Beware Keyloggers at Hotel Business Centers

Over at krebsonsecurity.com, they have published the following article:

 

The U.S. Secret Service is advising the hospitality industry to inspect computers made available to guests in hotel business centers, warning that crooks have been compromising hotel business center PCs with keystroke-logging malware in a bid to steal personal and financial data from guests.

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email scam: "You have corrupted images" or "File has been corrupted".

Lately there has been a spam email scam being spread.  It is usually titled as:

• You have corrupted images.
• Your image is corrupted.
• Your corrupted images.
• File has been corrupted.
• and etc...

Do Not Click on the Links!  It is a Phishing attempt.  Plus it may lead to even more severe computer infections such as the Ransom Ware being recently spread.

It is best to tag these types of emails as spam and also delete them right away from your inbox.

Good luck and hopefully this message helped.  If you have any comments about this, please feel free to post them below.

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Tutorial on how to remove CryptoLocker on your computer.

CryptoLocker is a type of ransomware that once your computer system is infected, it's very difficult to fix it after it has locked (corrupted) your files.  It's a major problem for many computer repair services, since it's impossible to be able to crack what the key is to decrypt your files after this ransomware ran through your computer system.

What this ransomware does it encrypts (locks) all your personal files making them unreadable (locked).  You pretty much have no choice but to either wipe your computer and start from scratch or make a payment (from $100 to $300 USD) to a group of thieves to recover your files--and they place a countdown (deadline) to make your payment--meaning if you don't make your payment before the time expires, you will lose your files forever.

But if you are like me, I would never give them a dime!  Because there are no guarantees that it will fix your problem after making your payment or that it will reoccur at a later time!

How CrytpoLocker infected your computer?

Like many other viruses, there are many ways that this ransomware can infect your machine.  It can be sent to you by either email or by a link (download) from a social media site.  It can be disguised as a PDF, audio file (mp3), or an image (JPG or PNG).  You need to look at the extensions closely if it doesn't end with a ".exe" at the end of the file name. (see examples below)
  
Examples:

• Fake PDF file: receipt_payment0006.PDF.exe
• Fake Image file: las_vegas_pictures_0001.JPG.exe
• Fake MP3 file: myfavoritejam.MP3.exe

 

Be Prepared Always:

The best way to not fall victim to this ransomware is to be weary on what you download.  Keep in mind that sometimes these new ransomwares (or viruses) may not be successfully detected by your anti-virus.  So it's best to just be careful before launching these files.  If you have a spare computer and don't care for it's files, then you can use that as a test machine before you run them in your main PC--and make sure that PC is isolated from your home or business network, because if it does get infected, so will your other computers connected to the same home or business network

As you may already know, it's important to have monthly backups of your computer files and system  This way if you happen to run into this issue with your main PC.  Then go ahead and *reformat your system to get rid of the ransomware from your computer and then run your backup to restore your system files back to the last working backup.  Hopefully you have a backup that was done prior of having this ransomware on your system.  

*Make sure that you reformat your system prior to trying to restore your files from your backups.  Do not try to connect your backup files to your system while that ransomware is still running on your computer system, because then you risk for these backup files to also get corrupted.

A Partial Workaround:

If you suspect that you had installed this ransomeware by accident, then you should disconnect your PC from your home network or internet connection.  Disable the wireless connection (off switch) or pull off the Ethernet cable or whatever you use to connect your computer to the internet.  This way the ransomware stops encrypting all your files.

But even if you are successful of disconnecting your computer from the internet on time before it locks up all your files, you may still have some or partial files on your system locked.  You can then move the unlocked files to a backup drive and then restore your machine.  And basically kiss goodbye the files that got corrupted.  Because once this ransomware runs on your PC, it will lock every file you have on your computer system, USB devices, and even from your shared files in your home or business network--other computers.

More Information:

If you wish to learn more about troubleshooting your system from this ransomware, I suggest to go to this helpful site to learn more.  CryptoLocker Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ

Hopefully someday we will have a tutorial on how to remove CryptoLocker on your computer without having to reformat and start all over from our backups or not have to pay a dime to thieves to unlock our systems.  If you know a workaround, please share it below.  Thanks in advance.

Update (10/21/13):

There's been some positive progress on how to get rid of this ransomware from your computer.  Though it will not be able to decrypt the files that were encrypted by this ransomware, it will at least get rid of the problem and also there is a YouTube video tutorial that will teach you how to see what files were damaged in the process.  More details about this partial fix can be found here (as well as the YouTube tutorial). Malwarebytes: How to remove Cryptolocker

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Did You Accidentally Delete Your Computer Files?

Only you are able to evaluate the worth of the data you have stored within your hard drive. Within this age of technology, there is certainly no person that doesn't have a personal computer or even a laptop. Using the huge capacity of data storing these devices have, the users typically maintain most of their information saved in their computer systems or portables. There's totally no problem in storing and saving something in them unless the memory runs out. However the actual difficulty begins once the memory gets corrupted.

The only people that might help you in such a scenario are hard drive information recovery services. Numerous organizations around the globe are now supplying file recovery services on inexpensive rates. Regardless of whether you got your information deleted accidentally or it really is as a result of a virus that attacked your system, whatever could be the cause you'll be able to count on these services to get your data back. These organizations are there to help individuals learn that there is certainly a change to recover your information in the way it was. The reason why the deleted information could be recovered is since something written onto a hard drive can by no means be deleted completely from it. It might grow to be inaccessible to the user nevertheless it will likely be stored in some corner in the drive and may be accessed from this spot by utilizing some methods that only the specialists know the way to execute.

These professionals will help you recover your lost information from hard drives, pen drives, memory cards, transportable hard drives, video camera as well as tapes. Based upon the significance from the information and time that may be used in recovering the information, the file recovery services are classified in different types. Prior to starting the data recovery system, the recovery specialists will evaluate the time necessary to recuperate the information based upon the kind of damage the device has suffered from. This can figured out regardless of whether the information could be retrieved or not. Right after figuring out this info, the organization will give the consumer a verbal report of what type of damage has occurred and which approach will likely be followed. Then unless the consumer give the final approval to begin the procedure, the techs won't start working. Usually these processes are completed in 2 to 5 days.

There could be a lot more than one technicians operating in your device. In case your information is actually essential and confidential, you would have to recover it as soon as you can and utilizing 1 or 2 technicians. You are able to also ask for such services from the business. Such a service will likely be known as an expedited hard drive recovery service as a devoted technician will probably be assigned for your system for speeding up the procedure. In situation it really is incredibly crucial for you personally to obtain the information out of the device within a couple of hours or perhaps a day, you are able to ask for emergency recovery services. You could have to spend a more amounts of money for this service but at least you'll be handed over your valuable data without a problem.

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Three Effective Ways to Avoid a Computer Virus?

Do you already have a virus problem? Are you currently interested in safeguarding yourself from potential virus problems? A computer virus could be a incredibly nasty issue. Not only can it delete all your files, or steal your private info but it may also hijack your e-mail or social networking login and send itself out to all your loved ones and good friends. The worst part is that all of your family and friends will learn that the virus came from you! Now your virus problem just turned into a reputable life problem. Beneath are three factors why your laptop or computer is at danger for a computer system virus dilemma and just how you can defend your PC and yourself.

1. Spyware Protection

Spyware is a form of malicious software program that installs itself on your computer without having your permission, collects bits of data about you, like individual and private information and facts, and after that transmits that information back out to unscrupulous people. Spyware will exploit your method and produce a virus difficulty for the reason that your individual information and facts will probably be at danger of being stolen and your PC is at danger of being hijacked. Spyware may also be utilized as a tool and dropped as a payload by a laptop or computer infecting worm. It is incredibly crucial that you simply remove spyware as soon as you possibly can.

2. Spam Protection

A lot of people do not comprehend that SPAM might be much more annoying than just filling up your e mail inbox with useless junk. SPAM can make a virus dilemma in your personal computer fast given that viruses adore to transfer themselves from computer to computer by way of e-mail. The easiest way to prevent this issue is by not opening e-mails from senders that you just don't recognize. Certainly don't open any e-mail attachments unless you realize why the attachment was sent to you or what it can be. Sometimes even those who you e-mail on a frequent basis can get hit using a virus problem and their personal computer can be hijacked to send out virus-filled e-mails to absolutely everyone in their address book. So be careful when it comes to SPAM and do yourself a favor by investing in a SPAM blocker.


3. Virus Protection
In this day and age owning an antivirus program is a must. Don't make the assumption that you are immune from virus issues. A virus can work its way onto your personal computer and sit dormant for months or perhaps years prior to it decides to wreak havoc on your system. You may have a virus in your laptop or computer right now. You absolutely should invest in a good, reliable antivirus program. This can conserve you lots of money in the long run by defending you from unwanted virus problems.

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The Flame virus has security researchers engaged big-time.

There is a virus named Flame Virus that can delete files from a computer.  One thing you can be certain of, this Flame virus is more complicated than any of us know.  The Flame virus is capable of activating computer microphones, allowing ne'er-do-wells to listen in on conversations.  The duty of flame virus is to steal data from a computer and to capture information.  The notorious Flame virus has damaged government computer systems and exposed sensitive information throughout various countries in the Middle East.

Iran's government-run Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center has said the Flame virus was focused on espionage.  While we're hoping that Flame virus isn't listening in on us, we'd like to hear your thoughts.  Now that Flame virus is out in the open, Iran is taking serious defensive measures.  Therefore, the conclusion to be made is that the Flame Virus is also a US product.  The Flame Virus is a powerful cyber weapon that may have been inside Iranian computers since 2010, or even before.

The reason the Flame virus is so dangerous lies in its various data-collecting methods.  The only  removal tool  that I could find in English for the Flame virus is by BitDefender.  The Flame virus was identified only recently by the Kaspersky Labs.  It may spread via USB sticks and across insecure networks like Dugu.  Thus American involvement in the making and distribution of the Flame virus cannot be ruled out.

The Flame virus has security researchers engaged big-time.

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What is RANSOMWARE?

Ransomware has existed since the late 1980s, but it has really become prevalent of late.  It has been around for awhile in the computer world, but it hasn't really taken off until recently.  It is a type of malicious computer software that threatens the user to take some destructive or harmful actions.  It is a specific type of malicious software that holds a computer and its contents virtually hostage.  Ransomware is another type of malware that is designed to take your computer hostage. 

Ransomware is a type of malware used for data kidnapping.  It has been a threat for many years, but most threats of this type were cracked in minutes.  It is a relatively new and nasty Internet scam.  It can enter your computer like any other malware, but drive-by-downloads are the hardest to protect from.  Ransomware can enter through an infected email or a network vulnerability. 

Ransomware can lock, encrypt or scramble files—in effect, holding them hostage—so that users are no longer able to access them.  It is created by scammers who are well educated in computer programming.  It is prevalent in the UK. It is a malicious software.

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