Attention Facebook & Twitter Users: Hackers Are Now Using Your Friends Accounts To Transmit Viruses

-Courtesy of ThinkTech-

“Hey, I have this hilarious video of you dancing. Your face is so red. You should check it out!” If you've received a message like that through a Facebook or MySpace friend, you may have been exposed to the "Koobface" virus. Here’s what’s going on…

Hackers have now made a new cozy home for themselves on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Disguised as one of your friends, they’ll send you a direct message with a video link attached. If you click on the link, you’re prompted to update your Flash player to see the video, and therein lies the virus, cloaked in a "flash_player.exe" file. Once installed, this worm transforms your computer into a Zombie machine as part of a botnet (a network of computers that are controlled and used by the originator of the worm for unscrupulous purposes).

Are You Really At Risk?

Unless you are aware of these scams, it is very easy to become infected. Some of the direct messages and tweets have titles that are very deceptive. Some of the more common messages will say, “Here’s the video I mentioned…", or "LOL," or "My friend caught you on hidden cam," or "My home video :)” These messages are followed by a link directing you to a page to watch the video. These seemingly harmless messages can quickly infect your entire office network, allowing hackers a free pass in. In addition, they can block you from accessing important security updates, making your network even more susceptible to hacker attacks. In some cases, they use their free access to your computer to steal bank account information, credit card numbers, social security numbers and other confidential data.

How To Protect Yourself

Awareness is the first step to protecting yourself. Make a copy of this blog and hand it out to all your coworkers and your friends and family so they don’t get infected or infect you. Next, follow these three simple steps:

1) Frequently Change Your Password And Don’t Use Easy To Guess Combinations. I know, it’s a pain in the neck to change your password frequently, especially when you have dozens to keep track of. But this really is one of the best ways to avoid compromising your account on social media sites. Additionally, don’t use simple passwords like “password” or “123abc.” Include lower case and capital letters, as well as numbers. If a hacker is trying to crack your password and you never change it (or if it’s super easy to guess), you make your account a prime target.

2) Avoid Downloads. Avoid downloading anything from messages on Twitter or Facebook, even if the message is from someone you know. As a general rule, never download any file if you are not 100% certain it is secure and virus free.

3) Get A Beefy Firewall. If you or your employees are using any social media sites for personal or business connections, a strong firewall will protect you from getting infected. That way, even if you or your staff inadvertently opens a dangerous message from one of these sites, your firewall can prevent it from bringing your whole network to a grinding halt.

If you would like more info on the importance of securing your network against social media threats, please email us at info@omniholdings.co.za or give us a ring on 087 806 1330.

Renting Your NEW PC’s through OmniCom

We all know why renting your IT equipment make sense. Things such as off the balance sheet expenditures, flexibility in upgrading and renewing your equipment, low total cost of ownership and no major upfront capital outlay makes this an ideal solution.

Purchasing equipment upfront depletes your company’s cash reserves and can dramatically increase debt. It also doesn’t make sense to buy equipment that will be outdated in 3 years or less!

At OmniCom our clients have regularly asked us to offer them an all-inclusive package deal for their technology needs. They wanted to rent everything from us, they wanted us to maintain and service the equipment and they wanted us to deal with the Vendors and Suppliers if anything ever went wrong. They didn't want to know about any additional costs at the end of the month – one price with everything included!

The problem was that we really did not have the expertise to resell our used equipment once the rental period expired.

This is where Dell Financial Services came to our rescue. We leave the equipment disposal to them. At the end of the contract we simply return the equipment to them. We are not left with obsolete equipment or the need to realize value for the equipment. Their expertise is in re-renting the equipment to alternate tier users (i.e. the second-hand market) through their established resources. The time and cost associated with disposal totally disappears.

And what is great is that we purchase the equipment, no third party credit checks and paperwork for you!

As a bonus, we will give FREE unlimited PC hardware and software support, FREE PC loaner equipment, FREE Viper Enterprise Anti-virus Software, FREE Spyware Monitoring and Removal and a monthly Executive Summary Report on the PC and Network Health. We call this service “Hardware As a Service” or HAAS for short.

If you decide to rent a server through this agreement, we will include a firewall, spam filter and all of your email accounts and web hosting! This way you get the best of both worlds – you can rent your PC’s from us and you are GUARANTEED that if anything ever goes wrong with the equipment we will fix it, no charge.

As an added bonus, we are offering a FREE Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse to anyone who signs up before the end of February.

Go to www.whyrentyourpc.co.za for our latest special offers.

Call us today to get a competitive quote on our HAAS PC Rental Solutions, Everybody Is! T: 087 806 1330

True Story: Don’t Let This Happen To Your Company!

Here’s a true story with the names changed to protect the innocent…

During Friday’s lunch break, Susan ate lunch at her desk so she could surf the Internet for discount coupons at a local general dealer to use over the weekend. She discovered that she needed to temporarily disable her anti-virus software so a coupon printer could be installed. She felt it was innocent enough because the web site explained this was a common step in the process of accessing the discount coupons. Besides, she really wanted the 25% savings!

The next day at the general dealer's store, Susan discovers her discount coupons are worthless counterfeits. That’s because they were printed from a coupon web site designed to fool the end user into downloading a program that would connect her computer to a network of bots (also called a botnet). This network of illegally hacked computers is used to flood the Internet (and your inbox) with spam.

When Susan got in Monday morning, she discovered the company’s entire e-mail server was blacklisted as a spam source stopping ALL e-mail communications internally, as well as to clients and vendors. It took two full days to discover the source of the spam, clean up the mail server, and begin the process of removing Susan’s company from the blacklist at clients, vendors and various anti-spam monitoring services. It took another two weeks before everything was back to normal.

Don’t let this happen to you! This episode could have been prevented with properly installed and monitored anti-malware software, an anti-malware network appliance and an acceptable use policy in place for all employees to follow. There are more than 12 million zombie computers in the United States alone. If your network hasn’t been attacked yet, it will. Though this numbers game is rigged in favor of the bad guys, you don’t have to let it destroy your company’s productivity and good reputation!

If you are unsure if you have the proper software and procedures in place to prevent these problems from happening, please give us a call on 087 806 1330.

Happy Networking!

7 Warning Signs That Your Computer Is Infected With Spyware

Spyware is NOT harmless; it can be responsible for delivering a mountain of annoying spam, taking over your web browser, slowing down your PC, and serving up “sticky” pop-up ads. In some of the more extreme cases, spyware can actually steal your passwords, financial information, e-mail address book, and even use your PC for illegal activities.

Most spyware programs are designed to run undetected by the user, but there are warning signs like…

#1. Your browser has been hijacked. If you open your Internet browser and a strange-looking homepage pops up and won’t go away, chances are you have a spyware program installed on your computer. You may also discover that you cannot modify your browser settings and that your favorites folder has been modified.

#2. You conduct a search, but another (unauthorized) browser completes it for you. For example, you type a search term into Microsoft IE, but another browser pops up and lists various web sites tied to your search term. This is a surefire sign of a spyware infection. You’ll also notice that if you try to remove this program, it comes right back.

#3. Your computer is unstable, sluggish, locks up, or crashes frequently. Spyware programs run in the background taking up disk space and processor speed which will cause serious performance problems.

#4. You constantly get pop-up ads displayed on your screen, even if you aren’t browsing the Internet. Some of the ads may even be personalized with your name.

#5. The send and receive lights on your modem blink actively as though you are surfing the Internet or downloading files online, even though you aren’t. More than likely this is due to spyware programs sending and receiving information via your computer without your permission or knowledge.

#6. Mysterious files suddenly start appearing on your computer, your files are moved or deleted, or the icons on your desktop and toolbars are blank or missing.

#7. You find e-mails in your “Sent Items” folder that you didn't send.

If you are experiencing one or more of these warning signs, chances are your computer is infected so you’ll want to call us immediately to clean it up. We're only a phone call away on 087 806 1330.

The #1 Question I get from my Customers:

How Can I Get A Virus If I Have Anti-Virus?

There is a myth out there among small business owners that if they have antivirus software installed, then their computers and network are safe from getting viruses. UNTRUE. This has been my experience when performing our FREE Problem Prevention Network Audit.

Usually the business owner calls in a panic because one of the employees has unknowingly released a virus throughout the network and the computers are now operating at a snail’s pace!

And, inevitably, I am confronted with The Big Question: “How can I get a virus if I have antivirus software?”

In one particular occasion, the small business owner had AVG free software installed on all desktops and no antivirus software on the server.

AVG is a reputable company and they do sell a small business version of their software. However, the FREE version is not intended for business use and provides only the bare minimum of protection. Furthermore, many of the workstations at the client site had not been upgraded with the latest FREE antivirus.

The situation was so critical that I informed the owner immediately of this vulnerability and the need to correct it ASAP. The next day, Omniholdings was in their office implementing the 3-Part Approach outlined below. This approach targets different vulnerabilities of a network environment.

♦ Firewall (hardware) – Its purpose is to provide protections against outside intrusions – Hackers

♦ Antivirus – Its purpose is to scan incoming email for Viruses, Trojans, Robkits, and Keyloggers.

♦ Spyware – Its purpose is to scan websites for malware, spyware, and tracking cookies.

Without all three of these configured or up-to-date databases, the bad guys have different ways to circumvent your antivirus software. For more detailed information, visit our website at http://www.clevercare.co.za.

Stay safe and remember we're only a phone call away on 087 806 1330.

Windows 7 release date announced

Windows 7, Microsoft's new OS offering is due to be released on October 22nd, 2009.

It is not a "brand new" operating system as such, and looks an feels a lot like Vista, only much quicker. Hardware compatibility has been vastly improved and it is not as resource hungry than its predecessor, Vista.

Having run the release candidate version of Windows 7 for a couple of months I have one thing to say; I'm impressed...and a little bit worried (allrightie then, I have two things to say)

Windows 7 is quick. Blazingly quick when compared to Vista. Everything just feels faster. From bootup times to opening up applications. My battery life has even improved from 1 1/2 hours on XP to 2 hours 45 minutes!

Now for the caveats:
It is buggy! The moment I joined it to my 2003 domain, I started getting permission errors and it refused to open any items on my desktop. Zak reckons it is because it was designed to work with Windows 2008 server, I'm testing his theory and will let you know soon.

Are we excited? Definitely! Watch this space for updates.

-- Post From My iPhone

Why Small Businesses Use Windows Small Business Server

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Becky Lymberis]

We’re often talking with small business owners about their business - to understand not only their needs and usage of technology, but also what’s important to them as business owners. Not surprisingly saving time and money, all the while providing better and differentiated service to their customers is of key importance. Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008) is really a best kept secret that is a catalyst for small businesses to reduce costs, increase productivity and delight their customers because it really enables them to organize their business and communicate more effectively internally and with their customers.

SBS 2008 is an all in one server suite designed specifically for small businesses. It provides businesses with the technology to do the following:

· Organize and centralize information and data so everyone can find what they need.

· Share hardware such as printers and faxes.

· Back-up important data and restore files.

· Work remotely with easy and secure access to desktops, files, email and calendars from an internet connected PC or mobile phone.

· Share files more easily across PCs and mobile devices with a company intranet

· Run accounting or other business software on more than one PC (SBS 2008 Premium Edition)

· Easily set up new users, computers, and network access (or discontinue existing users and devices) as staffing levels fluctuate

· Look professional by consolidating email accounts with your own company hosted email

· Get better performance out of existing PC investments with centralized storage to free up space on individual PCs.

SBS 2008 was designed specifically for businesses with 75 or fewer PCs or users – and many small businesses are benefiting from a server, even those with as few as 2 to 3 PCs. If you’re interested you can try SBS 2008 today for free by visiting our product site.

SBS 2008 software can be purchased through a variety of channels such as Microsoft Small Business Specialists, retailers, or preinstalled on a server. Full solutions with server hardware can be purchased through a local system builder or major OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) such as Dell or HP for as little as R 15 000.