Tag Archives: computer security

Vertical Filing, Conquered

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Hard drive is too full, time to replace the drive?

Your PC drive is a lot like your desk at work– when you get something new to work on, it gets stacked onto a part of your desk until you are ready to work on it. That’s what we call ‘vertical filing’, and you know if you’re guilty of letting that get out of control. Learn how to search for those lost files the OLD FAST way, or get tips to organize a drive.

The March PC Updater News is free, and available to download now. Subscriptions are free.

How to Close Those Full-Page Scams

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Hoax web page that is NOT from Microsoft. Don't call that phone number.

Full-page scams are those HOAX scary web pages that say your computer is infected (or worse) and you MUST call some phone number now (DON’T), and Microsoft has detected an issue. (NOPE). Microsoft doesn’t want your phone call, can’t identify ‘suspicious activity’ on your computer, and would not be able to match your computer to a random web page visitor. It’s impossible, implausible, and completely evil. I’ve had reports back from users who called the numbers: The ‘Department of Windows’ wants to log into your computer, give you the totally FREE and BUILT-IN Windows Defender, as a special $400 lifetime edition. Or worse, much worse. Don’t call those numbers, ever.

Those hoaxes are all full-screen and hard to exit. Press F11 to exit full screen mode, and then close the browser. Or use Alt-F4 to close the browser. Or use the keyboard method to go to task manager with Ctrl-Alt-Delete, and then close the browser. If all else fails, turn the computer off.

After restarting the computer, if your browser then asks “Restore prior pages?” answer NO. It’s also a good idea to go into the browser’s page history and clear out the last dozen pages or so, or use the ‘clear browsing history option’ and select ‘last hour’ or ‘today’ for the time range.

Is That eMail for Real?

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The easiest way for hackers and ransomware to mess with your computer is social engineering. Basically, that means ‘Wear the appropriate repair-guy uniform, walk into the building looking confident, and go directly to the system that you will be “fixing.” No one challenges that, right?

OK, well then, would you click on this email? I don’t remember ordering a pricy server from Amazon, but it looks like I’m getting one. I guess I’d better look in there and see who ordered it for me; could be that my account was hacked. 

Fake Amazon Order

So what’s wrong with it? Here goes, most obvious and visible items first:

  • I ordered no such thing.
  • The sender’s email address has the wrong domain, ‘amazons.com’ which is also not the web address for Wonder Woman’s family island.
  • The return address for Amazon orders is generally auto-confirm@amazon.com.
  • The format of the email is simpler than the usual Amazon shipping confirmation, missing gray backgrounds, logos, and a picture of each item ordered. It looks a lot like an Amazon confirmation from ten years ago.
  • The order number is not a text link in the email, and the last section has too many numbers.
  • “it may take 24 hours for tracking information to be available in your account.” No, tracking shows up in Amazon before the email is sent; it’s Fedex and UPS that will just say ‘label printed’ until the next morning.
  • Finally, not visible above, if you float your mouse over the ‘Order Details’ button, which is missing the orange logo that Amazon would normally use, you will see the link, which goes to usintecmedical_ com_br, not Amazon. That ‘com.br’ points to a site in Brazil, probably hacked.

What to do? Will this big Dell system show up at my door? No. I TYPED ‘amazon.com’ into my browser, didn’t follow the link, and checked. No surprises there. However, that medical address in Brazil would likely have looked like an Amazon page, asked for a login, which it would keep and use, and then forwarded you to the real Amazon. Or the site would attempt to install malware. Be suspicious. These fake confirmations can look like they come from nearly any large company.