Sometimes computers do wacky things that ring alarm bells and make us dive for cover. Next thing you know, you’re running scans on repeat and demanding everyone come clean about their browsing habits. Fortunately, not all weird occurrences are caused by viruses – sometimes your computer is simply overloaded, overheating or in desperate need of a reboot. Here are the tell-tale signs of a malware attack:

1. Bizarre Error Messages
Look for messages popping up from nowhere that make no sense, are poorly worded or plain gibberish – especially if they’re about a program you don’t even have. Take note of anti-virus warnings too, check the warning is from YOUR anti-virus software and looks like it should. If a message pops up that isn’t quite right, don’t click. Not even to clear or cancel the message. Close the browser or shut down the computer instead, then run a full scan with YOUR anti-virus program.

2. Suddenly Deactivated Anti-virus/Malware Protection
You know the best way to get past the guard? Send him for a coffee break! Certain viruses are programmed to take out the security systems first, leaving you open to infection. If you reboot and your protections aren’t back on the job, you are more than likely under attack. Attempt to start the anti-virus manually and you’ll know for sure. 

3. Social Media Messages You Didn’t Send
Are your friends replying to messages you never wrote? Your login details might have been hacked and your friends are now being tricked into giving up personal information or money. Change your password immediately, and advise your friends of the hack.

4. Web Browser Acting Up
Perhaps you’ve noticed your homepage has changed, it’s using an odd search engine or opening/redirecting to unwanted sites. If your browser has gone rogue, it’s definitely a virus, usually one intended to steal your personal or financial details. Skip the online banking and email until your scans come up clear and everything is working normally again.

5. Sluggish Performance
If your computer speed has dropped, boot up takes an eternity and even moving the mouse has become a chore, it’s a sign that something is wrong. But not necessarily a virus. Run your anti-virus scan and if that resolves it, great. If not, your computer likely needs a tune-up or other repair.

6. Constant Computer Activity
You’re off the computer but the hard drive is going nuts, the fans are whirring, and the network lights are flashing like a disco? It’s almost like someone IS using the computer! Viruses and malware attacks use your computer resources, sometimes even more than you do. Take note of what’s normal, and what’s not.

​Credit reporting company Equifax has just revealed that its databases were hacked in a large-scale breach affecting millions across the US, UK & Canada. While no hacking event is ever good news, some are easier to ignore than others – this isn’t one of them. The sensitive nature of the exposed data now requires immediate action for all those even possibly affected.
The short version: Equifax is one of the three main organizations in the US that manages & calculates credit scores. To do that effectively, they have access to almost every piece of financial data for adults in the country, plus pretty much anyone who’s lived/worked in the US. We’re talking social security, tax file numbers, drivers’ license, credit card numbers…the big stuff. On July 29, Equifax disclosed the breach, stating that hackers had repeatedly gotten in through a vulnerability in the web application from mid-May to July of this year.
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If you’re an Equifax customer: As scary as all that sounds, what’s done is done. Equifax, cyber-security experts & law enforcement officials are on the case, working to minimize the long-term damage.
The best action now is to protect yourself against fallout:
 
1. Go to: https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/ to see if your data may have been affected.
There was some news that this site was delivering random results, but Equifax announced it has been corrected. At this stage, it’s safest to assume everyone with a credit history has been impacted, so unless that link gives a definite ‘no you’re safe’ response, continue with the following recommendations.

2. Claim the Equifax free year of credit monitoring & identity theft insurance (if you’re a US resident).
If you’re not eligible, consider sourcing your own. As the hacked data will continue to circulate for some time, also consider extending your credit monitoring for a few more years.

3. Keep a close eye on your finances and accounts.
Check for notifications of new credit applications, monitor your statements and bills, and immediately report any suspicious activity or sudden change in billing.

4. Change all your passwords to be strong, unique and long.
Any of the stolen data may give hackers a free pass into the rest of your bank accounts, email and personal information. 

5. Add two-factor authentication where possible.
This is when an account demands a second layer of authentication before allowing access or changes – getting the password correct isn’t enough, the hacker would also need to get the special code sent by SMS.

6. Consider freezing your credit report.
This makes it harder for identity thieves to open accounts under your name, as access is completely restricted until you choose to un-freeze.

Guest post by Catalin Cimpanu @ BleepingComputer.com
It was disclosed this past Monday (September 18th) that the popular cleaning utility CCleaner had been compromised by currently unknown threat actor that modified CCleaner to include the Floxif malware. CCleaner is made by Piriform, a company which was acquired by Avast (makers of the popular Avast Antivirus) in July of this year. Details of this incident are included below. If you are using CCleaner on your PC(s), you should either update to the current version or remove it. As always, if you require assistance, give us a call! – Yellowstone Computing

CCleaner Compromised to Distribute Malware for Almost a Month
Version 5.33 of the CCleaner app offered for download between August 15 and September 12 was modified to include the Floxif malware, according to a report published by Cisco Talos. Floxif is a malware downloader that gathers information about infected systems and sends it back to its C&C (Command and Control) server. The malware also had the ability to download and run other binaries, but at the time of writing, there is no evidence that Floxif downloaded additional second-stage payloads on infected hosts. The malware collected information such as computer name, a list of installed software, a list of running processes, MAC addresses for the first three network interfaces (to identify other devices on the network), and unique IDs to identify each computer in part. Researchers noted that the malware only ran on 32-bit systems. The malware also quit execution if the user was not using an administrator account.

Threat Actor Compromised CCleaner Infrastructure
Cisco Talos security researchers detected the tainted CCleaner app last week while performing beta testing of a new exploit detection technology. Researchers identified a version of CCleaner 5.33 making calls to suspicious domains. While initially, this looked like another case where a user downloaded a fake, malicious CCleaner app, they later discovered that the CCleaner installer was downloaded from the official website and was signed using a valid digital certificate. Cisco Talos believes that a threat actor might have compromised Avast's supply chain and used its digital certificate to replace the legitimate CCleaner v5.33 app on its website with one that also contained the Floxif trojan. It is unclear if this threat actor breached Avast's systems without the company's knowledge, or the malicious code was added by "an insider with access to either the development or build environments within the organization."

Clean CCleaner Versions Released
Avast bought Piriform — CCleaner's original developer — in July this year, a month before CCleaner 5.33 was released. Piriform acknowledged the incident in a blog post today. The company said they found the malware in CCleaner version 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud version 1.07.3191. On September 13, Piriform released CCleaner 5.34 and pushed an update (v1.07.3214) to CCleaner Cloud users that do not contain the malicious code.

Updating to Recent Versions Removes Malware
In an email to Bleeping Computer, Avast CTO Ondrej Vlcek said that updating CCleaner to the most recent versions fixes any issues, as "the only malware to remove is the one embedded in the CCleaner binary itself." "The affected software (CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191) has been installed on 2.27M machines from its inception up until now," Vlcek also added. "We believe that these users are safe now as our investigation indicates we were able to disarm the threat before it was able to do any harm." "There is no indication or evidence that any additional "malware" has been delivered through the backdoor," Vlcek added.

Technical details about the Floxif malware's mode of operation, infection process, and indicators of compromise are available in a Cisco Talos report at http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2017/09/avast-distributes-malware.html.
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Article updated with link to Piriform blog post. Updated article for a second time with response from Avast CTO. An earlier version of this article referenced a tweet suggesting that other parts of the Avast network might be compromised. Avast investigated the issue and discovered that someone used its VPN service to send ransomware-laced spam.

Well, it depends, mostly on who you’re asking! The Big Blue Box store salesman will always recommend a new one, but when you get down to the nitty gritty with a trained technician, you’ll often discover you have more (and cheaper) options than you thought.
Start by taking stock of what you’ve got. Sometimes an upgrade simply isn’t worth the trouble and it’s painfully obvious. For example, if your car is 20 years old, demands a constant supply of spare parts and you sometimes move it like Fred Flintstone… then it’s time to replace the rust-bucket! However, if your car is decently modern and in reasonably good condition but happens to stall at stop signs, a few quick fixes can be just what the mechanic ordered.

This is how we apply the analogy to a computer: If the computer is less than five years old, is running Windows 7 or 8 and works reliably then upgrading it may be a worthwhile investment. If the computer is 5 years old or more however, then you’re far less likely to get a good return on the investment of new parts and you’re better off investing in a new computer.
If your computer does need to be replaced, chances are you already know this. But if you’re not sure and some days it could go either way, this will help. We’ve put together a list of the most common upgrades and the impact they’ll have.

Video Card Upgrade: It might not be your computer that’s getting old. Instead, games are getting more and more demanding. The days of stick-figure animations are gone and lifelike 3D is the new normal. With that improved experience comes a huge strain on your computer’s resources. If you have a gamer in the house, you can often turbo-charge your computer with a single component – a new video card. For hardcore gamers, this is actually a necessity, as some new games refuse to install if the video requirements aren’t met. Do you love smooth animations and responsive gameplay? Then a new video card may be the upgrade you need!

Hard Drive Upgrade: New hard drives are a popular upgrade, both in size and speed. Running out of space is less of a problem now, but speed is a major concern. You’ve no doubt sat there twiddling your thumbs and urging a file to hurry up and copy. Many people will upgrade to an SSD (Solid State Drive) that has zero moving parts and can find/transfer data in a flash. They even make booting up lightning fast! And you’ll have the option of keeping your old drive for general storage, complete with all your existing data. If storage is more important than speed, then upgrading to a larger hard disc drive may be the upgrade for you.

Memory/RAM Upgrade: Some cheaper computers are under-powered from day 1. In truth, most of the ones in the department store could use at least an extra 4GB of oomph!  Sometimes though, even a great computer falls behind as new applications come out and need more resources. Adding extra memory can revive your existing computer and set it up for a couple more years of happiness.

Where to Draw The Line: There are other upgrades to consider, such as the CPU (basically the brain); and the motherboard that all the parts plug into… but once you’re in that territory, it really is time to go for a full replacement. You’ll save money by getting a computer that meets your needs and can grow with you.

Is your computer letting you down? Give us a call at 715-255-0325 to help you with upgrading or selecting a new computer.