Where Did That Computer Virus Come From?

February 9th, 2010

At NovaCPU, we clean and remove many virus infections from computers on a weekly basis.  It’s only natural for our customers to be curious how their computer became infected in the first place and how that virus got past their security software.  Unfortunately, the answer is rarely 100% clear.  There are thousands of different computer viruses and many different methods of how those viruses spread.

Where do Viruses come from?  The answer to that is simple.  A person with knowledge of computer programming writes a virus.  That person may design the virus to delete important files, disable internet access on the computer, or display a barrage of pop-ups on the computer to name a few things.

How are they spread?  That answer is tricky.  There are many different ways a computer virus can spread, and it’s up to the virus writer on which method he/she will use.  Nowadays, most viruses are spread by malicious websites.  What does that mean?  Generally, it’s a website designed to look like a legitimate business website.  The website will somehow entice the user to click on a download and BAM… The computer has a virus.  The website may prompt the user to install an ActiveX control, install an ‘update’ to a video player that is really the virus itself, or use a popup message hoping the user clicks on ANY button (even the ‘Cancel’ or ‘Close’ button can be programmed by the writer to install the virus).

But why didn’t my security software stop it?  That usually has to do with the delivery method.  In the case of a malicious website, when the computer user is successfully enticed into clicking or downloading the virus, then that action by the user told the security software that “This is OK to do”.  The user probably didn’t realize what was happening.  But behind the scenes the security software was ‘told’ by the user to let the virus through. At that point, the security software may or may not be able to successfully remove the virus.  Many viruses are designed to disable certain security software before they begin to do whatever it is they were initially designed to do.

How can I protect myself?  First, have quality security software, and keep it updated.  Second, don’t be ‘Click Happy’.  If the website looks like a phishing site or just a bit odd, don’t install any software from that site.  If you get pop-ups from the site, don’t click on any button.  Use ‘Alt+F4’ to close the pop-up or shut down your computer immediately.  Third, do not click on links in emails or open attachments from people (even companies) that you do not know.

For a few tips on computer security, read this blog.

 

Kyle Greenup | Vice President
NovaCPU
www.novacpu.com

Email: kyle@novacpu.com
Office: 615.822.5454  |  Cell:  615.498.5789
111 Hazel Path | Hendersonville, TN | 37075

Posted in Virus/Spyware | No Comments »

Improve your Computer’s Performance & Security – 10 simple steps

February 2nd, 2010

Our Computers are valuable tools. I’m sure you agree that it is very worthwhile to keep them running smoothly. Like cars, computers need a bit of TLC every now and then. Here is a list of 10 steps that will keep your machine running smoothly.

These tips can work on any Windows PC, home or office.

1. Microsoft Updates. Any computer geek worth their salt will tell you to run the updates from Microsoft. These updates contain security fixes and performance enhancements. Why wouldn’t you want that? If you go without obtaining these updates, you put yourself more at risk of catching that new virus going around the internet. I’ve been asked to remove many viruses that could have been avoided by simply running the Microsoft Update Service. So please, do the Microsoft Updates and do them again… then again… then again… until there are no critical updates left. Then set your machine to automatically download and install them. The default time is 3 AM…. Is your computer on at 3 AM? Mine is not, so I changed that time to a more appropriate time.

2. Use a strong password. If you are using a computer with no password, it’s like leaving your car with the keys inside. It’s leaving an open invitation for anyone to use! Use a password that is difficult to guess and change it often (every 4-6 weeks is fairly standard). Need help creating a password? Read this great article.

3. Disk Cleanup. Simply put, it helps remove any unused files from your computer; files that are just taking up space. It’s the equivalent of taking out the trash. It’s good to do this monthly, right before step 4.

4. Defragment. All hard drives fragment. That basically means files get out of order on the disk. Defragmenting on a monthly basis is one way to ensure that your hard drive is reading/writing to its full potential.

5. Virus and Spyware Scans. You should do this regularly even if you don’t notice a problem. Use whatever scanning software you have and run a complete scan on all fixed hard disks.

6. Remove Unused Programs. Similar to the disk cleanup (#3 above), you should remove any programs that you don’t use. Open the Control Panel and then use the Add/Remove Programs (Pre-Vista) or the Programs & Features (Vista/7) applet to remove any program that you are not using.

7. Use a Firewall. You may be behind a firewall at work or even home via your router already. However, it is wise to use a software firewall directly on your computer. Windows XP, Vista, & 7 have them built in. Make sure they are on by looking at the Control Panel and then the Windows Firewall applet. Another great firewall program (it’s free!) is ZoneAlarm.

8. Don’t Click on That! Many WebPages have advertisements on them, enticing you to click on them and see what they are selling. Those advertisement’s respective WebPages may ask to install Active-X controls or perhaps some type of media player so they can “display the site correctly”. Ever wonder what really got installed? It could be tracking cookies, trojans, or spyware (Oh My!). If you don’t recognize the software or if the advertisement is not from a respected company, Don’t Click on That!

9. Wireless Security. If you are using wireless, you need to use encryption. If you are already using encryption, make sure you are NOT using WEP encryption. An experienced hacker can crack a 128-bit WEP Encryption Key in about 10 minutes. Use WPA-2 as your encryption algorithm. If your wireless router does not support WPA-2, then it’s time to get a new one.

10. Backup your stuff. All hard drives have one thing in common. They all have a 100% failure rate. It’s unavoidable. Your hard drive will fail – it’s just a matter of time. If your hard drive crashes for any reason, you will have one of two reactions. Either 1) you will be devastated that you lost all your files, pictures, music, emails, etc or 2) you will be relieved that you have a current backup. In my opinion, the best backup strategy for a home computer is an online backup service. They are cheaper than buying an external backup hard drive, easier to install, and offer more features as well. Two online backup service providers that I recommend are Carbonite and Mozy.

And there you have it! Following these simple steps will help keep your computer running smoothly, securely, and with a backup. If you have a network administrator or equivalent, you should consult them before performing any these steps on your work machine – they may already have things in place and set correctly.

 

Kyle Greenup | Vice President
NovaCPU
www.novacpu.com

Email: kyle@novacpu.com
Office: 615.822.5454  |  Cell:  615.498.5789
111 Hazel Path | Hendersonville, TN | 37075

Posted in Tips | 1 Comment »

Watch Out for Bogus Online Haiti Scams, FBI Warns

January 14th, 2010

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning people to be aware of bogus scams involving the donation of money to help aid earthquake victims in Haiti.

People should be cautious when donating money, especially online. Symantec has already detected an email scam targeting people that wish to donate to a legitimate cause, such as the Haiti relief effort. One should only donate to an organization that is known for humanitarian efforts, and not to organizations or individuals without a well known reputation.

“Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes,” the FBI stated in its advisory.

Posted in Online Scams | No Comments »

Free, Compatible, Quality Software

November 16th, 2009

The nation’s economy is not very strong right now. Funds are tight everywhere and it looks like the economy will be like this for a while. That of course means that budgets are getting cut. Unfortunately, a popular place to cut budgets is in the software area. That’s very unfortunate if you are using outdated software or planned on purchasing a new application in order to get things done in a more efficient manner. There is hope! Here is a list of free, quality, and compatible software that you can use to supplement or possibly completely replace what you are currently using.

Note: Check the End User License Agreement (EULA) before you use any of these applications. Some are free for private use only, but offer a corporate version for a small fee. Also, you should always check with your network administrator (or equivalent) before you install anything on a business machine.

1. OpenOffice (http://www.openoffice.org). This is a suite of productivity applications just like the famous Microsoft Office. OpenOffice provides a word processor named Writer (i.e. Microsoft Word), a spreadsheet application named Calc (i.e. Microsoft Excel), a presentation application named Impress (i.e. Microsoft PowerPoint), a database application named Base (i.e. Microsoft Access), and even an image editor named Draw (i.e. Microsoft Paint). The OpenOffice suite of applications is fully compatible with the Microsoft Office file formats. That means you can open, edit, and even create Microsoft Office documents. OpenOffice does not offer an email client (i.e. Microsoft Outlook), but wait….

2. Mozilla Thunderbird (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird). Thunderbird is a free email client that you can use to organize, secure and customize your email. It offers very good security which includes a great junk mail filter. It will work with any POP3 type email account.

3. CD/DVD Burning. There are several free CD/DVD burning applications that are totally free for use. Two of the more popular ones are CD Burner XP Pro (http://cdburnerxp.se) and ImgBurn (http://www.imgburn.com). Although these programs are not for authoring a DVD movie, they do offer an easy-to-use interface to burn files to your CDs and DVDs. You can also use them to copy CDs or DVDs.

4. Anti-Virus. AVG Free Edition (http://free.avg.com) and Avast! Antivirus (http://www.avast.com) both are two great virus scans for your Microsoft Windows computer. The installs are painless and offer instant protection against viruses. However, do not use both. Using more than one virus scan can cause a range of problems.

5. Anti-Malware. Malware (a.k.a. Spyware and/or Adware) is a big issue these days and will not go away in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, there are some good free spyware scanners out there. Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2008 (http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php), Spybot Search & Destroy (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/home/index.html) and Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (http://www.malwarebytes.org) are three anti-malware applications that are free for personal use.

6. ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonealarm.com). Windows XP and Vista both have a built-in firewall, but it is always a good idea to run a third-party firewall because the Windows built-in firewalls have a higher likelihood of becoming compromised. ZoneAlarm is a good choice when choosing to beef up your firewall protection.

7. 7-Zip (http://www.7-zip.org). 7-Zip if a file archiving utility for Windows. With it, you can zip and un-zip files with ease. It also performs much faster than Windows XP’s and Windows Vista’s built-in software. If you find yourself dealing with zip files often, give it a try. You’ll be glad you did!

8. Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US). Firefox is a web browser like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Firefox offers some cutting edge features such as the “Smart Bar”, which offers suggestions and finds related sites as you type in an address in the address bar. To date, it has much less security issues than Internet Explorer, and seems to consistently outperform Internet Explorer.

9. VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc). If you are having trouble playing DVD’s on your computer, give this piece of software a try. It is a good alternative to Windows Media Player and to buying some DVD playing software. Careful during the install. By default, the install tries to be the default player for all types of media files. While this is OK, you may want to change the defaults during the installation.

10. GIMP (http://www.gimp.org). GIMP is a free image editing program with many of the same features and capabilities as the famous Adobe Photoshop. If you find yourself needing to edit photos often, you may want to give it a try!

11. Picasa (http://picasa.google.com). Another free program for photos. Although not as advanced as GIMP as far as image editing, Picasa does plenty that GIMP does not. It organizes all your photos into one, easy to use interface, allows for plenty of editing (again, not as advanced as GIMP, but easier for most to use). Picasa also allows for online sharing to your friends, family, co-workers, or whomever you choose.

12. PrimoPDF (http://www.primopdf.com). This is a virtual printer that changes anything you can print into a PDF document. Quite handy when you want to send out a document and you want to make sure that it does not get edited.

13. Skype (http://www.skype.com). Video calls are here! This software allows for Skype users to communicate in a video call fashion to other Skype users. Skype accounts are free, but with limitations (such as you can’t call land lines or cell phones without paying a rate). You do of course need a webcam, speakers, and a microphone to make the video call feature work. You can however ditch the webcam for voice-only communication. Note that the party you plan on communicating with via Skype must have a Skype account as well, but remember – Skype accounts are free!

 

Kyle Greenup | Vice President
NovaCPU
www.novacpu.com

Email: kyle@novacpu.com
Office: 615.822.5454  |  Cell:  615.498.5789
111 Hazel Path | Hendersonville, TN | 37075

Posted in Free Software | 1 Comment »

Conficker Virus – Still not a joke.

May 7th, 2009

No doubt that you have heard of the Conficker virus by now, a.k.a. the ‘April Fools’ virus. The Conficker virus is technically a ‘worm’ which means it can spread without any user interaction. This particular worm spreads by exploiting a known vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows operating system – specifically the Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta operating systems. That’s pretty much all of them in use today!

You may not know that protecting yourself from this horrible worm is extremely easy to do. If you are not already infected, you need to stop what you are doing and visit the Windows Update website. Obtain all patches listed for your machine, specifically the patch described in article MS08-067. This patch will protect you from being infected by the Conficker virus. If you are all patched up, then you are protected. This method will not remove the virus if you are already infected, but it will protect you if you are not infected.

Without the proper tools, Conficker is tricky to detect. Symptoms can vary but include diminished internet connection speed, diminished system performance, rouge tasks in the task manager, and denial of access to network resources.

If you think that you are infected, you need to turn off your machine or at least unplug the network cable or disable the wireless network adapter (or unplug your machine from the modem, depending on your setup). This will stop the worm from spreading from your machine. Next, you need to contact us at NovaCPU.  We have sucessfully removed this virus for our customers and can do the same for you!

 

Kyle Greenup | Vice President
NovaCPU
www.novacpu.com

Email: kyle@novacpu.com
Office: 615.822.5454  |  Cell:  615.498.5789
111 Hazel Path | Hendersonville, TN | 37075

Posted in Virus/Spyware | No Comments »