Category Archives: Malware

Here come the Thingbots!

Anti-virus, Malware, Security, ,
20160324

As the Internet of Things continues to become more common in our daily lives, the vulnerabilities of these devices will become more apparent and more in need of protection

Information technology experts have been dealing with malware for years now. First, worms, then viruses, then ransomware. Malware re-invented itself as the internet expanded and hackers found new ways to make money through criminal enterprises on the net. That was then; this is now: get ready for the rise of the thingbots.

The Internet of Things

Last year, the internet was awash with stories about the rise of the Internet of Things (IOT). In the new digital world all our smart devices would be able to talk to each other and connect to the smart grid. Our toasters, coffeemakers, baby monitors and our internet-connected cars will communicate with each other and with our smart houses to make our lives so much simpler, organized and automated. The IOT would learn our preferences and our habits and adjust programming based on what they learn about our wants and needs. Some experts estimate that by 2020, a mere four years from now, between 25-50 billion devices will connect to the Internet and, potentially, to each other.

When that happens, IOT will not only take in data about our lives but will send data to other external machines. For example, the smart refrigerator not only keeps tabs on the food in your refrigerator and knows when you need to order particular items. It can send the list of foods you need to order to your smart phone, and then externally to the shopping delivery network that you use.

How do botnets form?

Botnets form when malware takes command over large numbers of computers (the term “bots”, derived from robots) and organizes them into systems (nets). A botnet, then, is a system of computers infected by malware. Botnets are the reason we have most of the hacking, spamming, and malware that we face each year.

As a rule, most of us haven’t worried too much about botnets attacking our computers. They seemed to mostly target the data of Fortune 500 companies or cause denial of service issues. When you hear the numbers of computers infected and controlled by botnets, however, the scale is nothing short of amazing. Just as an example, hackers created one botnet called ZeroAccess. At its height, this botnet reportedly controlled 1.9 million computers around the world in its efforts to commit cyber crimes.

Botnets are a threat to both businesses and personal users. We all use smart devices now. We bring our smart phones, notebooks and tablets to work. Any infection in the business network will spread easily to your personal devices. Similarly, an infected personal device linking to the business network can spread the infection to the network.

Of course, corporate networks usually have more sophisticated anti-malware protections and cyber-security systems than we do at home simply because they have more secret and proprietary information that hackers want to steal. Since there are various types of malware, though, any computer user is at risk. Some botnets send spam, some collect credentials or steal intellectual property, and still others send internet users to malicious websites. Once individual devices are voluntarily connected to each other, who knows what evil hackers will accomplish on a worldwide scale.

So, What are Thingbots?

Thingbots are botnets made of infected devices from the internet of things. Controlled by the owner of the botnet, they have the same capacity for malicious activities as traditional botnet malware.

Wireless routers and modems are the most likely targets for thingbots because they are directly connected to the internet. As our home appliances and workplace machines become fully automated, cyber-security will need to protect data at each segment of connection. The more data points connect, the more companies will need to employ security checkpoints.

To read more about thingbots, read the October 2014 article “Botnet malware: What it is and how to fight it,” on welivesecurity.com.

To talk more about botnets, thingbots, and what it means for your cyber-security, please contact us. We want to help your business stay cyber-secure.

5 Simple Tips for Preventing Malware, Viruses and Adware on Company Machines

Malware, Security, ,
Protecting your company machines from malware, viruses and adware today, can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches down the road.

Protecting your company machines from malware, viruses and adware today, can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches down the road.

Malware, adware and viruses are common infections that computers and systems of all types are commonly infected with. The severity of the infection depends entirely on the malware that was installed. Some malware packages are more harmful than others, but as a business you have other responsibilities to worry about, like ensuring that your business and customer data is safe from potential data theft and malicious usage. Luckily, there are some very simple steps that can be taken that greatly reduce the risk of data theft and other malicious attacks within your business. Remember, hackers and others with malicious will almost always go for the easiest target, so taking a few simple measures can go a long way toward protecting your business.

1. Install a Quality AntiVirus/Anti-Malware Software Package on Every Machine

The first and most important step is to ensure that every machine within your company uses a high quality antivirus and anti-malware software package to keep the machine safe. There are many available, some available for free online. This basic first step will allow you to scan your computer for current infections and protect your business and machines against future infections as well.

2. Use Real-Time Protection Features

When choosing anti-malware software, it is very important that you choose a software package that offers real-time protection. Many of the anti-malware offerings will allow you to scan your computer to identify and remove current infections, but a smaller number offer real-time reporting. It is important to remember that malware infections can happen at any time while browsing the internet, opening emails, or clicking what appears to be a harmless link. Real-time features let you ensure that your business is protected any time a machine is being used.

3. Require Daily or Weekly Scans and Updates

Once you’ve chosen a software package that meets your needs and offers real-time malware protection, set a company policy regarding daily and weekly scans of your machines. Although daily scans never hurt, some businesses may opt for a weekly scan instead. By ensuring that your machines are regularly checked for issues you can be certain that all machines are clean. Additionally, this will help to further protect computers that are not receiving real-time protection.

4. Teach Best Practices for Opening Emails and Clicking Links

One of the biggest reasons company machines become infected with malware is from employees clicking on links and opening emails that shouldn’t be clicked or opened. One of the easiest ways to infect a machine with malware is to convince the user to download a file on their own. By teaching your employees the best practices for opening emails, browsing the internet and clicking anything that could potentially result in a download.

5. Use Hardware Firewalls

Although most machines running Windows will have their own built in software firewall, it is always a good idea to install and utilize a hardware firewall as well. This helps to ensure all machines that your company uses including linked printers, scanners and computers have a layer of protection against malicious attacks. A reliable firewall will protect your systems against malicious network attacks, exploits, malware, viruses and worms that could result in data theft.

When it comes to malware, viruses and other PC infections, the best step you can take is preventative measures. Ensuring that you have a hardware firewall in conjunction with high quality software solutions on every machine will allow you to ensure that you keep your business machines safe while also protecting your network as a whole.

If you would like to learn more about how you can protect your business from malicious threats, please contact us today to schedule your initial risk-free consultation. We’ll walk you through the process of securing your network, machines, and create a sustainable solution that keeps your business safe.

Malware Protection Live: Masquerader or Malware Protector?

Malware, Security, ,
Malware often presents itself as something innocuous or even helpful, like anti-malware software.

Malware often presents itself as something innocuous or even helpful, like anti-malware software.

What is malware? Let’s start with the basics. Malware is a broad term. It can mean computer viruses. Malware can also refer to worms, spyware, or adware. The more recent and nastiest attacks come from ransomware. As its name implies, you must pay a ransom to get your system or your data back. Malware can also mean another type of cyber pest that threatens our information networks. These cyber villains wear cyber masks. This type of nefarious malware masquerades as anti-virus software or describes itself as protection against malware. One of these masqueraders is Malware Protection Live.

How does your system become infected with Malware Protection Live? You are vulnerable to this particular malware through several methods. Maybe a user downloaded this malware unknowingly by clicking on a suspicious link. This can happen if one of your users clicks on a banner of a suspicious site. Also, advertisements on social media sites can trick users into downloading viruses. Malware often takes over user profiles on social media sites. The corrupted profile then downloads malware to other users without the original profile owner’s knowledge. By doing this, the malware hides within a virus. Then, the virus attacks the individual’s computer which threatens the entire network.

Malware Protection Live may also download from a site you think you trust. You may think you are visiting a friendly site like JavaScript or Flash Player. But, in reality, a hacker virus redirected your system to the suspicious site.

How do I know if I’m infected with Malware Protection Live?  Unlike other viruses, Malware Protection Live does not hide in your computer’s system files. One day, you will turn on your computer and see an unfamiliar icon in the system tray. From the system tray, the icon runs a friendly message. It says the software will protect your system from malware. It promises to detect and remove malware before installation can occur. Then, you notice that you cannot close this message like a normal dialogue box. If you move to the task manager, you will find that the system tray icon uses about the same amount of memory as an anti-malware program. And, if you read the privacy policy (you can click on this from the same system tray icon), you will learn that this software collects personal information that it may use to send you more software products. It also collects information associated with your personal information. This all adds up to a software that collects all kinds of information: from the computer user’s personal identifiers and passwords to network information, browsing history, keystrokes and who knows what else.

How do I get rid of it? If you have SystemNet’s managed IT services that includes virus and spyware removal, you can relax. We’ve got you covered. Other anti-virus programs may not even recognize that malware has infected your system. Many anti-virus programs consider unwanted programs like Malware Protection Live as low-level threats. Advanced anti-viral protection likes ours includes a shield that protects your network from malware. The shield also protects your network from unwanted programs that enter the system without your knowledge and consent.

If we need to, we can repair your system via remote. This eliminates expensive repair delays and computers out-of-service. SystemNet’s anti-virus protection is better than a manual uninstall attempt. If it’s not done right, deleted malware often leaves dangerous files on your system. Our anti-virus software removes all the dangerous files from your system. Then it keeps on working to protect you from future infections.

If you would like to talk more about Malware Protection Live or learn more about SystemNet’s anti-virus protection, please contact us. We look forward to talking with you soon.

How Extensive is Malware in Today’s Business World? The Realities, and the Best Protection

Malware, ,
Malware is becoming increasingly prevalent in this digital age, but that doesn't mean you need to become a victim.

Malware is becoming increasingly prevalent in this digital age, but that doesn’t mean you need to become a victim.

The word malware is an old term that probably makes you bristle whenever you hear it. You’ve likely heard the term used often ever since you’ve been on the Internet, and possibly close to 20 years. In those last two decades, malware went from something only the careless ended up getting on their computers to everyone getting it, even when taking precautions.

This doesn’t negate the reality it’s still preventable. What the real problem is involves not having proper managed services in place for expert preventative measures. When you’re on your own trying to stop malware, you’ll be tempted to skimp on real security just to save money.

It’s then when you place yourself at a higher risk based purely on complacency just because nothing happened before. Once it does happen, it can instigate downtime costing you more money than you think, sometimes enough to put you into bankruptcy.

The reality is, malware is a daily problem that’s only growing more troublesome because of its ubiquitous nature and how it’s fooling companies. Far too many types of malware are out there that come in emails looking eerily real. When someone clicks on a link they think is legit, it’s already too late.

Take a look at what’s really going on in the world of malware lately, what effect it’s having, and what you can do to prevent it. At the very least, you should see what tools are available to at least get you back on your feet if malware still hits you.

Malware in Apps

You’re starting to see an increase in malware getting into popular apps available on prominent app stores. Most recently, an Android malware ended up on Google Play and into an intelligence app (ironically) that infected multiple thousands of people in the process. It was an example of how something looking so innocuous in a prominent place is just as vulnerable as anywhere else.

What makes this malware especially bad is it stays on many mobile devices even after the infected app gets uninstalled. As a result, it poses a new problem for malware becoming more prolific in the app world and possibly beginning to infect more mobile devices across the country.

However, the above is only the beginning in malware infiltrating various tech devices worldwide.

Malware in Routers

A recent report shows that a new type of malware once thought theoretical suddenly infected routers made by Cisco. Found in several different countries, it shows you how global malware is. You can also see how malware can technically get into any device, which could cripple your company if infecting something you wouldn’t expect like a router.

Even worse is a type of malware that completely hijacks your computer to a point where your business could shut down for weeks.

Ransomware as the Worst Type of Malware

Arguably, ransomware is the worst malware currently in existence because it so easily fools people in emails and ends up hijacking your systems until you pay a ransom. Even after paying ransoms, businesses don’t always get their systems unlocked, though some lucky few do.

Wired recently did a detailed piece on ransomware and how you can avoid it. They reiterate as we do here at SystemsNet: Good managed services matter in how well you protect yourself.

With our managed services, you have everything you need and done remotely so it doesn’t get in your way. You’ll have complete protection from viruses, malware, plus remote IT support whenever it’s needed.

Contact us to find out more about our comprehensive IT services and how you can get protected from the encroaching threats of malware.