Despite rumors to the contrary, Monday is not “Internet Doomsday”. There will be no cataclysmic shutdown, no Al Gore pulling the plug with a demonic laugh, no sudden termination like the TomKat split. July 9, 2012 on the Mayan calendar does not say “Adios Internet”. What is happening is described in detail here.

Essentially, the FBI is shutting down some servers on Monday that have been allowing PCs infected with the DNSChanger virus to use the internet as if nothing is wrong. Once these servers are shutdown, PCs with the virus will not be able to access the web.

Yes, that sounds horrible, but it is easily avoided. Before Monday, July 9, please visit http://www.dns-ok.us from every PC you own to see if you have the virus. If you see green, do a happy dance because your machine is clean. If you see red, then don a hazmat suit – you need to start cleanup procedures immediately.

If your antivirus program isn’t correcting the problem, then be sure to contact professional help, or even that 29-year-old “kid” that lives in your neighbor’s basement. If you don’t get it cleaned up this weekend, you won’t be able to check fantasy baseball stats and upcoming summer sales access important work related websites.

Experts currently estimate the number of infected PCs is down to 250,000 or less, so you’ve got a .02% chance of being infected. Much better chances than winning a lottery jackpot though so be sure to get your PC checked out soon!

Microsoft announced yesterday that they will be producing a line of tablets, which will run Windows 8. This is a new move for Microsoft, who’s previous hardware ventures haven’t gone much past mice and keyboards.

The tablets have a 10.6 inch 16:9 HD display with Magnesium Vapor-Mag cases. Unique to these tablets cases are the removable ultra-thin full keyboard, and kickstand for the tablet.

There will be two versions, the “Windows RT” and the “Surface Pro”. The RT specs would be comparable to an iPad, while the Surface Pro would be a more powerful laptop replacement. When you consider the price of the adapters and devices needed for the iPad to give you USB, microSD, HDMI and a keyboard, the rumored $1,100 price of the Pro is pretty comparable. These prices may change by the time the device is actually on the market.

Depending on the quality of this product and Microsoft’s marketing ability, this could be some real competition for Apple and its flagship iPad.

Surface RT specs

• Windows 8 RT OS
• Nvidia ARM CPU
• .36 inches thick
• 1.49 pounds
• 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display
• 31.5 watt/hour battery
• microSD, USB 2.0, micro HD video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
• Storage options: 32GB and 64GB
• Front and rear-facing “HD” cameras

Surface Pro Tablet Specs

• Windows 8 Pro OS
• Intel Core i5 CPU
• .53 inches thick
• 1.99 pounds
• 10.6-inch ClearType “Full HD” Display
• 42 watt hour battery
• microSDXC, USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort video
• Storage options: 64GB and 128GB
• Front and rear-facing “HD” cameras

Click here for the source link. Microsoft

Courtesy of Dynamism.com

The use of USB memory sticks and other removable media has become a mainstay in today’s business world. With the increased popularity, prices for these devices have fallen to the point that they are given away at many conventions, and used in devices that are plugged into our computers every day. The combination of low prices and consumer ignorance has sparked a not so new trend of infecting these devices with viruses, Trojans, and other forms of malware to wreak havoc or gain access to sensitive data. I say “not so new”, because in the past other forms of removable media such as floppy disks and CD’s where subject to the same types of attacks. In this article you will learn the risks of using removable media in the work place as well as at home. Keep in mind we will focus on USB memory sticks, but many of these tactics can be used with external hard drives, CD’s and any other form of removable media.

I assume most readers have used a USB drive to move files from one PC to another, maybe to take some work home one night? So what is the worst case scenario you ask? Well, unless you own a nuclear reactor you don’t have to worry much about the Stuxnet worm that put Iran’s nuclear ambitions on hold for a few months; but if you want to know what can happen this is a good example. Why would I bring up such an elaborate plot as an example for a small business? This is why; many of you have spent thousands of dollars on a quality firewall, anti-virus and anti-malware software, as well as spam filtering and employee education. Well, all of this can go down the tubes because of a USB thumb drive that your employee found in the parking lot lying next to their car. Sometimes what seems like an elaborate scheme is the simplest, a five dollar thumb drive from Wal-Mart, a free download off the web, toss a few of these USB memory sticks into the parking lot of a few competitors and you have lost all your client data. Why pick the lock on the front door when you can go through the open window? Not a likely scenario? Do a quick Google search and you will see how often it happens.

Don’t think your employees would put a memory stick they found in the parking lot into their work PC? Give me a call and we can test out that theory. Lucky for the bad guys they don’t even have to spend the five dollars on a memory stick. How many of you or your employees have opened an email that was infected with a virus don’t lie. I likely removed it! Yeah I’m talking to you! Lucky for you those viruses were just there to make your day miserable. If you are truly unlucky, you will get a virus that will not pop-up anything on your screen, but just wait for you to insert any type of removable media and then copy its self onto that media. Next it will wait to be inserted into another PC and copy its self to that PC. Now you are in the same situation as the previous example. You don’t have to be computer illiterate or uninformed to fall for this one.

What happens after that? Well if you are lucky you just have your run of the mill virus infection that tries to swindle you out of 50 bucks for the “full version” of the fake anti-virus program you were just infected with. Though you could still be out several hundred dollars in repairs, the more likely reason for using USB media for infection is to gain access to your data. Some malicious code is more difficult than others to transfer via email. Sky’s the limit with a USB drive, plenty of space, no spam filtering to catch onto what is happening, we can bypass that fancy firewall and get a more targeted attack rather than the spray and pray method. Don’t think your competitors would do that? I hope not, but they are not the only ones that can make use of your client data. There are plenty of people out there who would love to buy a list of people they know for a fact spend money on X business. And if you think there is a market for that, they will be climbing the walls to purchase your customers credit card information.

Are you trying to scare the crap out of us!? Of course I am! No one thinks about these things until it happens to them. Rarely does anyone call me and ask for a firewall, or to tell me their antivirus is out of date, their backups haven’t ran in months etc…etc…etc, until something bad happens. Number one method to keep this from happening to you is to be PROACTIVE. Call us for a security assessment; let us check your firewall and anti-virus program, tell us how you conduct business and what your concerns are. Most would consider a yearly security assessment inexpensive, anyone that has had to pay to clean up the aftermath of the above event would consider it necessary.

What can I do myself? I have to use my memory stick every day! Calm down, I wouldn’t deprive you of your precious files! We can thank Mindi McDowell from us-cert.gov for the following tips on protecting your computers and nuclear reactors from attack.

• Take advantage of security features – Use passwords and encryption on your USB drive to protect your data, and make sure that you have the information backed up in case your drive is lost.
• Keep personal and business USB drives separate – Do not use personal USB drives on computers owned by your organization, and do not plug USB drives containing corporate information into your personal computer.
• Use and maintain security software, and keep all software up to date – Use a firewall, anti-virus software, and anti-spyware software to make your computer less vulnerable to attacks, and make sure to keep the virus definitions up-to-date. Also, keep the software on your computer up to date by applying any necessary patches.
• Do not plug an unknown USB drive into your computer – If you find a USB drive, give it to the appropriate authorities (a location’s security personnel, your organization’s IT department, etc.). Do not plug it into your computer to view the contents or to try to identify the owner.
• Disable Autorun – The Autorun feature causes removable media such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives to open automatically when they are inserted into a drive. By disabling Autorun, you can prevent malicious code on an infected USB drive from opening automatically. In How to disable the Autorun functionality in Windows, Microsoft has provided a wizard to disable Autorun. In the “More Information” section, look for the MicrosoftFix it icon under the heading “How to disable or enable all Autorun features in Windows 7 and other operating systems.”

Help! I am unsecure and I think someone is stealing pictures of my cat Peaches, how can we reach you? If you would like to schedule a free technology evaluation for your company, an in depth security assessment or anything in-between, just give us a call and ask for the technician who encrypts all pictures of his cat.

According to the American Automobile Association, an estimated 30.7 million Americans will make a road trip this Memorial Day weekend.  And for many, that road trip will involve many hours in the car watching rural America whiz by.

Of course your smartphone will be at your side, so why not use it to make your trip a little less Griswold and a little more Cannonball Run?  Of course, don’t use your smartphone while driving.

TomTom for iPhone – $36.99 (Apple iOS 4.0 or later)

“Are we there yet?”

This app brings the software of TomTom International’s GPS devices to your iPhone, for much less than a full-blown TomTom GPS. It means one less device to carry with you, plus you’ll receive the latest map data with every update (additional charge for updates). But if you’re considering purchasing a GPS and you have an iPhone, this is worth trying. TomTom has a free app for Android with some of this functionality, it isn’t a GPS replacement.

SitOrSquat Restoom Finder Free (Apple iOS 4.0 or later, Android)

Mommy! I need to go to the bathroom

Presented by Charmin, this app shows you a map of nearby public restrooms, as well as ratings provided by fellow users. You can post your own reviews with pictures (just be sure to flush first), and even bookmark your favorite lavatories. A very handy app for those with young children, IBS, a weak bladder or a pulse.

GasBuddy Free (Apple iOS 3.0 or later, Android)

$4.39 a gallon! I’m not paying that!

The GasBuddy Organization released this free app into the marketplace several years ago with the tagline “never overpay for gas again” and it has really caught on. I think we are all overpaying now, but this app really can help you save money. Just launch the app, and within a few taps you have a list (or map) of nearby gas stations with their prices. The community is responsible for uploading price changes, and the app shows how recently the price was updated. Find your lowest price, see it on the map, and use your GPS function to direct you there. See something cheaper? Be somebody else’s “gas buddy” and update the price.

Marathon Travel Games Free (Apple iOS 3.2 or later, Android)

“OMG! Alaska! I win!!”

Remember when your parents drove you and your little brother to Disneyland? You’d play the license plate game for at least an hour or two, until you both realized that no one was keeping score, and you swore you had already called Vermont when your brother tried to claim it for his own. Well if you only had this app to help you track your progress, your parents might still be married.

Designed by DigiKnow, this simple app lets you calculate scores, tracking which plates have been already seen, and which are still available. You can take a break to annoy your sister for a while, then get right back into the game without losing progress. The app doesn’t require network or Wi-Fi access so you won’t miss out when you see that elusive Hawaii plate in the remote salt flats of Nevada.

Safe Travels and enjoy the holiday!

CompuType IT Solutions hosted its first Belleville Chamber of Commerce event, Coffee Cup Connections. Coffee Cup Connections is an event the Chamber of Commerce puts on to allow each of the member Businesses the opportunity to host. We hosted this event in May 2012 and provided breakfast pastries, a brief presentation about our organization, the chance to do a brief tour of our facility, and the chance to engage with chamber members.

Jeff Harris, Senior IT Consultant at CompuType IT Solutions

Jeff Harris, Senior IT Consultant, with 18 years of experience was the presenter and gave an overview of what services CompuType IT Solutions offers to its client base. The group had an array of questions concerning business technology. We would like to host other events as well but we need your feedback to know what you want to hear about. Some of the questions raised at this event were:

Is it ok to use two different virus programs?
The direct response would be yes, it is ok to use more than one anti-virus program however there is a catch. Every virus program you add to your computer will slow your PC down exponentially as it will take a performance hit. My recommendation would be to use only one anti-virus program and keep it updated at all times. Furthermore, make sure that you are getting all your windows updates from Microsoft and keep your PC/network appropriately patched.

Do you fix computers here as well?
Yes. We have a full service in-house computer repair department. Our trained staff will see you driving up and help you bring your equipment in to the service counter. We will conduct a brief interview to get the details of the issue(s). We will then give you an estimated time of completion and contact you with the repair costs to get authorization to perform the work. Upon authorization we will resolve the issues discussed and contact you upon completion to pick up the equipment. Upon your arrival to pick up your equipment we will discuss how the problem started and what you can do to avoid these computer repairs in the future.

Thank you to the Belleville Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to host this May event here at CompuType IT Solutions and a sincere thank you for those that came out to see us:

Cheryl Kennedy of Webster University

Cynthia Platt of Webster University

Andy Hess of First National Bank of Dieterich

Tom Grant of Labor Ready

Brad Brachear of Clear Wave Communications

Chris Green of Prudential

Travis Mossa of Prudential

Susan Wobbe of Barber Voss Home Care

Connie Merrell of Visiting Angels Home Care

Jared Zappia of Extra Help Inc.

Sarah Gustin of Family Hospice

Melinda Hult of City of Belleville Alderman

Mary Jo Smith of The Imaging Center at Wolf Creek

Wendy Pfeil of Belleville Chamber

After working at CompuType for 19 years, I have met a lot of customers, and fixed a lot of computer problems. Or, did I meet a lot of computers and fix a lot of customer’s problems? Hard to say. Sometimes you have to slow down, and listen to what your customers are saying, and try to figure out what they actually mean. Occasionally, they even talk about the problems with their computers.

This brings to mind a few computer terms, I, or my coworkers have heard over the years. One customer in particular called in and told us, “I think I broke the cup-holder on my PC.” When asked if they were talking about the CD-ROM drive, they said, “Well, No. Maybe. You know, it’s the little cup-holder that goes in and out of the computer.” They were amazed to find out that it doubled as a CD player.

Many customers in “the early days” didn’t know what to call the components of their computer. They often referred to the CPU and monitor as “The Brains and the TV”. We had a lot of people that just had to hit the reset button on their Brains to get something to show up on the TV. Once their computer was running, they could start typing up a storm on their “typewriter thingy”. When we told them they could hit their “Turbo” button to make the PC go twice as fast, they though we were computer gods.

It’s hard to believe, but we had dozens of people coming into our office to buy mouse balls. I know it sounds awful, but sometimes they just had to be replaced. People would lose them, or they’d just get dirty. No one likes dirty mouse balls. They just don’t work very well. We kept a box of mouse balls for just this purpose.  At least now when someone calls and asks if we have mouse balls, we can tell them, “No. It’s all lasers now”.

In recent years it seems that our customers are more educated in computer terms, and run into more advanced problems as the systems get more complicated. We still have our share of calls about upgrading “gigglebytes, megapickles, megarams and gigarams”, but it is a far cry from the early days. With all of the added functionality of current computers, and instant access to CompuType support and the Internet, our customers are much happier and well-informed. I’m pretty sure the mice are happier, too.

After July 9, you may lose internet access on your PC thanks to the FBI. Not because of something they will do on July 9, but because of something they will stop doing. Confused yet? Let me explain.

Most of you have been a victim of mal-ware at some point in the past few years. It goes by many different names (Trojans, junk ware, ad-ware, that crap that screwed my computer, etc.). One of the recent variants has been particular nasty. It has been most commonly called TDSS, but also goes by Alureon, TidServ & TDL4. This malicious code changed your DNS settings and disabled your anti-virus programs, making you susceptible to further problems.

So what if they change my DNS settings? you may ask. DNS (Domain Name Services) is a critical function to your internet access. Every server, website and device on the internet is identified by an IP Address. DNS translates a domain name into that address (www.compu-type.net = 199.217.139.204). Without DNS, your PC cant find www.youtube.com (74.125.227.130) or www.facebook.com (69.171.224.53).

So what this international band of hackers did with the TDSS virus was tell your PC to use their DNS servers instead of those specified by your ISP, therefore controlling which servers you connected to when browsing the internet. You may have intended to go to www.google.com, but they could redirect you www.EstoniaRulez.com or virtually anywhere. And that anywhere usually involved pushing more malware on your PC, making your PC slower and slower, and risking the security and privacy of your data.

How does the FBI fit in? In November 2011, the FBI along with Estonian police, arrested these cyber crooks in Operation Ghost Click. Once the criminals were in custody, the FBI realized that shutting down those DNS servers would create havoc for potentially millions of internet users worldwide because those DNS requests would go unanswered. So under a court order, they have been operating safe DNS servers in the place of the malicious servers so that PCs infected with TDSS can function almost normally (aside from the slow internet, disabled anti-virus, annoying pop-ups, etc).

On July 9, 2012, that court order expires and those servers will go silent. If you have TDSS, you will not be able to use the internet at all after those servers are shut down. It is crucial that you get your PC tested and cleaned before that date. The FBI has setup a website that will tell you if your PC is infected with this malware (http://www.dns-ok.us). If you get this result:

Then congratulations your machine is clean. If not, call us and well take it from there. But just be sure to do this before July 9, before the FBI shuts down your internet for good.