Cyber Attack 'To Hit In Next Two Weeks'
03 June 2014, 02:41 PM
#4
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I was thinking exactly the same.
What the article says is>
"You now have a chance to clean up. The first thing you should do is update your operating system - especially if you're on Windows, then look to scan your computer for viruses and it should be able to find it."
What other precaution do I need to take? Not click on the dodgy looking links, and even emails? You see, if it is using our friends' emails to send out their dodgy email, how do we know not to open it? Shall we not read any email for next two weeks, and just bin them?
That's going to be a disaster, if that.
03 June 2014, 03:48 PM
#7
I was thinking exactly the same.
What the article says is>
Say if I have Windows, and if my anti-virus updates itself, do I need not worry?
What other precaution do I need to take? Not click on the dodgy looking links, and even emails? You see, if it is using our friends' emails to send out their dodgy email, how do we know not to open it? Shall we not read any email for next two weeks, and just bin them?
That's going to be a disaster, if that.
What the article says is>
Say if I have Windows, and if my anti-virus updates itself, do I need not worry?
What other precaution do I need to take? Not click on the dodgy looking links, and even emails? You see, if it is using our friends' emails to send out their dodgy email, how do we know not to open it? Shall we not read any email for next two weeks, and just bin them?
That's going to be a disaster, if that.
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03 June 2014, 03:52 PM
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03 June 2014, 05:06 PM
#11
I'm not sure the Mac brigade should be so content.
This isn't something that exploits a hole in the Windows OS and as such it's not an OS dependent exploit. It could appear on Mac. The fact they haven't yet (as far as I know) targeted any other OS, is simply because they haven't bothered, not because it's technical impossible.
This is more a lesson in keeping the OS up to date, anti virus up to date and not opening any dodgy attachments. Which I'd recommend for any OS.
This isn't something that exploits a hole in the Windows OS and as such it's not an OS dependent exploit. It could appear on Mac. The fact they haven't yet (as far as I know) targeted any other OS, is simply because they haven't bothered, not because it's technical impossible.
This is more a lesson in keeping the OS up to date, anti virus up to date and not opening any dodgy attachments. Which I'd recommend for any OS.
03 June 2014, 08:03 PM
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03 June 2014, 08:45 PM
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We have been havin trouble for the last month,its easy to land on a free program to clean up virus's and malware that is fake.
what can you trust?????
we paid for Malware bytes , didnt solve it , had spybot search and destroy for over a year now , thats not sorting it either. God help us if there is gonna be another round of even 'smarter' bugs. Think i will need to go offline , off BT Broadband atleast.its the worst ever.
what can you trust?????
we paid for Malware bytes , didnt solve it , had spybot search and destroy for over a year now , thats not sorting it either. God help us if there is gonna be another round of even 'smarter' bugs. Think i will need to go offline , off BT Broadband atleast.its the worst ever.
03 June 2014, 09:26 PM
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03 June 2014, 09:28 PM
#19
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I've seen multiple PCs infected by CryptoLocker (which this botnet may "deliver" to your PC). The first time users knew they had a problem was once all their files had been encrypted and were asked for the ransom. Pretty much every PC infected had AV from a well known vendor and not one stopped it in time.
- If you have Java on your home PC, you quite probably don't need it, so un-install it - it's a security nightmare
- Make sure Adobe Flash & Adobe Acrobat are upto date (these are two major attack methods along with Java)
- Backup. When was the last time you copied your photos, work (etc) to a portable USB HD (which is not kept attached to your PC)? Or, if you have good broadband or a small amount of data, spend ~£4 a month on an online backup service like Mozy or Crashplan.
CryptoPrevent is a handy tool to provide an extra layer of protection but the security it adds can cause problems for some apps like Spotify which fling .exe files around your PC.
03 June 2014, 10:09 PM
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Perhaps not...
I've seen multiple PCs infected by CryptoLocker (which this botnet may "deliver" to your PC). The first time users knew they had a problem was once all their files had been encrypted and were asked for the ransom. Pretty much every PC infected had AV from a well known vendor and not one stopped it in time.
CryptoPrevent is a handy tool to provide an extra layer of protection but the security it adds can cause problems for some apps like Spotify which fling .exe files around your PC.
I've seen multiple PCs infected by CryptoLocker (which this botnet may "deliver" to your PC). The first time users knew they had a problem was once all their files had been encrypted and were asked for the ransom. Pretty much every PC infected had AV from a well known vendor and not one stopped it in time.
- If you have Java on your home PC, you quite probably don't need it, so un-install it - it's a security nightmare
- Make sure Adobe Flash & Adobe Acrobat are upto date (these are two major attack methods along with Java)
- Backup. When was the last time you copied your photos, work (etc) to a portable USB HD (which is not kept attached to your PC)? Or, if you have good broadband or a small amount of data, spend ~£4 a month on an online backup service like Mozy or Crashplan.
CryptoPrevent is a handy tool to provide an extra layer of protection but the security it adds can cause problems for some apps like Spotify which fling .exe files around your PC.
I'd also lose Skype, DropBox, WebEx and other such "apps" if yu want to be snoop free, but that is a different kind of "hacker"
mb
03 June 2014, 10:24 PM
#21
03 June 2014, 10:48 PM
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Only affects Macs if running virtual Windows...
I only run Apple OS and safe as can be...
You should be using a VPN like Private Internet Access, will help stop this on your PC
I only run Apple OS and safe as can be...
You should be using a VPN like Private Internet Access, will help stop this on your PC
04 June 2014, 07:58 AM
#25
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Good to know that (at present) I have nothing to worry about as I have a mac. Thanks to those who have explained that.
Could my android phone be prone in any way?
Thanks
Could my android phone be prone in any way?
Thanks
04 June 2014, 09:08 AM
#26
This doesn't affect Android devices, although there is a new vulnerability found in 4.1 and 4.1.1 similar to the Heartbleed issue called Cupid. It allows attackers to intercept data between Android devices and WiFi routers.
As mentioned earlier, this particular issue for Windows occurs not because of the OS's themselves, but of the people using them and the lack of knowledge of how these malware propergate, don't click on links or open attatchments unless you are absolutely sure you know the sender intentionally sent something to you, and if they didn't, let them know as their PC might be compromised.
I guess this is the price of using the most popular OS's and is good that people are immediately made aware when these issues are discovered, which is more than can be said of other platforms!
As mentioned earlier, this particular issue for Windows occurs not because of the OS's themselves, but of the people using them and the lack of knowledge of how these malware propergate, don't click on links or open attatchments unless you are absolutely sure you know the sender intentionally sent something to you, and if they didn't, let them know as their PC might be compromised.
I guess this is the price of using the most popular OS's and is good that people are immediately made aware when these issues are discovered, which is more than can be said of other platforms!
Last edited by jonc; 04 June 2014 at 09:09 AM.
04 June 2014, 11:50 AM
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04 June 2014, 12:30 PM
#30
You have to wonder why there is huge publicity surrounding this issue and whether this driven by the powers that be with a hidden agenda. For example, with the recent Heartbleed issue, everyone globally was encouraged to change their passwords for various internet sites they're registered to. Who's to say that PRISM/GCHQ were not behind this; that they now secretly have a new/updated system to harvest more information effectively than before. The publisised Heartbleed vulnerability was a great opportunity to get everyones' information and have everyone enmass to change their full passwords for it to be captured in one fell swoop where it wasn't possible before.
With this new issue, we're now encouraged to go to a site to check if out PCs are safe......
Stipete75 will be able to back me up!
With this new issue, we're now encouraged to go to a site to check if out PCs are safe......
Stipete75 will be able to back me up!