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Top Electronic Stores in Florham Park, NJ
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Updates & tips
INTERNET DOOMSDAY: July 9, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012 has been dubbed “Internet Doomsday” because some computer users may find that they are unable to access the Internet that day. That means they will not be able to send or receive email, or use Facebook and Twitter, or conduct searches on Google or Bing. The cause of this potential disruption in Internet access is nasty malware (short for “malicious software”) called “DNSChanger.” DNSChanger is a search-hijacking Trojan that redirects infected computers to rogue servers that are controlled by a sophisticated international cyber-crime organization based in the Republic of Estonia, which is near Russia. The Trojan attacks Windows PCs, Macs and routers. As the malware’s name suggests, it accomplishes the hijacking by manipulating DNS (Domain Name System) settings on the infected computers. As a result, the computer user is redirected to a website that the cyber-thieves want them to visit. Thus, for example, if a user of an infected computer clicks on the iTunes website, she might be redirected to a website that is wholly unrelated to Apple. The businesses/advertisers, such as Apple, who operate legitimate sites are being deprived of revenue they would have received had not their potential clients been hijacked and sent elsewhere. Also, the DNSChanger Trojan can disable a computer’s anti-virus software and prevent its operating systems from updating, thereby making the machine vulnerable to additional virus infections. At its height, DNSChanger infected approximately 4 million computers in 100 countries, including machines owned by individuals, businesses and government agencies. Authorities estimated that cyber thieves made at least $14M from redirecting computers, before law enforcement shut them down. The take-down occurred in November 2011, when federal prosecutors in NY, working with the FBI and law enforcement officials in Estonia and The Netherlands, dismantled the DNSChanger botnet by seizing over 100 rogue DNS servers and computers and arresting six Estonians. The authorities replaced the rogue DNS servers with legitimate servers controlled by the FBI, which would not disrupt the public’s Internet browsing. This was a temporary arrangement that gave the users of infected machines time to clean off the Trojan. Estimates of the number of currently infected machines vary, but here are figures from some security experts: 500,000 computers still harbor the Trojan; 12% of the Fortune 500 is infected; and 4% of government agency computers are infected. Pursuant to a court order, the FBI’s servers will be decommissioned on Monday, July 9, 2012. On that date, it is possible that computers that are still infected with the DNSChanger Trojan will not be able to access the Internet. Since May, Google has been notifying infected users of its browser with a special banner message at the top of the Google results page. If you are uncertain whether your computer is infected, please visit http://www.dcwg.org/fix/ or call us at (973) 377-8071.
Windows 8, Anyone?
On Leap Day, Microsoft made available the “Consumer Preview” of its Windows 8 operating system (OS), which was in developer preview last year. Microsoft’s latest OS was designed to make the company a player in the thriving tablet market, which is diverting consumer and business dollars away from traditional desktops and laptops. The tablet market has been dominated by Apple’s iPad thus far, with Google’s multi-flavored Android OS occupying a distant second position. Win8 has cross-platform application to desktop/laptop computers, tablets and smartphones, purportedly making it easier for gadgets to interoperate and sync. This new OS, with its Metro-Style interface, was developed to operate smoothly on touch-screen devices and to accommodate an external mouse and keyboard, unlike the iPad. Importantly, Win8 is supposed to be backwards compatible, so that it works with many devices running older software. Microsoft is hoping that these features will make Win8 attractive to corporate and professional users, who now prefer the relatively more stable and secure iPad over the assorted Android-driven tablets. And, of course, Microsoft hopes that its planned obsolescence of Windows 7 will drive revenue growth as both consumers and businesses upgrade. The early reviews of Win8 have been mostly positive. PCWorld’s Jason Cross wrote that he’s impressed by Win8’s “speed and elegance.” But there are more than a few detractors wondering whether this new OS will flop like Vista. We’ll know for sure next fall, when Win8 is expected to become commercially available. Stay tuned.
WINDOWS XP: TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
Some clients still use Microsoft’s once ubiquitous Windows XP operating system (OS), which is now over 10 years old. Antique, by technical standards. If you’re one of those people, it’s time to seriously consider upgrading your OS. There are many reasons why you should make that move.First, Microsoft discontinued mainstream support for XP two years ago. Thus, you no longer receive automatic updates and fixes. Support for Service Pack (SP) 2 ended in July 2010, and extended support for SP3 will end in 2014. At that point, XP will be even more vulnerable to malicious software (viruses, Trojans, worms, etc.,) than it already is. And that’s saying a lot. There’s already a huge amount of malware designed to penetrate XP systems and steal your information. This problem will get worse as XP ages. Feature-rich Windows 7, on the other hand, was designed to provide much better security against malware intrusion. And we anticipate that Windows 8 (currently in developer preview) will be better still at protecting your system. To borrow a phrase from Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, it’s "Time to Say Goodbye” to XP.