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Panda antivirus problems

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Panda antivirus software labels itself as malware

Affected users were warned not to reboot their machines

An antivirus program labeled itself as malware, causing some computers it was running on to stop working.

Panda antivirus software labels itself as malware

After an update, essential components in two Panda Security antivirus programs became corrupted, leading them to be mistakenly identified as malign and quarantined.

Panda said a fix had been released and warned that rebooting affected systems could exacerbate the issue.

Steps to Fix You Computer: http://www.pandasecurity.com/uk/homeusers/support/card?id=100045

It asked those affected to get in touch so it could help fix their machines.

One security expert noted the irony. “People’s first response is to turn [their computer] off and back on again, but in this case, it seems like the wrong thing to do,” said Prof Alan Woodward, of Surrey University.

The “last thing” people would expect to cause their computers to break down was its security software, he said.

Corrupted files

Panda Security said that the signature file in both its PCOP and its Retail 2015 packages became corrupted.

Read the Full Story at: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31851125

Avoid Ransomware Attacks Using These 5 Steps

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Avoid Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals all across the world to get hold of your computer and computer files for ransom, demanding payment from you to get them back in normal working condition. Although ransomware is not a common malware, over time it has proved to be a very effective one. Various new variants of ransomware are swarming in the digital market these days, all specifically designed to frighten the victim into paying a fee to get their computer back in a normal working state. Lately, many cybercrooks have started targeting it locally, making it even more dangerous than before.

However, you can save your system from giving in to the ransomware attack by employing these simple, yet effective steps-

Back up your valuable data

This one is an overall security tip on which you can fall back if your computer system is attacked by ransomware. Have a regularly updated backup of your valuable data so that even if you do become a victim of ransomware, you don’t have to lose all your vital data. In such a case, you can easily restore your system and refurbish all your important documents from backup. Having a regular backup regimen is really important for you, preferably on an external hard disk or any backup service.

Use a robust security suite

It’s always good to have a strong backing of a robust Internet security software program to help you pick out the identity thefts, suspicious activities, and unsolicited dangers. These days many new variants of viruses, malware, and ransomware have hit the digital world, escaping even from the strong detection systems. Hence, it becomes really essential to have an added layer of protection to help detect the ransomware or mitigate its effects after the attack. Install CryptoPrevent as well as a commercial-grade anti-virus like ESET Nod 32.

Patch/update your software

The ransomware authors and programmers heavily rely on the people who are running outdated software. This outdated software is vulnerable itself and it makes the whole computer system susceptible to any malicious attack, which can exploit other programs on your computer to silently get into your system. So, keeping all your software updated can decrease the potential threat of ransomware. For this purpose, you can turn the update notification system of your software program, which will timely alert you about the security updates and patches.

Disconnect from the Internet immediately

Getting a ransomware note from an unknown source can prove to be a real threat to your computer system. In such a case, don’t panic; rather disconnect your system from the Internet so that your personal information isn’t transmitted to cybercriminals and hijackers. The best action could be to simply shut down your computer system and re-install the software and data backup after turning it on. This way, you can not only start afresh but your computer system will be saved from literal damage by a malicious program.

In the end, all you have to do is to stay alert and use a robust security suite to prevent ransomware attacks. Though, following these steps will help you avoid your computer system from becoming a victim of ransomware.

Article Credit Tech Genie @ http://blog.techgenie.com/security-how-to/five-steps-to-avoid-ransomware-attack.html

Why Is My Computer SO Slow to Start Up?

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“Why is my computer SO slow to start up?” It happens to most of us–you go to start work on an urgent email, or finish that document you really need to print, or finally edit that photo of the kids–and five minutes later after you started your system, the computer STILL isn’t ready!

It’s extremely frustrating, but there are things that can help. The first culprit that we usually see impeding start-up time is malware infection. These insidious bits of software do everything they can to take over processing priority, and you’ll especially notice the performance hit at start-up.

Another common culprit is simply too many (legitimate) programs stampeding to load at a start-up, unbeknownst to you. These are the programs that load in the system tray by default, and 90% of them–especially non-Microsoft processes–don’t really need to load at start-up, though they set themselves to do that. Finally, one of the more common culprits is low RAM.

Many computers ship with the bare minimum needed to run Windows (this keeps the price enticingly low at the store), but does not exactly make them perform well on a daily basis in practice. It is fairly inexpensive to upgrade the RAM in your system.

That said, if you REALLY want to speed things up, you can choose to switch out your hard drive for the newest variety, an SSD hard drive. These hard drives have no moving parts and are super-fast. We have these installed in almost all our computers at home.

On our big rig, this change alone changed the boot time from almost seven minutes to less than 30 seconds. They are smaller and somewhat more expensive than traditional drives, but if these trade-offs are worth it to you, the speed you will enjoy is quite nice.

So if your computer is slower than molasses on a cold day, We can fix this! Just let us know.

Personal Computer Security, The Threats and Solutions

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personalcomputersecurityWhen it comes to computer security, many of us live in a bubble of blissful ignorance. We might be vigilant and never open email attachments from people we don’t know, we might take care to make sure an eCommerce site is secure before entering our credit card information, or we might even go so far as to install a standard firewall on our computers. Unfortunately, much of the common sense advice we follow when it comes to Internet security does little to combat the cybercrime that is rampant.

Federal Trade Commission

Even the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a governmental agency that is designed to help consumers, had to issue a press release stating that “consumers, including corporate and banking executives, appear to be targets of a bogus e-mail supposedly sent by the Federal Trade Commission but actually sent by third parties hoping to install spyware on computers.”

There’s little doubt that spyware, malware, and insidious virus attacks make any computer with Internet access vulnerable. But, because not all Internet security breaches are immediately apparent, people are often unaware that their seemingly hassle-free computing is anything but. The Federal Trade Commission offers seven guidelines to help consumers surf the Web safely:

1. Protect your personal information. For example, when shopping on an eCommerce site, make sure that the page where you enter your personal information is secure, as designated by “https” before the URL. It’s important to stop identity theft before it starts.

2. Know before you click. For instance, many cyber-criminals impersonate legitimate businesses or send “phishing” email that asks you to click a hyperlink. Check out the online merchants and never click on emailed hyperlinks unless you’re certain of the source.

3. Update anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software often. Hackers and others who engage in cybercrime seem to always be a step ahead of the good guys. If your computer protection is outdated, you’re vulnerable.

4. Use a Web browser and operating system security features. Make sure your browser settings give you optimal privacy and security and ensure that you update your operating system regularly to take advantage of security patches.

5. Safeguard your passwords. For example, create a unique password for each site you visit, and keep them in a secure place. Use letter, number and symbol combinations that can outsmart automated password detection programs.

6. Always do backups. If your computer does get a virus or a worm, your files may be goners. Make sure to regularly back up any important files and store them in a secure place.

7. Prepare for emergencies. If something does go wrong, such as your computer being hacked or infected, or if you accidentally divulge personal information, know what courses of action you should take to remedy the situation and prevent further problems.

A1 Computer Repair Services Can Help

Protecting your computer from all of the threats in cyberspace can seem like a full-time job. Our computer repair service provides full system optimization, problem diagnosis and repair, installation assistance, and a full complement of security services for your home or business like backup and cloud computing. You pay a small monthly subscription fee and in turn can surf the Web knowing that your computer is locked down and that you’ll never again have to stay abreast of the latest security software or lug your computer down to a high-priced repair center. Contact us for more information on securing your personal or business computer today.