You’d be right in thinking it’s hard to program a computer virus that can spread across the world in a flash - we’re talking days of constant desk-jockey nerd-work.  So why do they bother? Well, it generally comes down to three reasons: Making money, showing off their skills, or simply being a jerk. While showing off or being a jerk is pretty self-explanatory, the money-making side is fascinating.
Here’s how people can make money with computer viruses:

Bank Account Theft: Virus creators are more than happy to help themselves to your bank details, sneaking in to grab your login details or credit card info. Once they have your credentials, they can either transfer your funds away or use your credit card details to go on a shopping spree. Sometimes they’ll leave the fun to another person though, and simply sell your details to the highest bidder.

Ransomware: Rather than a financial snatch and grab, sometimes a virus will encrypt your files and demand money for the unlock code. Without a true backup plan in place beforehand, you’re at their mercy. You’ll be given very helpful information on how to pay, plus a firm deadline before your files are destroyed permanently.

Ad Swappers: A cheeky technique, this is when they create a virus that either puts annoying ads on websites you visit, or places affiliate codes on pages so that when you buy something legitimately – eg, from Amazon – they get a percentage as a ‘referral fee’. Their kickback doesn’t make your purchase cost more and you may not even know you’re supporting their activities.

Bitcoin Mining: You might have heard of digital currencies being used for payment, but did you know you can also earn them with your computer processing power? Unfortunately, ‘renting’ out your computer’s processing power means paying more in running costs than you’d make – unless you were very clever and sneaky, and used a virus to rent out other people’s computers instead.

Botnets: Certain infected computers can be remotely controlled to do whatever the virus creator wants. In this case, they’ll usually set the infected bot computers to overwhelm a target web server, like an e-commerce store. Sometimes it’s done as revenge, but more often it’s blackmail. The ‘Botmaster’ says “pay me thousands of dollars or I’ll crash your site during the biggest shopping day of the year.”

Subscription Theft: Subscription accounts like Netflix and Hulu are often hijacked, leaving you to pay the bill for someone else’s entertainment. But sometimes, virus creators go one step further with online gaming accounts. All those digital items that you fought so hard for (special clothing, weapons etc.) can carry real world value and be stolen from your account and sold on a black market. Yes, that’s cheating!
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Give us a call at 715-255-0325 to make sure your computer is secure and protected.

Woah, who slammed on the brakes? Your computer used to speed through startup and let you open almost everything at once, but now it’s struggling to crawl along! Everything takes so much longer or crashes without warning. Something isn’t right. If it’s gotten so bad that you’ve found yourself drooling over the idea of a new computer, even though your system isn’t that old, we’ve got some good news:  you can get your whizzy speeds back with a little TLC.
Computers generally start slowing down within 12 months, but it’s not because their parts are broken, and it’s not because they’re faulty. It’s not even because you have so many browser tabs open that you lose count. Slow computers have many causes, but the most common ones are easily fixed.

Background Programs
Whenever your computer is turned on, it’s running programs in the background. You didn’t start them and they may not be essential to operation, but off they go anyway. You can’t even see some of them, they don’t have windows or anything to look at.  A good example is your antivirus program. You don’t need to see it all the time, but you know it’s running in the background, protecting you. Over time, more and more programs might slip into the background and casually suck up your resources, like iTunes helper, Acrobat updater, Cortana listening, Skype or Spotify.  We can speed up your system by setting these background programs to run only when you need them, or remove them completely.

Application Bloat
How do you improve last year’s version of a program? Add more features! The problem with this is the applications become bloated with features you may not need (or even know about), but that keep needing more and more resources. Each time the developers review their programs, they assume you’ve bought the latest and greatest computer and can run whatever they release. This means a slow computer can sneak up after an auto-update. You may not even know the update happened, just that your computer is suddenly making you very unhappy. Eventually, your system grinds to a halt. We can remove unused applications or increase your computer power as required.

Slow Hard Drives
Your data is stored on a part called the hard drive. It’s usually a mechanical type that works like a record player, with a spinning platter and a ‘needle’ reading it. If your data is spread out across lots of places on the platter, the hard drive head 'needle' must go backwards and forwards thousands of times just to retrieve a single file. Unsurprisingly, that takes more time to bring up your file. We can optimize your data to give the hard drive head a break, but an even better solution is to upgrade to an SSD. That’s a Solid State Drive that stores data in memory chips, like your USB drive, and has no moving parts. Without the physical need to move a hard drive needle, your computer can access data much faster.
Unfortunately, once your computer starts slowing, for whatever reason, the problem only gets worse. The background programs will continue to multiply, the bloat keeps coming, and the hard drive begs for relief.  Rather than buy a whole new system though, it’s completely possible for your current computer to go back to being lightning fast – and for a fraction of the cost.
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Would you like us to give your computer a new lease on life? Give us a call at 715-255-0325 today!

Online banking has boomed in the past few years to become the new norm. Branches are out and apps are in. Half the time when you visit a branch, you’re steered towards a computer for a DIY transaction – with optional assistance.  But is Internet banking really safe? You’re always told to keep your financial details private, but now also to jump on board the online banking train – talk about a push/pull scenario! The good news is you CAN bank safely online with a few simple precautions.
Always type in the website address
Many attackers will attempt to trick you into clicking a fake link to your bank website. Usually sent as a “phishing email,” they’ll claim there’s a problem and ask you to click through to your bank and correct it ASAP. The link points to a fake website that looks almost exactly like your real bank site and is recording your private account info. You can avoid scams like this simply by accessing your bank by manually typing in the website or using a bookmark.
Avoid public computers and networks
Jumping onto a PC at the library or mall might seem like a quick and easy way to check your account, but public computers are often targeted by scammers. In just a few moments, they can install keyloggers to record usernames, passwords and other private data, then sit back as all future user details are emailed to them. The same problem applies with free, unsecured Wi-Fi. You’re better off using an ATM or a data-enabled smartphone.
Use a strong password with 2- factor authentication
Create a unique password for your online banking, something you’ve never used anywhere else. Mix up words, numbers and symbols to create a complex password that can’t be guessed easily. Avoid giving attackers a head start with data they can find on Facebook, like kids names, pet names, birthdates, etc and really think outside the box. And of course, never write it down anywhere near your wallet, phone or computer. If remembering is likely to be an issue, you might like to consider a secure password manager app. Many banks will also help boost your security with two-factor authentication, sending random codes to your phone (or a special LCD device they provide) to verify any activity.
Check page security before entering data
Finally, take a micro-second to spot the small padlock icon before you enter any data. You’re looking for a padlock appearing as part of the browser itself, not just an image on the webpage. It will be either in the bottom corner or next to the URL. The address will also start with httpS:// instead of http://. If you don’t see these things, the page is NOT secure and you shouldn’t log in.
Need some help securing your system against scammers? We can help. Call Us at 715-255-0325

​Wisconsin has been in the global news lately with the announcement that electronics manufacturer Foxconn is considering the construction of a new factory in Wisconsin. Ostensibly creating up to 13,000 jobs, I can see why many people are excited about this possibility. As I researched this story, I found myself wondering who will be getting the best outcome from this proposal: Foxconn or the Wisconsin taxpayer?
 
As a proud Wisconsin resident and a business owner, I decided to investigate this deal to see if I thought it would be good for my state. Governor Walker seems to be proposing we bend over backwards to get Foxconn to build here. For example, beyond the $3 billion dollars in tax incentives, he also wants to fix a portion of the interstate highway near the proposed site. Now, I'm very glad to see our roads being repaired (after all, I use them every day), but I wonder where we will get all this money from. If we can find $3 billion dollars to beg a foreign company to come to our state, then surely we could have a balanced budget, right?
 
I am also concerned about the eagerness to provide broad reaching and vague environmental shortcuts to "speed the construction process." I know that people are eager for jobs but what will be the cost to our children and grandchildren?
 
Let's talk about price for a moment. Because the scale of these numbers is likely higher than what you or I typically deal with, let's put them into a more local perspective.
 
What does $3 billion dollars look like?
A billion of something is a big number. How big you ask? Well, let's say you wanted to buy 3 billion acres of land. That total area would be slightly large than 86 Wisconsin-sized states (Wisconsin is about 34.7 million acres). For comparison, the continental United States is about 2 billion acres. See what I mean about perspective? A billion of anything is a tremendous amount!
 
What do 13,000 jobs look like?
Take a look at population for these local cities and imagine that each resident works for Foxconn.
Thorp: 1,629
Owen: 931
Withee: 476
Neilsville: 2,430
Medford: 4,326
Cadott: 1,424
Stanley: 3,660
Total: 14,741 That’s a lot of new jobs!
 
What is The Potential Cost to Wisconsin Taxpayers?
Here are some points from a Wisconsin Budget Project report on the matter, courtesy of UrbanMilwaukee.com:


The cost to the state of the new tax credits (excluding other subsidies) could range from about $219,000 per job for 13,000 Foxconn jobs to $587,000 each if the new enterprise employs 3,000 people. – The average annual wage that Foxconn would be paying these employees? $53,000. Hmm, seems like Wisconsin’s taxpayers could be paying Foxconn four times what Foxconn is paying their new employees.
 
On top of the very substantial cost of the new tax credits, there’s the cost of existing tax breaks for manufacturers (which would already essentially zero out Foxconn’s corporate tax liability), plus the costs of huge local infrastructure investments, the cost of prioritizing work on the I-94 corridor, potential costs to state taxpayers from making a guarantee to cover up to 40 percent of local losses from spending for the project, and the unknown costs from unprecedented exemptions from environmental regulations. – So in addition to paying for Foxconn’s new employees, we’re also on the hook for local losses and damages from their environmental exemptions? With manufacturer’s like Foxconn already paying next to nothing in corporate taxes, how is this a good thing for Wisconsin?
 
I’m no tax expert but it seems to me that the taxes paid by those 13,000 new employees (to say nothing about what you and I pay) won’t be enough to cover this expense.
 
I am not against investing in business, nor am I against the creation of new jobs. What I am against, is paying a business to come to our state and give us less than nothing in return. And since the current proposal has nearly no protections for our state if Foxconn doesn’t live up to their meager end of the bargain, I say the price is far too high.

Bits and Bytes of Tech News
This week, we’ll look at some exciting news for residents of Thorp, a troubling new vulnerability on smartphones, and thoughts on the Internet of Things.

Spectrum Internet In Thorp!
At long last, Spectrum (formerly Charter) Internet is available in Thorp! After many years of being dependent on a single service provider, businesses and residents of Thorp now have another reliable option. While we here at Yellowstone Computing are primarily concerned with the Internet portion, Spectrum also provides cable Tv and telephone services to our area. I have already been testing Spectrum’s 100/7mb business connection and have been very impressed! Installation was very quick and pleasant and the connection has been very speedy. If you have any questions, let us know!
Residential customers can contact Spectrum directly @ 877-906-9121. Business customers should contact Yellowstone Computing or speak with our local Spectrum representatives; Jackie Bachmeier @ 715-450-1348 or Tami Severson @ 715-495-7787.

Wireless Chipset Vulnerability
A new flaw has been discovered on mobile devices utilizing Broadcom wireless chipsets. Dubbed Broadpwn, this flaw affects an estimated 1 billion devices, including all Apple iPhones after the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy devices from S3 - S8 and various others. So what is Broadpwn? It is a 0-day, fully remote attack against a series of Broadcom’s wireless chips, specifically, the BCM43 series. The flaw allows an attacker within wireless range of the device to send malicious instructions to the device, potentially siphoning any data the wireless chip uses (which includes any Internet connectivity) and using the infected device to spread to other devices within range. The good news is that the flaw has been found and security patches have been issued to address it; in addition, no known malware currently exploits this flaw that we are aware of.
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When The Price is Free, You Are The Product
As I was going through my mail the other day, I found an interesting notice from a company whose services I use. I won’t post the entire notice but the essential part is this; the company was notifying me that they would like to share information they collect about me with their “family of companies,” including their affiliates, agents, authorized sales representatives, etc. Fortunately, I have the option to “opt out” of this “benefit.” In this case, I pay this company for their services but what about those companies and services that are free to customers? Ever wonder how they can be free? It’s quite simple really. If you read the license or usage agreement when you sign up, you will find that the cost of the product or service is… you. All the information that can possibly be gleaned from your usage of the product is bought, sold, traded and stolen by thousands of companies every moment of your existence. Don’t believe me? That’s OK, I know it sounds crazy. Just read one of these long, boring agreements before you click I Agree. Don’t think they can learn much about you? Got nothing to hide? That’s good, keep believing that while you wonder how that website you’re visiting knows that you need to get new socks.
It’s not just search engine and email providers gathering this information. Nearly every electronic device is busily sweeping up every bit and byte of information that constitutes “you” and sending it off to their mothership. Own a smartphone? Think about all the apps on there; email, games, social media, cloud photos, text messages. How about that nifty virtual assistant on your kitchen counter? You know, the one that tells you the weather forecast and when it’s time to flip the pancakes? By necessity, it must listen to every sound in the room to know when you’re addressing it or someone/thing else. It doesn’t know that internally, it must send all that information to another device to interpret your speech. Got one of those awesome robotic vacuums? In order to function, it must make a detailed map of your house. Guess, what, those manufacturers want to sell those maps to other companies. Let’s not forget that your TV is watching and listening to you even more intently than you are it!
This is not meant to be a treatise against technology. I confess, the Star Trek geek in me wants to use all these and more “smart” devices because they are so fascinating, convenient and cool! But for me, the price is far too high. Not the monetary cost (though it can be) but rather the cost of my privacy and liberty.