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I mentioned this once before, but I feel as if I need to mention it again.
I realize this is not a computer tech forum, but we obviously all use the Internet to post on this board, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up.
I don't want anyone to lose some important digital photos of the family or kids that cannot be replaced.
There is a new virus/malware that is raging across the Internet. This is the smartest, most intelligent virus that I have ever seen. No antivirus will detect this virus, so your antivirus will not help.
It is called the Cryptolocker virus. Actually it is not at virus per se, but malicious software.
Check the link:
http://tinyurl.com/nulz4bp
What it does is it infects your computer and encrypts all your files so that you can no long access those files. You can no longer "see" the files. The only way you can ever have a possibility of getting these files back is pay the ransom to the criminals which is a couple of hundred dollars. Even then, these people are criminals, so there is no assurance they will give you the "key" or password needed to recover the files.
So here is what people need to do. Get a flash drive or jump drive or an external hard drive. You can buy a flash drive that plugs into your USB port on your computer for less than twenty dollars. As an alternative, you could burn all the files to a blank CD or DVD.
Copy all the files that you cannot afford to lose and can never be replaced. This includes such files as your children's baby pictures, graduation pictures, picture of the grandkids, documents such as important letters, etc. Because, trust me, if this malware hits your computer, these files are gone forever.
Now here is the tricky part. When the malware hits, it not only encrypts the hard drive IN your computer, but also it will encrypt---and make the files inaccessible---any files on any drive that is connected TO your computer. This means when you copy or save all those precious documents to the flash or jump drive UNPLUG IT FROM THE COMPUTER or the malware will infect them also.
By unplugging the jump or external drive, once you have your computer restored back to normal, you can copy the files back to the original location on the hard dive. The infection can be fixed, but the files lost cannot.
Now, DO NOT open any---any---email attachments from someone you do not personally know or trust. AND DO NOT open any attachments from the US Postal service or UPS, as the criminals have been known to hide the virus within the documents and when you open it, you have been infected. They use the US Postal service or UPS as a ruse, making you think they the document is legit, when it is not. They may use other companies letterhead to appear legit also. If you are not expecting any correspondence from any company such as this, just delete the email before opening.
Remember, back up and unplug. BACK UP OR COPY AND UNPLUG.
rewdiazepam
I realize this is not a computer tech forum, but we obviously all use the Internet to post on this board, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up.
I don't want anyone to lose some important digital photos of the family or kids that cannot be replaced.
There is a new virus/malware that is raging across the Internet. This is the smartest, most intelligent virus that I have ever seen. No antivirus will detect this virus, so your antivirus will not help.
It is called the Cryptolocker virus. Actually it is not at virus per se, but malicious software.
Check the link:
http://tinyurl.com/nulz4bp
What it does is it infects your computer and encrypts all your files so that you can no long access those files. You can no longer "see" the files. The only way you can ever have a possibility of getting these files back is pay the ransom to the criminals which is a couple of hundred dollars. Even then, these people are criminals, so there is no assurance they will give you the "key" or password needed to recover the files.
So here is what people need to do. Get a flash drive or jump drive or an external hard drive. You can buy a flash drive that plugs into your USB port on your computer for less than twenty dollars. As an alternative, you could burn all the files to a blank CD or DVD.
Copy all the files that you cannot afford to lose and can never be replaced. This includes such files as your children's baby pictures, graduation pictures, picture of the grandkids, documents such as important letters, etc. Because, trust me, if this malware hits your computer, these files are gone forever.
Now here is the tricky part. When the malware hits, it not only encrypts the hard drive IN your computer, but also it will encrypt---and make the files inaccessible---any files on any drive that is connected TO your computer. This means when you copy or save all those precious documents to the flash or jump drive UNPLUG IT FROM THE COMPUTER or the malware will infect them also.
By unplugging the jump or external drive, once you have your computer restored back to normal, you can copy the files back to the original location on the hard dive. The infection can be fixed, but the files lost cannot.
Now, DO NOT open any---any---email attachments from someone you do not personally know or trust. AND DO NOT open any attachments from the US Postal service or UPS, as the criminals have been known to hide the virus within the documents and when you open it, you have been infected. They use the US Postal service or UPS as a ruse, making you think they the document is legit, when it is not. They may use other companies letterhead to appear legit also. If you are not expecting any correspondence from any company such as this, just delete the email before opening.
Remember, back up and unplug. BACK UP OR COPY AND UNPLUG.
rewdiazepam
This virus is extremely nasty as you have no chance to recover infected data except to pay the ransom which may not work and unlike most other malware it can directly impact any active backup strategy.
I did some research on how you get it, can it be prevented and how to get rid of it once infected. There are some options... :)
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/10/12/destructive-malware-cryptolocker-on-the-loose/
This is from Sophos which is one of the absolute top in virus protection and removal. not a bad read and written not real technical either.
http://blog.malwarebytes.org/intelligence/2013/10/cryptolocker-ransomware-what-you-need-to-know/
This is from one of my favorite malware removers, the free version will remove it if you have gotten infected and the pro (which isn't free) will protect against. But if you just don't click on links or open attachments that you don't know what is supposed to be in them that is the best protection.
In my business I see more malware attacks on students than anyone else, I believe it is because they search for some outlandish stuff and will end up on sites that are masquerading as something more legit by accident. Which I can't blame them for, they are learning and sometimes you have to search for some different things.
As for backing up things, it is always a good idea to do for the things you do not want to lose, I have this argument with users all the time that insist that they want to save things to their C drive and then if the drive dies they have lost all their files... This is why enterprises have network shares and Home drives for their users, it is so that files aren't lost but backed up. Windows 7 has a nice back up feature, but if you want to make sure that you have everything keeping things consolidated on your drive to a file folder and then all the sub-folders within that it will be easy to keep up on regular back ups of once a week, once a month, or just when you make updates to your files basically saving the file to the appropriate sub-folder on your C:My Documents (Or whatever you want it to be if it isn't this default folder) drive and then copying the entire folder that is on your C: over to the media you wish to use to back it up.
Things to remember, CDs only hold 700MB, DVDs only hold 4.5GB or so and 8.5 if it is Dual-layer, Flash drives have come down a lot in price and you can get a 32GB flash drive for under $80 sometimes as little as $20 if you watch for sales or shop online. If you are going to be archiving a lot over time, I would just invest in as big of a Flash or solidstate drive as I could afford that plugged into USB and be done for the next 5 or so years. Solid State drives can wear out when used regularly like I have in my work laptop, but used in this fashion it is a nice medium to use as are those flash drives (and they can all be put on a keychain if you get the right ones).
If you have questions or anything let me know and I will be happy to delve deeper.
Even with a free cloud service there are ways to protect sensitive information. You can actually encrypt the information yourself before uploading.
In my experience when people start putting passwords and encryption on their computer only causes more trouble for their tech in the long run (unless they do their own work in which case, to each their own methods as they are the ones that will have to deal with it when it breaks)... probably why I am not keen on it.