Encryption viruses are becoming more common. A virus infects your computer, encrypts all your files, then holds them ransom for $300-$1000. We have had a number of clients hit by these and the only way to get your data back without paying the ransom is to have a current backup. Let IT Xpress help you with your backup needs, often for as little as $5/month. My ITXpert Premium clients get unlimited online backup as part of their package of system monitoring, remote support, and malware prevention. See http://myitxpert.biz/ for more information.

CryptoWall and DECRYPT_INSTRUCTION Ransomware Information Guide and FAQ
www.bleepingcomputer.com
This guide provides information and answers to frequently asked questions regarding the CryptoWall ransomware. It provides a break down of what this infection does, how it encrypts your data, and how you can recover your files.

This has been an unusual week for us at IT Xpress – we've had an extraordinary number of data recoveries. From 250GB hard drives to 3TB external disk drives and 4TB disk arrays. Storing data on an external drive is ONE layer of data security. But encryption viruses can wipe out every drive they can find – even ones mounted from other machines! So your backup strategy should always include an off-site backup. Our backup partner BackBlaze provides unlimited secure online backup for $5/month. See http://goo.gl/zKJjzX for more details and a free trial.

Beware of CryptoWall, a Virus That Knocked Out a Police Department's Computers – SocialTimes
socialtimes.com
Despite being given a threat ranking of very low, CryptoWall has spread, even infecting a New Hampshire police department.

Here at IT Xpress, we've found all sorts of creepy things inside PCs, but have to admit we've yet to find mice or frogs… Get your PC cleaned annually to ensure peak performance. Overheating is a top cause of premature hardware failure!

The Disgusting Things Found Inside PCs
seriouslyforreal.com
Pure gross… Disgusting things Found inside PCs…

Some great advice for our clients that use Yahoo for email! They are phasing out the login shield (sadly – it was a good feature), so you still have to rely on looking for the 'lock' in the address bar when you login. But two factor authentication is a must!

3 ways to make your Yahoo Mail account safer
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Following on from our detailed guide to securing your webmail, here's a quick breakdown of how to make the most important fixes, for users of Yahoo Mail.

If you've ever wondered how secure the apps you use to communicate are, the EFF has a handy report card that measures their security in various ways.

Secure Messaging Scorecard | Electronic Frontier Foundation
www.eff.org
Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?In the face of widespread Internet surveillance, we need a secure and practical means of talking to each other from our phones and computers. Many companies offer “secure messaging” products—but are these systems actually secure? We decided to fi…

If you've ever wondered how secure the apps you use to communicate are, the EFF has a handy report card that measures their security in various ways.

Secure Messaging Scorecard | Electronic Frontier Foundation
www.eff.org
Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?In the face of widespread Internet surveillance, we need a secure and practical means of talking to each other from our phones and computers. Many companies offer “secure messaging” products—but are these systems actually secure? We decided to fi…

Mac and iPhone users have always felt secure in the fact that infecting OSX and iOS is not easy. But it was only a matter of time before hackers developed toolsets that would allow them to compromise iMacs and iPhones. That time is now. If you aren't running antivirus on your Mac – you need to get one… Soon.

“Unprecendented” new strain of iOS, OSX malware discovered – SlashGear
www.slashgear.com
Just when you thought only Windows received the bulk of horrifying viruses and crapware, here comes WireLurker, a new family of malware, not even just a single

Mac and iPhone users have always felt secure in the fact that infecting OSX and iOS is not easy. But it was only a matter of time before hackers developed toolsets that would allow them to compromise iMacs and iPhones. That time is now. If you aren't running antivirus on your Mac – you need to get one… Soon.

“Unprecendented” new strain of iOS, OSX malware discovered – SlashGear
www.slashgear.com
Just when you thought only Windows received the bulk of horrifying viruses and crapware, here comes WireLurker, a new family of malware, not even just a single

Most website seals like this mean little in terms of how reliable or secure a website is. User reviews (if there are enough to outweigh the astroturf posts) are usually the best way to gauge a site's trust.

Why You Shouldn't Trust a Web Site's "Seal of Approval"
lifehacker.com
Chances are you've come across "seals of approval" on web sites at some point in your web browsing life. Whether it's a Better Business Bureau seal, a Norton Secured Seal, or the TRUSTe Certified seal, they seem like a good thing to watch out for. How-To Geek points out how wrong that is.

We often get asked to build computers for clients, which we happily do. But sometimes it's more fun to build one yourself. Here's an exhaustive guide that will teach you how to build a computer and what pitfalls to avoid. Looking for advice on what parts to get for a new computer, or need one built? Give us a call!

How to Build a Computer: The Complete Guide
lifehacker.com
Last week, we showed you how to build your own custom PC, from picking the parts, to putting it together and installing your OS. Here's the complete guide, along with a printable PDF version that you can use as a reference.

Scary stuff!!! Have a Happy Halloween!

As 3D scanning and reproductive technology improves as a breathtaking pace, what was once thought fantasy is quickly becoming reality. No, you won't be building an Iron Man suit any time soon – but this is an amazing setup for creative professionals.

HP’s Sprout PC is like a real version of Iron Man’s JARVIS
arstechnica.com
3D scanning PC melds the physical and the virtual.

For our many small business customers – getting listed on Google Maps is VERY important (and setting up Google My Business, even more so). But Apple Maps has a large user base and Apple just released a business listing service called Apple Maps Connect. Be sure to get your business added today! Having trouble? We can help! Just give us a call…

Apple Quietly Launched a Business Listings Service For Maps
gizmodo.com
In the immediate wake of all the iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite hubbub, Apple took a step in Yelp's direction by launching a new service called Apple Maps Connect. Like Yelp, Apple Maps Connect lets people add small business listings to a directory. Unlike Yelp, that entire directory lives inside Apple Map…

For our many small business customers – getting listed on Google Maps is VERY important (and setting up Google My Business, even more so). But Apple Maps has a large user base and Apple just released a business listing service called Apple Maps Connect. Be sure to get your business added today! Having trouble? We can help! Just give us a call…

Apple Quietly Launched a Business Listings Service For Maps
gizmodo.com
In the immediate wake of all the iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite hubbub, Apple took a step in Yelp's direction by launching a new service called Apple Maps Connect. Like Yelp, Apple Maps Connect lets people add small business listings to a directory. Unlike Yelp, that entire directory lives inside Apple Map…

Beware! A new vulnerability affecting most Windows computers is already being used by hackers. The primary method of compromise if via Office documents – namely Powerpoint. If you open an Office document and you get the popup asking to make changes to the computer (UAC prompt) – click NO! There is also a hotfix available until Microsoft releases a security update to fix the problem (https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3010060)

Windows 0-day exploited in ongoing attacks, temporary workarounds offered
www.net-security.org
Microsoft is warning users about a new Windows zero-day vulnerability that is being actively exploited in the wild and is primarily a risk t…