The dreaded
April 8 has come and gone and remarkably the world did not end.
So hurray for that!!
If you missed
last months newsletter concerning the end of support for Windows XP and what you
can do to protect yourself against future threats if you are still using XP, you
can find it at
www.comp-u-talk.com/newsletters. If you are still using
XP, you might want to review the "Survival Guide". In fact if
you are using any version of Internet Explorer from version 6 or newer, you
might want to review the "Survival Guide". Here's why:
On April 29,
Microsoft acknowledged there is a security flaw in Internet Explorer, versions 6
thru 11. If you are in the mood to read all of the horrid
details or watch a flurry of YouTube videos, you can google: Clandestine Fox
The incredibly
condensed version is: When you browse the internet via
Internet Explorer, hackers are able to take advantage of your computer memory to
view data, change data, delete data, keylog (record all of your keystrokes and
send them to the hacker - they are typically looking for banking and personal
data), install malicious programs and create user accounts to give the attacker
admin rights.
That's pretty
scary stuff and apparently, it has been going on for a while.
The preferred method to gain admission to your system is to lure you onto a web
site designed to take advantage of the exploit. So please,
don't click every link that is sent to you.
For those
running Windows Vista, 7, 8, or 8.1, Microsoft is working on a patch, so check
for critical updates frequently. In the meantime, here is a list of steps you
can invoke to thwart the attack on you.
1. Don't
visit untrusted websites, regardless of who sent you the link.
2. Disable
the flash plug-in. (Open Internet Explorer, Pull down the
Tools Menu, Click on Manage Add-ons, Highlight the Shockwave Flash Object
Add-on, click on Disable)
3.
Stop using Internet Explorer. Instead, use Google
Chrome which can be downloaded from:
www.google.com/chrome,
or Firefox, available at:
www.firefox.com.
As Always,
Stay Safe and remember, when you purchase your computer at Comp-U-Talk, you have
a choice of running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and we speak English - normally, we
speak it gooder. Come see us when you are ready.
We’d love to share with you
~Janet