Once a virus has total control of your computer, it can do *anything*. Lately we've seen viruses causing MUCH more damage to computers than in the past. Now hackers are locking up all of a user's data and ransoming it. What would you pay to get your life's photos back? How sure are you your computer is secure? Do you backup? Use a cloud account? Stop by IT Xpress with your computer and we can ensure it's as secure as possible and give you ideas on how to better protect your data. Like if you are worried about your system's security and share with your friends!

Anonymous ransomware – but who is hiding behind this malware's mask?
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
£100 is demanded as payment in order to gain access back to your files. You only have 24 hours to pay up. And the people who are holding your data hostage claim to be part of Anonymous..

Be careful with PDF files and only open those you expect from colleagues. This vulnerability has NOT been patched yet and is sure to be exploited soon. If you use Google Chrome, it does not use Adobe Reader – instead it uses a built in PDF reader which can be more secure. Like if you have tried Google Chrome's PDF feature and share with your friends to keep them secure! We've had a LOT of infected systems come in recently that are severely damaged and are taking MUCH longer to recover than usual.

Adobe Reader zero-day exploit thwarts sandboxing
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
The vulnerability is selling for up to $50K on the black market, security researchers say, and has been included in a package of banking Trojans called the Blackhole Exploit Kit, which is the most …

We're so excited to announce that IT Xpress can now manage your online advertising! As part of the Google Engage program, we're now able to manage your Google online advertising. Even better – we can get you $100 in *free* advertising when you partner with us! Did you know choosing the wrong keywords can waste advertising money? Do you wonder what some of those Analytics charts are really showing? Do you wish you had time to review your ad campaigns and judge which keywords are bringing you leads and customers? Now you can let US worry about that. We'll learn about your business, come up with an initial set of keywords and ads, manage your campaign, provide monthly updates and reports, and all for a very low monthly fee. With the holidays coming up, now is the time to make sure your business can be seen online (and on mobile devices!) We also can manage Facebook advertising, Google Places/Maps pages, Foursquare, Yelp, and more! Contact us for more information! Like if you plan to advertise online this year and share with your business colleagues!

I rarely post links for products, but being a big Acer customer (I have probably 7 of their LCD screens between home and the shop), this was one I wanted to share. A new 20" LED backlit monitor. $99 with free shipping using the listed promo code (You HAVE to enter the code when you check out) These will go fast! Share with your friends if you think they'd like to upgrade their PC monitor!

Newegg.com – Acer G206HLBbd (UM.DG6AA.B01) Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LED Monitor 200 cd/m2 ACM 100,00
www.newegg.com
Buy Acer G206HLBbd (UM.DG6AA.B01) Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LED Monitor 200 cd/m2 ACM 100,000,000:1 (600:1) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

Now THIS is how you do Halloween at an IT Shop! Happy Halloween everyone!

Office Pics
Well, our candy bowl is ready. Hopefully some trick-or-treaters show up before these CPUs go bad.
Images taken around the offices of Maximum PC.

Just another reminder to all our FB Fans to make sure you keep Windows, Java, Adobe Flash, and Adobe Reader up to date! We are buried in infected computers with extremely difficult infections taking much longer than usual to remove. When you see the popup from Oracle or Adobe, update!!!

If you get Windows 8, but don't want to be forced into using Bing, here is how to get Google back.

Maximum PC
www.maximumpc.com
One URL is all is takes to easily add Google back to Windows 8.

Windows 8 is finally here and it's a drastic change from previous versions of Windows. Here is a primer on what the future holds…

Windows 8 Survival Guide: All the Tips, Tricks, and Workarounds
gizmo.do
Windows 8 officially launched yesterday, and starting today, Microsoft's army touchscreen devices are making their way into people's hands. It's a huge change from what you're used to.

If you take a lot of pictures and like to add effects and text to them, this is the program for you. Originally for the iPhone and Android, it is now available as a desktop client. So everyone can shoot pictures and draw on them. Like if you can use this and share with your friends!

Skitch for Windows Desktop and Skitch for Windows 8 Are Here!
blog.evernote.com
Get the latest on all things Evernote. Check out our tips, news, and cool ways people are making their world more notable.

Free software can be extremely useful, but many come with 'Addons' that at best are useless and at worst are tracking every move you make online and selling that information to advertisers. At IT Xpress when we tuneup systems, this is on of the most labor intensive steps – identifying and removing all the toolbars and useless addon software that has accumulated on a computer. This article gives a number of hints on how to avoid these accidental installs. Like if you regularly skip junkware and share with your friends to help them avoid it too!

How to install freeware cleanly – a catalog of the most dubious crapware installation methods — free
www.freewaregenius.com
The internet has brought about an explosion of free software that seems to just keep going strong. A lot of people wonder why so many people create and put out high quality software out there for free, and I am

You never know what kind of unexpected repair you'll see late on a Friday. The computer inside the jukebox at Fourth Street Bootleggers went out and needed some urgent repairs so they'd have plenty of tunes this weekend. You should swing by for a fantastic atmosphere in downtown Mebane! We don't just fix laptops and desktops here at IT Xpress!

So many spam/virus emails are obviously not the real thing, but many look completely legitimate. ALWAYS watch the status bar at the bottom of your browser when you hover over a link to see where it REALLY goes. Like if you always check before you click!

Warning: Here are three emails you don't want to see in your inbox
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Spammers are disguising their emails to pretend to come from YouTube, Google and LinkedIn.

At IT Xpress we hold our user's privacy in the highest regard (and can wipe old hard drives if you need). We will provide purchase receipts for any part installed on request and provide detailed service reports including serial numbers of all installed parts. After all virus cleanings we archive detailed logs showing what was found. And when you pickup your computer you get the complete service log and computer that is running much better than it was. We may take a little longer than some shops, but we make sure your computer is completely clean and running smooth.

Beware dodgy computer repair work – your data is at risk along with your wallet
nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Passing off old as new is dishonest in any industry – but it's more dangerous in some than in others. Hard disks may not wear out like chainsaw blades or cam belts – it's not what they may have …

Adobe just released Adobe Reader 11 (XI). This is a significant upgrade and should be installed by anyone with Adobe Reader installed. Most importantly, choose 'Install Updates Automatically' when prompted to ensure your version of Adobe Reader stays current. This can help prevent virus infections. Like if you've already updated and share with your friends to help keep them safe online!

Adobe bolsters Reader, Acrobat XI security
www.computerworld.com
The recently launched Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat XI come with new security features and an improved sandbox that will make the products harder to attack and exploit.

You know the idea of the ChromeBook was always a little odd – the idea of storing all your stuff in the 'Cloud'. Then I realized I was doing that already with GoogleDrive and SugarSync… For $250? It's NOT windows, but if all you use your laptop for is Office documents, email, web browser, and playing movies/games… This could be an excellent laptop for many on a budget… Like if you think $250 is a great price and share with your friends!

Google Chrome Blog: The new Chromebook, for everyone
chrome.blogspot.com