Cryptolocker - The Bad guys are getting cleverer....

Story...

During the past couple months, ransomware known as CryptoLocker has made its presence known in homes and businesses around the world. So far, we have encountered it in over 10 local businesses located in the the North East. While ransomware is not a new concept, the pervasiveness of CryptoLocker, combined with its strong encryption, make it a particularly nefarious ongoing threat.

What is Cryptolocker?

CryptoLocker is Windows-based ransomware that encrypts files on local drives and network shares, and then demands payment to unlock them. Funds are requested via untraceable payment methods like Bitcoin and MoneyPak. CryptoLocker uses asymmetric encryption, with the private key held by the author or distributor of the malware. Unfortunately, it uses a strong algorithm that makes it practically impossible to decrypt the data without knowing the key.

CryptoLocker has, to date, been spread predominantly through email attachments and through other malware that has already infected PCs via other means. It has also been seen as a payload in drive-by downloads.

While CryptoLocker itself can be removed, the strong encryption prevents data encrypted by the malware from being unlocked.

  What Can I do to prevent it?

• Be wary of any email attachments from sources you do not usually get emails from.  One popular method of trickery is the old 'DHL attachment' - BE WARY OF EVERYTHING
• Secondly - Backup - Backup - Backup.  Its crucial to have an offsite backup of your mission critical data as although the Ransomware is relatively easy to remove, but the data is impossible to decrypt without paying the ransom.  If you have an offsite backup - you can easily remove the infection & restore.  

What happens if I get infected?

• You can contact us on 042-9335355 & we will advise you of your options. Last thing you want to do is lose your data (or paying the baddies!)

Any queries, let us know on 042-9335355 / info@pcrepaircentre.com

Launching our Online Helpdesk Portal

Hi All

This week we are excited to officially launch our Online Helpdesk Portal to all our customers.  I suppose the best way to explain  is via a few quick Q&A's :-)

What is an Online Helpdesk?

This is where you can enter a request for help directly into a webpage & we will respond to your request via our team of qualified technicians 

How does it Work?

Step 1 - Visit support.pcrepaircentre.com

Step 2 - Fill out the form as specified (there's a link to a YouTube video below in case you are unsure)

Step 3 - Once the ticket is submitted - a PC Repair technician will 'pick' the ticket up & attempt to resolve by direct contact with the customer. 

Why? Whats in it for me?

Simply put - we want to provide the best technical support for your company.  With our online support desk, we can track & resolve your problem quicker than any other method.  We will also collect feedback so as to make sure we are doing it right ;-)

How do I log a call?

Simple - Check out our online video here.  It's as easy as pie.  Just click the button below!!

Hopefully that answers any queries but as always - contact us if you need any assistance

Phone: 042-9335355 / info@pcrepaircentre.com



Thanks Guys!

Dalton

Windows XP - The End is Nigh!!!

Windows XP - The End is Nigh

When Microsoft released Windows XP in 2001, no one could have predicted that it would still be in use in 2013. More amazing, it isn’t just still in use, it is extremely popular!

How popular? Nearly 40% of the world’s estimated one billion computers run Windows XP. That’s a lot of computers running an operating system that’s over a decade old. Despite a number of other operating systems available in today’s market, XP is second only to Windows 7 as the most-popular operating system around.

Windows XP has remained popular because it was stable, fast, powerful, and relatively simple to use. What’s more, many people still run XP simply because after more than a decade, it’s what they’ve become accustomed to using.

But every life cycle must end eventually, and for Windows XP, that end date is April 8, 2014.

What does that mean for people still using XP?

In Windows XP’s case, “end of life” signifies the end of Microsoft support for everything from updates to customer service. In fact, Microsoft has not released any new features or security updates for XP in more than a year, effectively ending mainstream support. Even though XP’s end-of-life date has been extended several times, this is really and truly the end.

While “end of life” sounds final and irreversible, understand that your XP computers will still function on April 8, 2014 as they did on April 7. However, the end of Microsoft support means there will be no security updates from that point forward. Any security flaws exposed by hackers will no longer be fixed. Furthermore, once Microsoft stops supporting XP, other software companies will follow suit with their own products. The time and expense involved in making sure programs and hardware work on all the versions of Windows out there means that extending support to XP after its end-of-life date will be cost-prohibitive for most developers.

Can I still use XP once support has ended?

Because it will still operate after April 2014, you will be able to use XP, but it will be at your own risk. Security software will provide some limited protection, but as time passes such software will be unable to protect you. In fact, web browsing in general will become more difficult since the last version of Internet Explorer that runs under XP is version 8. Websites already are using features that do not display in Internet Explorer version 8. Even Microsoft is abandoning support for version 8 in services it provides via the Microsoft Office 365 hosted services platform.

Going Forward...

If you still rely on Windows XP, we strongly recommend that you start planning now to move to either Windows 7 or Windows 8. You can grab a quote from Joanne in our Office on a system upgrade if you so wish (joanne@pcrepaircentre.com)

If you’re unsure about how an upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 would affect your company, contact us @ The PC Repair Centre via info@pcrepaircentre.com or good old fashioned phone-line 042-9335355

Wishing you all the best in 2014


Dalton