Beware: Tech Support Scams
This week I heard from several customers who had received phone calls from various technical support companies claiming that their computers were infected and that they could help fix them. There seems to a new rash of these scams so let’s put the word out; Do NOT give these callers access to your computer, your passwords, or financial information! They are trying to rob you.

How it Starts
The scam typically starts with a phone call from a person who claims to represent a technology firm, often Microsoft or other national company. They say that they know you’ve been having trouble with your computer and they are here to help. They might also say that Microsoft found a new vulnerability so they (Microsoft) “scanned” everyone’s computer for the infection and then had this company call the owners of the infected computers to remove the infection. These and other things are used to gain your trust and/or scare you into believing their story. Be aware that while these callers often have a foreign accent, more of them are coming from the US every day and may even be local.

The caller might ask you to perform certain functions on your computer or to set up a remote support session so they can remove the infection. They may also ask you to go to a specific website for them. Eventually they will get to the real reason for the call: money. They may try to sell you a one-time job, on ongoing subscription, a warranty, etc. all for phony services. While they may be after that one-time payment, they could also be after your credit card or bank account information.

What to Do If You Receive a Call
The easiest thing to do is hang up. As per Microsoft “You will never receive a legitimate call from Microsoft or our partners to charge you for computer fixes.” So when someone calls you out of the blue and tries to scare you into letting fix your PC, hang up.

If you do talk to them, under no circumstances should you allow them access to your computer. Do not give them any passwords, credit card numbers or financial information.

Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. If you are already on the list, go to the website and report an illegal sales call. Please keep in mind that Caller ID is often “spoofed” by these criminals, so it may show a local number or even that of a legitimate business. Again, the simplest “fix” to this problem is to hang up.

What to Do If You've Responded to The Scam
First, Don’t Panic! Instead you should call your trusted, local computer repair service (that’s us) so we can help you repair any damage that may have been done to your system. Second, if you provided a payment via credit card, contact your cardholder and tell them what happened. Credit card companies will often freeze that payment. You should also check your statement thoroughly for any other unauthorized charges and report them to your cardholder. Third, change any passwords that you gave out, if you use the same or similar password on any other accounts change those as well. If you gave out banking information or access codes to any financial accounts visit the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website and follow the instructions there. You can also file a complaint with the FTC.

Beware: The Refund Scam
Sometimes if you’ve paid for one of these scams they will call you back, usually a few weeks or months later to ask if you liked the service. When you tell them it was awful and to take a hike they may offer you a refund. This is really their second attempt to get your money or perhaps get updated information (if you changed cards) so they can rob you again. If you get a call like this, hang up and file a complaint with the FTC.

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Antivirus software is used to detect and prevent infections from occurring and also to remove infections once they occur. Not all antivirus programs are the same, nor do they all protect against all threats. Sometimes you’ll need another program, such as an antimalware or antispyware program to give you more complete protection. We’ll discuss some of the different software options below.

Free vs. Paid
This is a popular debate among both users and professionals. If you can get antivirus for free, why would you pay for it? The primary difference of paid/free antivirus software is the level of protection they offer. As we discussed last week there are many different types of threats out there; paid antivirus programs offer a greater level of protection against more threats than their free counterparts. Even so, a person can assemble a good defense by utilizing a variety of free products to compensate for any deficiencies.

Free Antivirus Options
Avast Antivirus Free Edition is the one we use for both our own computers as well as for many of our clients. For a number of months now, Avast is typically one of the top three antivirus programs in real-world effectiveness. Additionally, it doesn’t consume great amounts of RAM or CPU to operate, unlike some of the other options out there.

BitDefender Antivirus is also free for home users and like Avast is also in the top three. One of BitDefender’s claims to fame is that their home edition is very hands-off, meaning you don’t need to mess with any confusing settings to make it work well. Installation is a snap so it’s ready to go right out of the box.

Our last free antivirus recommendation is from AVG. AVG Antivirus Free provides decent protection, but tends to require a bit more setup to make it really good. It also scores lower in real-world tests than Avast or BitDefender.

Antivirus, Antimalware & Antispyware
Many security programs provide protection against the majority of online threats today, but not all of them provide complete protection. Typically the free versions of antivirus programs protect against viruses, Trojans and worms, but protection against adware, spyware, zero-hour attacks and other emerging threats may not be included unless you have a paid subscription. This is where other security programs come in handy.

Programs like Malwarebytes Antimalware are designed to find the threats missed by other antivirus programs. Malwarebytes provides protection against malware and spyware, and is NOT the same as your main antivirus protection. Your main antivirus software can run in conjunction with Malwarebytes, or other anti-malware and anti-spyware software, usually without complication. Both of them used together on your system would provide more complete protection than either of them by themselves.

It’s important to know precisely what sort of protection your antivirus software provides so that you can use other programs to fill in the gaps. Be aware that running two antivirus programs is not the same as running an antivirus program and antimalware program. Unlike the benefit that an antivirus plus antimalware combination can give, simultaneously running two antivirus software programs is detrimental. They can slow down your computer as they interfere with and handicap each other from being as effective. An example of this would be running AVG and Avast on the same system. Using them both would lead to numerous issues.

Paid Software
Although you can definitely use free software and be happy with it, there are some real benefits to a quality paid software. Some of these benefits are more inclusive protection from online threats, on-screen keyboards for secure websites like banks, identity theft protection, and social media security. You also tend to get better support from the developer when you’re a paying customer. This is handy if your system is infected or if you’re having trouble getting started with the software.

We realize this might be a little confusing to the average computer user. If you would like more information or just reassurance that your computer is adequately protected, give us a call and we’ll be happy to chat with you!

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Most computer users know that their computer could get infected, but what are these infections and what do they do? Malware is short for malicious software. This encompasses the vast world of viruses, worms, Trojans. etc.

Virus
First off, a virus is defined as malware that is self-replicating, which means it copies itself when executed. There are four typical methods that a virus takes to infect your computer. A resident virus will install itself into the operating system and run every time the computer boots. A non-resident virus will scan the hard drive and infect files. A macro virus will be attached to another file, such as a Word document or PDF file, and be executed when you open the infected file. Finally there are boot sector viruses that infect digital media like hard drives, flash drives, etc.

Trojan
A Trojan is generally a non-replicating form of malware that is designed to give someone else access to your computer without your knowledge. They are often disguised as legitimate or helpful programs in order to gain this access. Trojans may be acquired through email attachments or “drive-by-downloads,” where a compromised website clandestinely downloads the file to your computer.

Worm
A worm is malware program designed primarily to infect multiple computers by creating a cyber “pathway” by which other infections can be quickly spread. Worms create the “backdoor” through which a Trojan or virus can enter, but the devastating effect can be vast as the worm has already weakened the structure for the other malware to work destruction more easily.

Ransomware
Ransomware is malware that prevents you from using your computer or accessing files, unless you pay a ransom to release the lock. Some famous examples are the FBI Virus and Cryptolocker. Ransomware typically attacks via a Trojan or worm and then sets about restricting access to areas of your computer. Sometimes, ransomware will even attempt to scare or threaten you with supposed legal consequences, as in the case of the FBI Virus, or it may simply tell you that you can’t access your files until you pay X number of dollars. Encrypting ransomware such as Cryptolocker is very damaging, as there is no decryption key unless you pay the ransom.

Adware
Adware is short for advertising-supported software. Adware essentially pesters you with advertisements for a product in the hope that you will purchase it. Think of it as the salesman who won’t leave you alone. Some adware is legitimate, this is usually seen when you download a trial version of a program or perhaps a “free” piece of software. The program might be free to you but the person who wrote it still needs to earn income, this is done by selling advertising rights to other companies.

Spyware
Spyware, as its name implies, is used to spy on you. While spyware can be used to monitor system activity it is primarily used to gather information about the user and their habits, such as what websites they visit, what programs they use, how long they use the computer, etc. Tracking cookies, one form of spyware, are typically used by companies and advertising agencies to track web users. These cookies monitor where that user has gone, how long they stayed there and what else they clicked on. All of this (and other) information is then utilized to customize ads to that user. This is one way a website appears to know your name, or that you were looking for new boots. Sometimes companies are up front about their use of tracking cookies, many times they are not.  

This list is meant to be a summary of common computer infections, but is by no means exhaustive. The effects of malware infections are numerous and not always obvious. Some malware is truly harmful and malicious, while other malware is simply irritating or slows down your computer. Typical signs of infection are reduced system performance, error messages, popups, getting redirected to other web sites online, slow Internet, programs locking up or random activity. It is important to make sure your software is up to date and that you have a solid security suite running to keep you safe.

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You may feel a little lost when looking for a new computer. Here at Yellowstone Computing, we’re happy to help people find a computer that fits their needs. We’ll usually ask how you intend to use your computer, and what your budget is, and then give you suggestions based on those criteria. If you are in the market for a computer, here are some things you may wish to consider.

Mac or Windows
Although there are more operating systems than these, the greater majority of computer users in the US will go either with a Mac (Apple) or Windows (Microsoft) computer. While we won’t be discussing their many differences in this article, most people will opt for Windows. Macs are most often found in the media production field and certain office environments. In general, Windows-based computers are cheaper than Macs and this is a big reason why they comprise nearly 90% of the market vs Mac at roughly 7%.

Brand
While most people have a favorite brand, there usually isn’t a clear leader in terms of quality. Dell, HP, ASUS, Lenovo and Toshiba, are fairly comparable to each other. The better course is to base your decision on which companion has the right product at the right price to meet your needs. That being said, we are a Lenovo Business Partner and they are currently our preferred brand as they deliver quality products at reasonable prices.

Specs
This is usually the most significant factor in determining the price of your computer. If your computer is used primarily for the Web, email, documents and simple games then a more basic model will serve you well. If, however your needs are more demanding then you’ll want to get a more performance oriented computer. More performance will mean higher cost but if you need it, it will pay for itself.

Desktop, Laptop or Tablet
There is no “best” option here either, and your choice should be based on your needs. Tablets and laptops are great if you need portability. Desktops are still more cost effective but take up more space. Think about how and where you will be using your computer and whether you need increased portability or computing power or both. The form factor you choose will have a bearing on cost. A thin tablet or “ultrabook” laptop may be light-weight but carry a heavier price tag, as opposed to a desktop and even a traditional laptop design.

Price Tag
In the computer world, you usually get what you pay for. If you go for the bottom-dollar “economy” option, you may find it doesn’t perform great or it may have a shorter “lifespan” than you hoped. At the same time, you don’t need to go buying the most expensive system out there to get something that will do an adequate job for you.

While we are happy to sell you a new computer, our focus is on providing you with the best solution to meet your needs. If that means you keep your current computer, that’s good! If that means buying a used or refurbished system instead, that’s good too. We also don’t take offense if you want to get our input on what to look for in a new computer and choose to purchase it elsewhere. Yellowstone Computing is here to serve YOU first!

New Computer Tuneups
Computers used to be far more expensive than they are now. In addition to the decreasing cost of the components, computer manufacturers subsidize the cost of new computers by selling advertising space on them in the form of trial software. Some of these can be helpful, but most just take up space and annoy you with their ads. In the past these pre-installed programs also took a toll on performance. Most modern computers have enough horsepower to overcome this but it’s still annoying to have various programs asking you for money, even if they are legitimate. When you purchase a computer from Yellowstone Computing we remove these trial programs and make sure you’re set up with antivirus and other needed software.

So whether your current computer is in need of repair or replacement, or you just want to know what to look for in a new computer, know that Yellowstone Computing is here for YOU!

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Recently I became aware that Centurylink had completed some upgrades to their Thorp infrastructure that made faster Internet speeds available. I was ready to upgrade to faster service, and I wanted to test things out before recommending this upgrade to my customers, so I had my service upgraded.

CenturyLink has added VDSL (Very high bit rate Digital Subscriber Line) with speeds up to 40Mb download/5Mb upload to their services. Previously CenturyLink was providing ADSL (Asymmetric  Digital Subscriber Line) with a top speed of 10Mb download/.76Mb upload. Needless to say, this new capability will be a major boon to those customers that can access it. While your CenturyLink representative can get you specific details, I can tell you that the new service requires a new modem and new wiring outside your location, both of which are provided as part of your upgrade.

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On September 30th Microsoft announced that the forthcoming version of Windows, code named “Threshold,” would not be called “Windows 9,” but would skip a version and be called “Windows 10.” One speculation says that this is due to the significant changes from Windows 8. The Technical Preview edition became available for download to members of Microsoft’s “Insider Access” for testing and development on October 1. I downloaded the installation for testing purposes and installed it that same evening.

The first thing I noticed was the return of the Start Menu. You not only get access to your regular programs, as in previous versions of Windows, but you also see the new Windows Store apps. This means no more switching between the Desktop and Start Screen modes.

Windows Store apps can now be resized like traditional programs. In addition, the “Snapping” feature has been upgraded with more useful options when running multiple programs. In Windows 8, Store apps could only be in full screen unless snapped with another app. This was often frustrating when using them on a desktop. In Windows 10, Store Apps will also scale automatically to fit the area you’ve snapped them to.

Windows Search has been upgraded. Now when you search for an item, not only is your hard drive checked, but a web search is also initiated.

Windows 10 will also customize itself to your platform. If you have a desktop you’ll get the Start Menu by default. With a tablet, the Start Screen will be enabled until you dock the tablet on a keyboard when the Start Menu will take over.

The other big new feature is the addition of virtual desktops. With virtual desktops you can group different programs together, then switch to another desktop and open more apps for a different set of tasks. For instance, you could run one desktop with your works apps and another with a game or recreational apps.

So far, I find Windows 10 to be a great improvement over Windows 8, in terms of ease of use. The new and updated multi-tasking features are a boon for productivity, while the return of the Start Menu and adaptability to different hardware forms will make it easier than ever to use. Only time will tell which of these features remain in the final version, but Microsoft seems to be heading in the right direction!

So when will Windows 10 be available? Probably mid to late 2015. Microsoft also hasn’t hinted at pricing yet, so no word on whether there will be a special upgrade incentive as with Windows 8, or if it will be strictly retail.

If you’re feeling adventurous and you’d like to try Windows 10 for yourself, head over to the Microsoft Website and click the “Get Started” Button. I recommend doing this only on a secondary computer, as Windows 10 is still being developed. However, it’s a good way to see what might be coming and take part in shaping it.

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