In a new twist, scammers are claiming .............

SCAMwatch is warning consumers to beware of scammers targeting their smartphones and tablet devices with the computer virus scam.

This scam has caught out many Australians in recent years, with victims receiving a call out of the blue from a ‘technical specialist’ claiming that their computer has a virus. The caller convinces the victim to provide them with remote access to their computer, claims that their security has been compromised, and then offers to fix it on the spot – for a fee.

In a new twist, scammers are claiming to be able to fix similar viruses on people’s smartphones or tablets. As with the previous version, the scammer will ask you to grant them remote access to your computer, however they will also ask you to connect your mobile device to the computer so that they can access the device through it.

Don’t let your guard drop by a sense of urgency – these scammers are well-versed at applying high pressure sales tactics to incite fear and anxiety that your device has been compromised and must be fixed immediately. In fact, the only way that you risk your device’s security is by providing access in the first place. If you hand over your money, your device will not receive the promised protection.

Ask yourself: why would a business call and offer to fix your computer unless you contacted them in the first place? If you store personal information on your phone, tablet or computer, keep it out of the hands of scammers – never provide remote access to a stranger.
How the scam works

    You receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be a technical support specialist, who informs you that your computer, smartphone or tablet has been compromised by malicious software.
    The caller may claim to represent a reputable business such as Microsoft, Windows, Telstra or Bigpond. They may also sound like an expert as they use technical jargon.
    The ‘technician’ will ask you to provide them with remote access to your computer so that they can run a scan. If they claim the virus is on your smartphone or tablet, they will ask you to connect the device to your computer so that they can access the device through it.
    If you provide them with access, they will claim that the scan has indeed detected a virus, and any information stored on the device has been compromised.
    The ‘technician’ will then claim that they can restore your computer’s security on the spot – for a fee. They will offer to install anti-virus software on to your device for a one-off payment that typically ranges from $100 to $300.
    If you hesitate to agree, the caller will be very persistent and try to evoke a sense of urgency by claiming that anything could happen to your device if you don’t fix it now.
    To pay, they will ask for your credit card or banking details, or to transfer them money.
    If you provide remote access to the caller, only then are your compromising your device and personal information. If you hand over your money, your device will never receive the promised security software.

Protect yourself

    If you receive a phone call from someone claiming there is something wrong with your computer or mobile device’s security, just hang up.
    Never give a stranger remote access to your mobile device or computer.
    Do not give out your personal, credit card or online account details over the phone unless you initiated the call and the phone number came from a trusted source.
    Make sure your computer is protected with anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a good firewall - but only purchase the software from a source that you know and trust.
    If you think your mobile device or computer’s security has been compromised, seek out help or advice from a qualified and reputable technician.
    If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

Report

You can report scams to the ACCC via https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/694011 or by calling 1300 795 995.

Bitcasa Infinite Drive

How would you like a FREE 10GB hard drive, accessible anywhere from the web. FREE.

Pure unadulterated storage is what Bitcasa offers and with syncing clients or Android, OSX, iOS, Windows and Windows Phone, you will be able to sync and

access data from almost anywhere especially since you can also simply use any web browser to access information stored using Bitcasa. Bitcasa also claims

to use AES-256 encryption to encrypt data and that no human is involved in the process on securing your files. Therefore on paper it is the most secure

service but I cannot vouch for this in the least.

Bitcasa offers users a large amount of storage to start with and will definitely make it easy for you to sync your data to the cloud.

On installation, Bitcasa adds icons to your desktop, to Windows explorer windows and to the system tray. Simply drag and drop things onto the Windows

explorer or desktop icons to add files to the cloud.

Bitcasa has Windows and OSX clients as well as mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

For a free account of 10GB, Bitcasa is definitely worth a try.
Bitcasa is also available via the web on any modern internet browser and it has official apps/clients for Mac OS X, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone

Download Size: 23.5MB
Free Storage: 10GB
Supported OS: Windows 8, Windows 7

Download from https://www.bitcasa.com/download

Windows 8 Shutdown Button replacment.

Would you like an easier way to close your Win8 computer OS.

[1] Open windows Explorer [ windows key + E key ] .
[2] left click on C: drive.
[3] In the right window double click on Windows.
[4] Search for "Shutdown.exe" and right click it.
[5] Left click on "Create shortcut".
[6] c,Left lick on Yes.
[7] Change the shortcut name to SHUTDOWN.
[8] Right click on the shortcut and double click on Properties.
[9] Left click on "Change Icon, then on OK.

You now have a Shutdown button on the Desktop.  Enjoy.

Drive-by Download Attacks

A common way to get infected with malware is by visiting compromised websites. Cyber criminals use drive-by download attacks to gain access to your system. Drive-by downloads are malicious programs that are installed on your computer while visiting an infected website or viewing an HTML email message. Just like other malware, drive-by downloads are installed without your consent and can infect your PC, tablet, or smartphone.
Drive-by downloads are dangerous because you don't have to have to click on a hyperlink within a webpage or email to get infected. The malware installs on your computer just by visiting the compromised website or by opening the infected email. Drive-by downloads are considered to be client-side attacks, which target vulnerabilities within your system. The malware can exploit browser and system vulnerabilities due to low security settings.
Once installed, the malware deployed by a drive-by download is capable of stealing your personal information by logging your keystrokes and can install additional malware.  iLivid and Seedabutor are malware examples that are deployed by drive-by downloads. The best prevention method is to ensure that you have the latest Internet browser version installed and that you have the appropriate settings configured. Furthermore, you can view your emails in plain text with no HTML formatting. Disabling HTML features can prevent an infected email from compromising your system.

The Firefox Redirect Virus

The Firefox Redirect Virus can be an annoying, dangerous malware. Similar to the iLivid Virus, it reconfigures your Firefox browser by changing your security settings and home page, and modifying your Domain Name System (DNS) settings. Consequently, the Firefox Redirect Virus manipulates your search engine results and loads malicious websites. It will attempt to infect your system with additional malware, such as logic bombs and Trojan horses.

Please be aware that Mozilla Firefox is not responsible for the Firefox Redirect Virus. Mozilla offers a simple way to restore your Firefox Internet browser to its default settings. The Reset Firefox feature provides a fast and easy way to fix most of your issues, including the Firefox Redirect Virus. This feature also allows you to keep your bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and Internet cookies. Perform the following steps to reset your Firefox browser to its default state:

    Launch your Mozilla Firefox Internet browser. Click on the Firefox button located on the upper-left corner, select Help, and click on Troubleshooting Information.
    The Troubleshooting Information support page will be displayed on your Firefox browser. Click on the Reset Firefox button located on the upper-right corner.
    When the confirmation window opens, click on Reset Firefox.
    The Firefox browser will close and a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish, and Firefox will open with its default settings.

These steps may help you remove the Firefox Redirect Virus. As always, keep your antivirus and antispyware applications updated to combat the latest malware threats. If you use other browsers, such as Internet Explorer, you will encounter similar security threats. Ensure that your browser is running the latest version.

http://antivirus.about.com/b/2013/03/24/firefox-redirect-virus-removal.htm?nl=1

Adobe Flash is under attack

Attacks on Java may be subsided for a few days but the other kink in your armor — Flash — is now under attack. Adobe has released a security bulletin notifying Windows and Mac OS X users to update to Flash 11.5.502.149 because of an ongoing attack targeting Windows and Mac OS X users, an attack that exploits a Flash vulnerability in previous versions of Flash.

According to Adobe, in-the-wild attacks aimed at Windows users via Microsoft Word documents that contained infected SWF content; this attack is being conducted via e-mails that are spreading these Word files through attachments. The attack on Mac OS X users is via websites that utilize drive-by-downloads (i.e. something that is automatically downloaded to a user’s computer upon visiting an infected website). Any Mac users running Safari and Firefox is susceptible to this attack.

If infected, the vulnerability in Flash allows scumbags to remotely take over your computer.

Windows and Mac OS X users are encourage to update to the latest version of Flash — 11.5.502.149 — that protects against this particular vulnerability. Chrome and Internet Explorer 10 will issue their own updates to Flash. Adobe has also issued updates to Flash for Linux and Android but those platforms are not currently under attack via this specific vulnerability.

If you are unsure what version of Flash you have, you can go to this link which will tell you what version you have: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

Mirage Anti-Bot

Mirage Anti-Bot is a compact antivirus tool which aims to prevent you from accessing websites infected by the ZeuS, Palevo and SpyEye bots.

The program is fairly straightforward, in theory at least. The key point to remember is that you must launch it as an administrator (right-click the shortcut, select Run As Administrator). Then just click the Update button, and the program will download the abuse.ch blocklist (a major list of infected domains) and update your Windows HOSTS file accordingly, effectively preventing any browser you might run (or any other internet software) from reaching the malicious sites.

There are also a few small extras. Mirage Anti-Bot can log attempted accesses to blocked sites, for instance, perhaps helping you to see if it's doing anything useful. And if you'd like to prevent your kids from accessing a specific domain or two then you can add those sites to the list, too.

The program has significant limitations, of course. Mirage Anti-Bot isn't trying to detect malware on these websites, for instance, it's just blocking domains on a secondary list: if you try to visit an infected site which hasn't made it to the abuse.ch blocklist yet then the program won't be able to help you. So Mirage Anti-Bot is no substitute for a full antivirus tool with proper real-time browsing protection.

You also have to remember to run the program as an administrator, because if you forget then it doesn't seem to realise there's anything wrong, and still claims it's updated your HOSTS file even when nothing's happened at all. The simplest approach is probably just to tweak its shortcut accordingly (right-click, select Properties > Compatibility, check "Run this program as an administrator").

Still, once we'd sorted this out, the program worked well. Mirage Anti-Bot's simplicity means you'll be able to run it alongside your existing tool without any conflicts. And with the program using barely 7MB of RAM on our test PC, it's a reasonable choice to provide an extra layer of protection for your system.
Verdict:

Mirage Anti-Bot is a simple way to add an extra layer of security to your PC.

http://downloads.pcauthority.com.au/article/27050-mirage_anti-bot