windows

19
May
2020

COVID-19 Themed Templates for Hackers

Hackers use COVID-19 Themed TemplatesNew, Sophisticated Hacking Techniques in the Age of COVID-19

Hackers are using new methods to create very credible looking, fake websites to steal login credentials. Security firms are seeing an increase in the use of website templates to create phishing websites that look and feel like the real thing. These templates, available on underground forums and marketplaces, are a quick and easy way for criminals to create convincing, fake websites to steal information. The known templates mimic websites from the World Health Organization (WHO), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the United Kingdom government, the government of Canada, and the government of France. Many of these templates have multiple working pages to make them look more realistic. The template that mimics the government of Canada even has English and French segments.

More than half of the phishing campaigns recorded since January are using these new spoof templates to fool consumers. Hackers are using normal phishing techniques, creating urgency by claiming recipients will lose benefits, or reporting a breakthrough on the pandemic. The difference is the use of these templates to create very convincing fake websites. This change in strategy has been effective, resulting in an increase in successful phishing attacks.

Below are some examples of the fake phishing site templates:

This fake CDC site is asking user to authenticate with an email service to generate a vaccine ID.

Fake IRS Page

This fake IRS website created from an available template goes a step further, asking users to enter SSN, DOB, and other private identity information.

Avoid falling prey to these new phishing campaigns by being aware of the links you click on in emails. If an email is creating urgency or preying on emotion (click on this link now or you will lose your vaccine benefits!), the email is probably a scam. Instead of clicking the link, go to the known government website and look for the information. The criminals are making it more difficult to differentiate the fake websites and using emotion to get users to click. Stay informed and think before you click.

Quanexus IT Support Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

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Posted by Charles Wright in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Recent Posts, Small Business
09
Dec
2019

Organizations Can Get Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 Pro and Enterprise

For businesses that need more time before upgrading to Windows 10, Microsoft has recently released  “Extended Security Updates.” In other words: Microsoft will continue creating security updates, but you can only get them if you pay up.

For Professional Versions of windows 7 its $61 per device for the first year.  The 2nd year  the cost increase $100 per device and for the third year the price will increase to $200 per device.

For Enterprise Windows 7 computers the cost is $25 first year, $50 Second year and $100 third year.

Windows 7 extended support will not be available after calendar year 2022.

These are designed as a stopgap. These updates will get more expensive every year. Microsoft wants businesses, governments, and other organizations to move to a modern version of Windows.

Microsoft won’t sell you these updates directly, and they’re not available through normal retail channels.  They can only be purchased through a Microsoft Authorized Partner like Quanexus.

Quanexus IT Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

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If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

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Posted by Jack Gerbs in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Recent Posts, Small Business, Virtualization
28
May
2019

Computer Equipment Pricing and Availability Challenges Ahead?

It is very likely that we will be seeing computer equipment price increases and potential equipment shortages in the upcoming months. With the new trade tariffs, on Chinese products, that took place on May 10th it is likely that equipment pricing may increase 15 to 25%.  Equipment shipped and in transit prior to May 10th are not affected by the new tariff rate. The tariff rate in January was 10%. On May 1st the tariff was increased to 25%. It is not clear when we will be seeing price increases.

To make matters worse,  the IT industry is coming up on a critical date, January 13, 2020. January 13th is the last official day that Microsoft will release security updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (all versions). After this final release Microsoft will no longer provide any support for these older operating systems making the vulnerable to new threats.  Many older computers do not have the resources to run the new server and desktop operating systems and many systems will have to be replaced. If you are still running on these older operating systems, you should plan accordingly to minimize the impact of the new tariff rate.

Request your free network assessment today. There is no hassle, or obligation.

If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

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Posted by Jack Gerbs in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Small Business
07
May
2019

Windows 10 to Uninstall Buggy Updates

For those of you who have been following the challenges with Microsoft’s Windows 10 updates, there is help on the horizon. For those of you who weren’t following the issues, simply put, some of the updates broke hardware drivers. The hardware driver issues only affected certain accessories in the computer. The range of problems created are from sound cards not working to computers not booting (fully turning on).

While the Microsoft updates created the issues, the problems were not entirely Microsoft’s fault. Microsoft was supplied with updated drivers from major vendors, and it was these drivers that created the incompatibility issues.

With Microsoft’s next update (1903), which should be released in the next few months, they have included a roll-back feature. At this point, the roll-back feature is limited to systems that won’t complete their boot cycle. If the operating system determines that there is an issue and the boot cycle terminates, it will automatically roll back the last update making the computer usable again. This new feature will also stop the automated update process for 30 days to protect itself from re-downloading the same update.

If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

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Posted by Jack Gerbs in Recent Posts