05/25/2016

The Young Whippersnappers Aren't As Smart As They Think

Frequent readers of our blog and newsletter will know that aside from reviewing antivirus software, we also preach a good sermon about security in general and about how to make good passwords and password management. The fine folks at gigya.com, a company that specializes in identity management, know a thing... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

04/04/2016

"400% Surge In Phishing Attacks This Tax Season" Says The IRS*

The bad guys are in full force this tax season. With so many people doing their taxes online this year, the phishing community is out to snag as many victims as possible. Even if you don't do your taxes online, the phishers still trick lots of people into entering sensitive... Read more

Posted by Josh Christofferson at 10:25 PM in Antiphishing , BitDefender , ESET , VIPRE | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

02/26/2016

The Ugly Truth About "Ransomware"

On Feb 18, the entire computer system at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center was locked and held for ransom. The hackers who easily infiltrated the hospital's system locked and encrypted all of the hospital's medical files and computers making it impossible to work and help patients. The hackers demanded $17,000 to... Read more

Posted by Josh Christofferson at 4:25 PM in Antivirus , Internet Security , Malware , Online Safety , PC Security , Ransomware | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

11/30/2015

Apple / Mac Antivirus Software

Since we began the site in 2006 the marketshare of the Mac / OS X has grown steadily. In terms of both competition and reducing the amount of homogeneity in the computing ecosystem. This is a good thing. In contrast, if every computer in the world were the same, it... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 2:34 PM in Antivirus , Antivirus Reviews , Mac Antivirus | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

11/28/2015

Emsisoft Tool to Decrypt DecryptorMax

Softpedia has a nice write up on the new Emsisoft tool to decrypt the DecryptorMax ransomware (aka CryptInfinite). This tool is great news for the good guys and for the consumers who've been affected by this scumware. If your PC is infected with this malware, you can download decrypt_cryptinfinite.exe (the... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 6:05 PM in Malware , Ransomware | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

11/13/2015

Is Online Shopping Really Safe?

Although it may seem strange to some people, to others the very thought of using a credit card online seems pretty crazy. In fact, we talk to someone by phone at least once a week with this concern. Pam, a New Hampshire resident, called this week asking, "I want to... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 1:37 PM in Antivirus , Online Safety | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

11/11/2015

The Night I Was Nearly Robbed: Situational Awareness & Safety Online (and Offline, too)

We've been getting such tremendous feedback from this story from our newsletter subscribers, I've decided to turn it into a blog, too. This "Ask the Experts" deals with a personal story from my college days and situational awareness. It's a short story. Every word is true. I hope it helps... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 12:15 PM in Antivirus , Internet Security , Online Safety | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

11/10/2015

Ask the Experts: What's a Spear Phishing Attack?

Alexandra from Delaware called in asking, "I heard something on the radio about new threats from online 'spearphishing' attacks, and I'm looking for antivirus software that protects against them. "What software does that?" It's no surprise that people are starting to hear stories like the one Alexandra heard because even... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 4:03 PM in Antiphishing , Phishing , Spear Phishing | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

10/14/2015

Phishing by Phone. What Are They Thinking?!

By a bit of serendipity, Josh and I each got phishing attempts in the past few days. Granted, we get a lot of phishing and malware emails. After all, we have secret email addresses we use to intentionally collect malware and phishing attempts the bad guys are sending. It lets... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 10:28 AM in Antiphishing , Phishing , Scam | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

09/25/2015

How to Tell if Your Passwords Are Secure (Our Ultimate Guide to Passwords.)

How to go from this... to this...1 1without giving up your sanity Ah, the password. Everyone has their own technique for making a password. Most suck. Today you'll learn how to make passwords that: are easy to make are easy to remember help turn your PC into a steel-reinforced vault... Read more

Posted by Kevin R. Smith at 6:01 PM in Passwords , PC Security | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )