off the Bluetooth receiver. I’m sure you can guess that the pen communicates with the tablet through a Bluetooth connection. Silly me.

Sophos Revisits AFF

AFF (Advanced Funds Fraud) is something that has been around for centuries. Today we see it involving Email solicitations often coming from the stellar Country of Nigeria. Sophos has made several ads the of highlight the absurdity of such solicitations. I hope that you enjoy them and take held to believing that you are going to be the special person picked out of millions that can become an instant millionaire.

A Nigerian scam, old-school style!

In search of a new Note Taking App?

Google Keep might be a good option. First, it is free and Second, Google has just added the ability to categorize your notes to make it easier to organize them. I have been using OneNote from Microsoft for most of the things that I need to make notes about but I have used Google Keep to take a quick note while using my phone or tablet.

While I would still classify my note taking app as OneNote, the ability to organize Google Keep is a big step forward. Before I limited my use of it to just quick and simple notes that I was going to move to something else quickly. Now with the ability to limit the display of your notes that contain a specific label it will be easier to find the one note you are looking for more easily. Don’t forget to add the Chrome Browser add in to help you capture browsed info faster and more easily.