If you have an ASUS laptop, make sure that the ASUS live update utility is either up to date or removed completely from your computer.

A backdoor was recently discovered in this software(patched now in the newest version) that has effected people for several months.

ASUS offers a tool to see if your computer has been effected by this backdoor(According to ASUS the backdoor only targeted laptops). You can download it here:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/nb/Apps_for_Win10/ASUSDiagnosticTool/ASDT_v1.0.1.0.zip

If you were effected, I recommend updating the software or removing it from your computer. Then you should change all of your passwords

Computer Solutions 

Zachary Carter 

(916) 209-0134

www.suncitycomputersolutions.com

robocalls explained

      If you’ve ever answered a call from anyone outside your contact list only to hear a recorded message playing back at you, you have just been robocalled. Unfortunately for consumers, this happens several times a day, seven days a week. This is beyond annoying, and it’s getting worse.

Equifax aftermath: How to protect against identity theft

     Who here is scrambling around in the aftermath of the recent breach at Equifax to figure out if you’ve been compromised? Who here is wondering what to do about it if you are? If you’re one of the 143 million Americans whose data was accessed by cybercriminals, then you probably raised your hand.

Equifax breach: What you need to know

     On July 29, 2017, Equifax discovered that attackers had gained unauthorized access to private data belonging to an estimated 143 million Americans by exploiting a vulnerability in a website application. According to Equifax, online criminals maintained their presence from mid-May through July 2017 and had access to:

• Names
• Social Security numbers
• Birth dates
• Addresses
• Driver’s license numbers (in some cases)
• Credit card numbers (for approx. 209,000 U.S. consumers)

It also said that some personal information for certain UK and Canadian residents was part of this breach.

     This is obviously bad news for consumers and it will only increase the lack of trust they have towards corporations that collect and store their data. It also serves as a reminder that there are ways to be proactive and exercise your right to have access to your information and put certain restrictions in place to make identity theft harder.

     Equifax is offering a free identity theft protection and credit file monitoring to all of its U.S. customers while still investigating the intrusion, working along with a private firm and law enforcement. More information about this breach and how to apply for ID theft protection can be found by going to equifaxsecurity2017.com, a website Equifax has just set up.

*By signing up for this service you give up your right to file in a class action lawsuit. I recommend doing a fraud alert with TransUnion instead of using this Equifax service.   

Back to school cybersecurity tips for parents and kids

     The time to start the new school year has just started and the excitement and anxiety may be tangible. Ads for back-to-school gear start as early as July, increasing in frequency and urgency until the kids step foot on the bus. And while they may not be begging you for new pencils and erasers, chances are they’ll turn on the puppy dog–eyed charm when it comes to new tech.

     Handing your young one their very own mobile device—a laptop, usually—that they can use in their studies almost seems like a rite of passage. In their hands is the first step toward independence. It’s also a way of letting them take on some responsibilities for themselves. Parents, this isn’t to say you are leaving them entirely to their own devices. It’s important to lay down some ground rules—especially when it comes to security.

     To that effect, we’re providing you with a cybersecurity checklist you can use to prepare your children for the coming school year.

Something’s phishy: How to detect phishing attempts

"Dear you,

 It appears you need to update your information. Click here to tell us all your secrets.

 No really, it’s totally safe. We’re not going to steal your identity, we swear."

If only phishing attempts were that obvious.

     Modern-day phishing campaigns use stealthy techniques to target people online and trick them into believing their messages are legitimate. Yet for all its sophistication, phishing relies on one thing: trust. Detecting a phish, in its various forms, then requires you to hone a healthy level of skepticism when receiving any kind of digital communication, be it email, text, or even social media message. In order to understand how we got here, let’s go back to the first instance of phishing.

3, 2, 1, GO! Make backups of your data!

     With the recent proliferation of ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts your data and holds it hostage until payment is received, what should be done to protect valuable data?

Tech support scams: what are other people doing?

     We’ve talked a lot about tech support scams over the past few years, typically focused on what we see ourselves. But tech support scams are much bigger than that, targeting every tech company under the sun. So what are other people doing about it? Let’s take a look at some of the other players working to keep you safe.

Mac security facts and fallacies

     There are many Mac security myths circulating among users. So how can you tell if the advice you’re reading is fact or fallacy? Read on to find out!

Free antivirus coupon leads to tech support scam

     In a previous blog posts, we explained how tech support scams and malvertising work. This time we take a look at a clever ruse to trick you into calling for assistance, and ultimately getting scammed.

Understanding the basics of two-factor authentication

     Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the least complex version of multi-factor authorization (MFA) and was invented to add an extra layer of security to the – now considered old-fashioned and insecure – simple login procedure using a username and a password. Given the number of leaked login credentials for various websites (Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter to name a few), this extra layer is very much needed. One of the most well-known examples will occur when you try to login on a site from a different machine or from a different location (resulting in a different IP). With 2FA-enabled login procedures, you may receive a text message providing you with a verification code. That code is needed to complete the login procedure.

Wi-Fi Security: 101

     For anyone that travels, uses their phone in public, or stays constantly connected to the internet anywhere they go—which probably means you, Wi-Fi security should be a top priority. This day and age, we use wireless internet connection anywhere we can find, but often times, don’t think about the dangers of jumping on a public network and getting hacked. The term “hack” and “data breach” seem to be more common than ever, in the news and media—and there’s a reason for that. The increase of mobile device usage and connected technologies everywhere have been a blessing and a new curse because it has indirectly made your information and devices more susceptible. Here’s the 101 on Wi-Fi security and what you can do to keep the personal information stored on your mobile devices, well, personal.

10 easy ways to prevent malware infections

     We told you how to tell if you’re infected with malware. How about how to stop the infection from happening in the first place?

     Yes, it’s possible to clean up an infected computer and fully remove malware from your system. But the damage from some forms of malware, like ransomware, cannot be undone. If they’ve encrypted your files and you haven’t backed them up, that's it. So your best defense is to beat the bad guys at their own game.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

     Cybersecurity awareness has never been more important than it is right now. Governments, businesses, and individuals are increasingly under attack by cybercriminals looking for profit or political gain. It seems like everywhere you look, malware attacks are on the rise, from cyberespionage attempts on mobile phones to ransomware attacks on businesses. The topic even received national attention in the first presidential debate, where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton said, “I think cybersecurity will be one of the biggest challenges facing the next president.”

Multiple scam centers raided in India for IRS fraud

     Over 600 fake call center employees in the municipality of Mira Road in Maharashtra, India were detained early last week for suspicion of conducting fraudulent or scam calls to US taxpayers while posing as IRS agents, according to the Indian Times. More than 70 of the 600 have already been arrested. The Crime Branch of the Thane Police Department conducted a raid late Tuesday night until the early hours of Wednesday morning.

What is Malvertising?

     here at Computer Solutions we aim of helping Internet users become a bit more aware of the latest tricks that criminals are using to catch you out. Hopefully, this means you will be a bit safer online.

How to tell if you’re infected with malware

 

      Picture this: you start your computer and wait. And wait. And wait some more. When your desktop finally shows its face, things don’t get any better. Your Internet is sluggish, your programs are taking forever to load, and your cursor is dragging 20 seconds behind your mouse. You might have tried to open too many programs at once. Or…You might be infected.

Do I really need anti-malware for my Mac?

       One tall tale that does not get tackled often is that Macs are impervious to malware, so you needn’t worry about cybersecurity solutions. Antivirus and anti-malware protection is for the PCs.

We’re here to bust that myth today.

Should you store your data in the cloud?

     It’s pretty simple to understand where a file goes when you save it on your PC. It lives on your hard drive, possibly housed in a set of folders you’ve created and organized yourself. That file is only stored on your computer, unless you decide to email it to yourself or save it on an external hard drive or USB.

Now what about the cloud?

Tis the season for identity theft!

     Tis the season for filing your taxes. Tis also the season for getting your identity stolen. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission saw a nearly 50 percent increase in identity theft complaints in 2015. Of those complaints, almost half were related to tax or wage identity theft. The IRS also reported a huge increase in tax-related ID theft in 2015—about 2.5 times the number in 2014. All this is to say: Identity theft is a problem that’s not going away.

     As is the case with all cybersecurity, the best way to protect yourself from threats of the stolen identity variety is to make yourself aware. By knowing the basic who, what, when, where, why, and how, you’ll be far less likely to fall victim to identity theft. So let’s start from the top.