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June 2017 Newsletter
I
hope you are keeping fit and well. Here’s a roundup of the latest IT news. RANSOMEWARE
You
must have heard by now of the terrible Ransomware virus, called WannaCry, which
hit the NHS computer systems, as well as countless computer networks around the
world. Ransomeware
is the biggest IT threat to hit the world ever.
And it’s not restricted to large corporations and businesses. Private, home
users are at just as much risk. If infected, every file, picture, document etc
on your Windows PC will be encrypted. You will be asked to pay a ransom, of any
amount they choose, to receive a decryption key, which is paid in Bitcoins,
therefore untraceable. If you were to pay up, there’s a 50 – 50 chance they
will send you a decryption key to unlock your files. So,
what can you do to protect yourself and your computer? You
have 4 options: 1.
Do
nothing. Why would anybody attack your computer? Image your PC was infected and
you couldn’t access any of your documents, pictures, emails etc. How much of a
problem would that be for you? 2.
You
MUST ensure that your computer has the latest Windows updates as well as PROPER
antivirus protection. The free ones, such as AVG and Avast are simply not robust
enough to offer full protection against these viruses. I ONLY recommend and use
ESET NOD32 Antivirus. 3.
Make
sure your valuable documents, pictures etc are full backed up externally i.e.
NOT on the computer. You must have regular backups on a memory stick or external
hard drive. Cloud services are only good if they keep previous backups i.e. not
only the current versions, but also previous backups from at least the week
before the virus hits. 4.
Buy
an Apple PC or laptop, which currently are immune from these threats, but who
knows if in the future, these viruses will be targeted to Mac users? Of
course, I would be happy to come and check your computer thoroughly to confirm
it is clean and protected. I’ll also backup the whole computer, so that should
disaster strike, it’s not the nightmare it could be. 2
Step Verification
There
is still a major problem with email accounts being hacked into. The main
culprits are Yahoo and AOL, although other providers like Gmail also have
security problems. I don’t know how, but hackers find it easy to hack into
these providers and manage to send out emails, in your name, to all your
contacts, sending them to a dodgy web link, which can infect the recipient’s
computer with malware or other nasties. Most
of the major email providers, including those 3 above, offer a system called 2
step verification. This is an extra level of security to prevent any
unauthorised person from accessing your mailbox, even if they know your email
password. Surprisingly, BT is one of the few providers that do not offer
this facility. In
simple terms, once you have set up 2 step verification, and someone tries to
access your email from an unknown device, you will receive a text containing a 6
digit code that needs to be entered on the screen by whoever is trying to access
your account. If they don’t have that code, they can’t get in. If
you need any help or advice setting this up, please call or email me and I’d
be happy to help. Icloud
vs Cloud.
I’m
often asked what the difference between Icloud and The Cloud is. Simply,
Icloud is a service offered by Apple, which has 2 functions. Firstly, it will
back up all your Apple devices (Computers, Ipads and Iphones.) When properly set
up, Icloud will automatically back up and synchronise your devices. This means
your contacts, photos, apps etc are backed up and all your Apple devices talk to
each other. Secondly, should you ever lose or mislay your device, it will show
you exactly where it is, and if it’s been stolen, you can locate its exact
position and even erase the device remotely, so it becomes worthless. It’s
really clever and works very well. Apple gives you 5 GB of storage space free,
but if you need more, you can upgrade to 50 GB or more from as little as just £0.79
per month. It’s cheap insurance. Other
non-Apple Cloud services are also very good. Microsoft and Google and Dropbox
are the main players, and allow you to keep all your valuable files, pictures
and documents online, so they are saved externally from your computer, and can
easily be accessed from any device from anywhere in the world. You can invite
others to share and collaborate on any work. Bearing
in mind the current malware and virus threats that are out there, which could
wipe out everything on your computer, you should make sure everything is backed
up on The Cloud, in case disaster strikes. Of
course, I’m happy to help you set it up if you haven’t already got a Cloud
service. WI-FI
on London Underground is coming.
Although
Wi-Fi is available to use in New York, Paris & Berlins’ tube transport
networks, TFL have recently announced plans to make it available in London. They
are in consultation with major companies such as BT, and London’s Mayor, Sadiq
Khan will be opening a tender for private companies to provide 4G on the Tube
after the General Election. Click
here to see the latest news. http://news.sky.com/story/tfl-preparing-to-provide-4g-on-the-tube-10899237 And
finally… Back
by popular demand, here’s another one of those amazing 3D pictures with a
hidden image. Can you find the hidden picture? The first correct answer wins
absolutely nothing. Have
a great summer.
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