Drive-by Virus's On The Rise, But Not New

Well last night I saw a news article on Fox about Facebook status messages that are linked to a site that downloads viruses to your computer. This drive by attack is not new. MySpace users have faced it for years with injection code in themes and advertisements. Back in 2006 there was an attack on MySpace users through a flash vulnerability where user accounts were hijacked and menus were inserted. Yahoo and AOL chat users get regularly attacked with links to malware sites. The first and best advise I have for my customers is use trusted anti-virus and spyware software.

Free Trustable Solutions:
AVG
Avast
Avira
Spybot S&D 

I use all 4 of those on my own system, My parents computers, and my customers systems. With all the malicious website out there you cant afford to trust bloated antivirus software that admits that they do not look for even one half of the virus's they used to. 

Even While writing this another drive by site was formed with a sensationalized news headline about a Hollywood Icon Killed in a Car Crash and spread by Twitter and Facebook users. So new ones are formed as soon as the old are caught and removed. Do Not Let Your Guard Down Ever.

Steven Young
Technician Supervisor
S.a.A. Computer Repair
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IE Flaw leads to Intrusion at Major Companies

Well here we are again, Due to bad code in Internet Explorer 30 some companies including Google, Adobe and Microsoft themselves were compromissed. What were tha hackers after? What else customer data, I know times are tough but come on people you dont need to be stealing other peoples identities to survive. Just go get  real job. If you dont want a real one, I know write something to actually fix the problem you found and exploited and sell it to Microsoft. if your good enough to write bad code, I am sure your good enough to write good code to, and hey, not get locked up in a fedral penetentary without being alloewed to touch a computer again. That would mean oh, I dont know, maybe only working construction or Burger King forever. I know what I say wont change thier minds but I am still entitled to My Opinion. For all of you out there dont forget to keep your Automatic Updates on I am sure a patch will be released Tuesday or soon at least to cover this flaw.

Steven Young
Technician Supervisor
S.a.A. Computer Repair
steven@saacomputer . com
Cell 503-851-6977
OnForce Tech ID #46721
Field Sollutions Tech #44922

http://www.saacomputer.com

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Wordpress Owners Beware

There is an attack directed at sites using Wordpress as of lately. Read the whole story here http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2009/11/30/distributed-wordpress-admin-account-cracking/ and make sure your up to date on your patches.

Tech Support Scams.

They claim to be Internet security watchdogs offering help with a computer virus you mistakenly downloaded. Their real intention: to get remote access to your files.

It’s the “tech support scam,” a ruse that has made headlines overseas and now is quietly targeting computer users in this country.

It starts with a phone call from someone claiming to be from a software provider such as Microsoft, Norton or McAfee, or your computer’s manufacturer. (Other callers say they represent Support on Click, a firm based in India.) You are told that your computer has a virus and may be in danger of losing all stored data, but the caller can help avoid that—if you follow his instructions.
Don’t take the bait.
“What they usually try to do is get you to download software that they say will fix the virus,” says Paul Aziz, who runs a computer repair business in Lebanon, Ore., and teaches older users about Internet security at Linn-Benton Community College.
“What that software really does is give them remote access to your computer and everything on it—your passwords, online banking accounts, everything.”
In some cases, users are directed to the website www.logmein123.com, which gives the hackers remote access to your computer, allegedly to “fix the problem.” Or they may ask you to provide your user name and password.

How are users targeted? Their names and phone numbers can be accessed from online telephone directories. Some calls may be made with an auto-dialer that calls numbers in sequence.
Charlotte Brooks of Bedminster, N.J., received several such calls from men with foreign accents saying they worked for her “computer monitoring firm.” “When I asked which firm, at least three correctly guessed Norton; the others fudged,” she told Scam Alert. “Each said it was extremely urgent that we go online immediately so he could help us get rid of this virus by letting him have remote access to our computer. When I sent an e-mail to Norton about this, they had no idea what I was talking about.”
Be on the alert for signs of trouble:

• The warning that you have a computer virus comes to you by telephone or e-mail. If a real virus is ever detected, you’re likely to receive a security update or warning directly on your computer.

• Callers try to sell subscriptions for “computer monitoring” or “security services.” Giving hackers your credit card information creates an added danger.

• When you answer the call, you hear a ringing tone. That indicates a callback system that could result in expensive long-distance charges to you, since these posers often call from Europe or Asia.

If you believe you’ve already fallen for a phony tech support scam, contact a computer repair company to stop the hackers’ remote access. Also notify your bank and credit card companies, and monitor your statements for any unauthorized charges.

Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life, published by AARP Books/Sterling.