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Kaspersky Lab reports that is has seen a new variant of the gpcode ransomware. Gpcode.ak is an encryptor-virus which uses 1,024 bit encryption to lock down all data on an infected hard drive. The infected machine then shows this popup:

Translation - if you get infected, you are, um… in trouble. Kaspersky has cracked previous variants of this virus in a relatively short period of time. However, this encryption is twice as strong as previous versions, so don’t hold your breath waiting for it to be cracked.

Ransomware is not a new phenomenon, but this one is the worst threat to date. As we have warned before, BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN OPENING E-MAIL ATTACHMENTS. Especially .doc, .txt, .pdf, .xls, .jpg, .png, .cpp, .h. Kaspersky also has some guidelines to follow if you do become infected by gpcode.ak:

Contact Kaspersky Lab using another computer connected to the Internet. DO NOT RESTART or POWER DOWN the potentially infected machine.

Write to Kaspersky at: stopgpcode@kaspersky.com with the following information included in the email:

* Date & Time of infection
* Everything done on the computer in the 5 minutes before the machine was infected, including:
o Programs executed
o Websites visited

Kaspersky will then try to help.

Make sure you have a strong anti-malware program running and that you keep it up-to-date (ie. daily). Do not turn if off because it makes your computer run slow and do not run more than 1 anti-virus program on any one machine.

So you have 2 PCs or maybe even 10 PCs in your business. Each person has their own files on their PCs and makes changes to those files when necessary. Though, what if you have files that need to be shared by everyone (or even certain people) in the business? What if multiple people need to make changes to a single file? Things can easily get tangled pretty quickly. Causing time wasted by emailing files back and forth and making sure the person received it, etc…  This is where having a network and a NAS comes in handy.

What is NAS? Otherwise known as a Network Attached Storage Drive, a NAS is basically a hard drive that can be accessed anywhere in your business, wirelessly and even remotely. Being able to work on files from home is always nice. :c) With a NAS, data can be centrally stored and set up with permissions for either all or certain users in your business. This way, files may be shared with ease, both instantly and efficiently. Another great thing about a NAS is that it is easily backed up so that your data is safe and your PCs don’t even have to be on overnight.

If you are interested in having either  a network, a NAS drive, or both set up for your business, please send me an email and I will give you all of the details.   

After using your PC for a while you may notice that it seems to take longer and longer to start up. This can be extremely annoying, especially if all you want to do is turn on your PC for a quick peek at your bank account or quickly gather some information from a letter or email. So, something that may take a minute to do, will now take 10 minutes because your PC has to load up all of those programs at startup. Having a quick-start option just for these reasons would be fantastic. Come on Microsoft!!! As of now, I will show you how to minimize those start-up times to get them closer to being acceptable.

1. For XP: Click Start -> Click Run -> Type msconfig -> Press Enter

   For Vista: Click Windows button ->In the search area, Type msconfig -> Press Enter

2. You will notice the System Configuration Utility pop-up.

3. Click on the Startup tab

4. This lists every program that starts up with Windows

5. Very carefully sort through the list. Some of it may not make sense. For example in XP: Apple’s Quicktime program is actually called “qttask“. To disable this program from starting up, uncheck the box beside “qttask” -> Click Apply -> Restart the computer. To see a better description of each file, expand the width of the “Command” column, up near the Startup tab. I recommend only unchecking one item at a time, to make sure that nothing goes wrong during the next restart. Please be extra careful with this, as some of these files are necessary for either Windows to work correctly or maybe even your corporate software.

If you have any questions, or are hesitant on doing this, please email me and I will gladly help you through the process.

The latest and most annoying piece of spyware released is called SpyBossPro. This piece of software is pretty sneaky and could cause plenty of headaches for the end user. As a piece of spyware, SpyBossPro will actually record your keystrokes (like when you type in your credit card information), record all web sites visited, take screenshots at regular intervals, as well as send all of this information to a predetermined email address. It does all of this in the background, so you will not even know it’s happening.

So please, keep your Anti-Virus programs up to date. They will detect this nasty piece of software if it is on your machine, or trying to enter your machine and save you many headaches in the future.  

Pretty cool idea, I think. Microsoft will pay you to use its search engine when you buy your item through a qualified vendor. Get the details here on our web blog.