It’s almost time to retire your Windows XP computer. On April 8, Microsoft will stop patching Windows XP with security updates. This means that it could be insecure computer when connected to the Internet. XP has lived a good life. But if you’re still running it on an old computer, consider upgrading. Now you have
Read More »
We’ve seen a recent rise in “ransomware” that infects and encrypts computers, then demands money for you to get your data back. I reported back in March 2011 having seen ransomware demanding $200. Today, it is asking for $300 within 10 hours. The name of the virus is CryptoLocker. The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team has
Read More »
Flashback Flashback is the first malware (malicious software or virus) for the Mac that people should worry about. It can infect computers through a vulnerability in Java. It’s estimated that 600,000 Macs have been infected, about 1% of Macs in use. Flashback collects personal information such as bank and login information. To see if your
Read More »
Microsoft recently released Microsoft Safety Scanner, a simple on-demand virus scanning tool that works happily alongside other virus protection software. For example, you can use it alongside the always-running anti-virus offered by Microsoft Security Essentials.
Viruses Abound Every week I remove viruses from Windows computers. Here’s a common scenario: Someone gets a fake alert like this and realizes that they have a virus. When they call me, I tell them to turn off the computer. This is because a virus can continue to inflict more damage. It can install other
Read More »