LogMeIn Phishing Scam Making Rounds on the internet

The scam

Lately, I’ve noticed an uptick in the occurrences of an old phishing scam recently making it’s rounds on the internet. The scam can begin in several ways including the following:

1.   .  A popup appears and indicates that your computer has a virus/malware and the prompt entices the user to click the link to clean their computer.
2.    . A program downloads in the background of your computer while surfing the web.
3.   .  Someone else uses your computer and inadvertently clicks a malicious link.
4.    . These type of scams can also be spread through e-mail.

Here’s how the scam works. Once you click on the link/popup it automatically triggers the LogMeIn application to install on the user's computer, followed by a message to call "tech support" and provides the user with a number to call. During the "tech support" call, the "technician" provides the user with a code to type into the LogMeIn software which then grants them total access to the user's computer remotely. After gaining access to the user's computer remotely, the attacker can do many things including take control of the user's mouse, browse through their files, access their computer from a remote location, and a myriad of other things made possible by the LogMeIn software. Lastly, the “tech support” person on the other end of the phone will return with a diagnosis that indicates the user's computer is infected and needs immediate repair accompanied by a quote in the price range between $300 or $600 (in my experiences) to rectify the "problems".

Tips to avoid becoming a victim

There are a number of things one could do to avoid being a victim and I’ll recommend some of the most common mitigation techniques here, but this list is not expansive so please do your due diligence and research to avoid becoming a victim. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
1. Install antivirus software. If you haven’t already done so, please make sure you have an antivirus installed on your computer. Many PCs come with a free trial which is good; however, at some point they normally expire and most users don't bother to renew it which leaves their PC in a vulnerable position. There are many free tools available online that do a decent job of protecting against malicious software on the internet.  Please see links below for some that I’ve used to help protect my PCs)
2. Install a software-based firewall. In addition to antivirus software, you may want to install a software based firewall to help prevent intrusions. In contrast to antivirus software, firewalls are proactive in nature as they aim to stop malicious software from coming in to the host system. Many solution combine antivirus software with a firewall so it may be prudent to find a good solution that offers both. Please see the Comodo Internet Security link below for an example of a solution that offers both antivirus and firewall capability.

2    3. Avoid clicking any suspicious or unknown links. If you have a good firewall, it will help with this problem. If you accidentally click a malicious link, prevention is always the best strategy.

3    4. Please do not ever call anyone, period. If you receive a prompt to call someone, it usually means it’s a scam, so I would advise against calling anyone that sends you a link that says call them for tech support.

Final Note

There are lots of scams floating around the internet these days preying on unsuspecting people. Please try not to fall victim to these scam artists as the damage could be bad (i.e identity theft, stolen money, etc.) and depending on where the perpetrator is there could be little recourse to recoup any time or money lost. Once again, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like more information.

Links - All of the links provided here are freely available on the internet

Malwarebytes – www.malwarebytes.org

Comodo Internet Security – www.comodo.com

Avast Free Antivirus – www.avast.com

AVG Free Antivirus – www.avg.com

Introduction

Learning how to write computer code can be a daunting task for a beginner. However, with the right motivation, practice, and guidance anyone can learn the basics of coding and become a successful programmer. 

My first introduction to computer programming (coding) was using a program called BASIC. As it's name suggests, BASIC was an introductory computer language that allowed me to learn the concepts, logic and reasoning that goes into writing a computer program. The basic principles in computer programming revolve around making lots of smaller choices to solve small problems while also solving larger problems using software. Consequently, the average person utilizes these skills on a daily basis, thus the challenge comes in when you have to translate those ideas into computer language (coding). 

As a Management Information Systems major at Florida International University (FIU), part of the curriculum included taking a course in one of the various programming languages. It was during this time, I got acquainted with writing code again through an Introduction to Visual Basic course. The course was challenging, but I learned quite a bit from the instructor, including proper techniques to utilize when teaching coding courses. During the remainder of this blog, I will focus on resources, best practices and techniques to help facilitate learning how to code. 

Best practices

1. Resist the temptation to assist - One of the things I admired about my professor in the FIU course is that she resisted the urge to tell students exactly what's wrong with their code/program. The professor instead would give clues as to what type of things to look for in the code, which taught me to learn how to search through the code myself, find the mistakes, and correct them. This came in handy after class was over and I began to write code for myself. 

2. Detail oriented - Coding is very detail-oriented. For those coding for the first time, it can be very easy to overlook minor details; however, those minor details will cause an entire program not to run. 

3. Problem solving - As mentioned previously, coding involves solving small issues on the way to solving a larger issue. 

4. Creative thinking - Coding involves a lot of critical thinking. Incorporate critical thinking skills into the course to help build the students creative thinking skills.  

5. Facilitator - The instructor should serve in the capacity of a coach. The coach should teach the fundamentals of coding and allow the students to execute. Students will undoubtedly become frustrated at some point; however, the coach should be there to provide encouragement and facilitate the students' learning through doing rather than providing hands-on assistance to complete the project.   

Resources

There are a number of free tools available for basic users to begin learning how to code. Please see below for a list of available tools.

www.codecademy.com - Codecademy is an education company. But not one in the way you might think. We're committed to building the best learning experience inside and out, making Codecademy the best place for our team to learn, teach, and create the online learning experience of the future.

www.code.org - Launched in 2013, Code.org® is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. We believe computer science should be part of core curriculum, alongside other courses such as biology, chemistry or algebra.

www.khanacademy.org - Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content.

Microsoft Youthspark Hub - Microsoft is committed to increasing access to computer science education. Through our global YouthSpark initiative, we partner with nonprofit organizations, schools, governments and other businesses to make more computer science education courses, trainings and resources available, so you can learn the computational thinking and problem-solving skills that will help you today and in your future.

Together with our partners, we’re working hard to make sure that that no matter where you live or what your background is — you have the opportunity to learn computer science and explore how it can help you achieve your goals and dreams.

My Apple Watch Review

I've had the apple watch for a couple of months now and I've decided to post a review. First, I'll start off with some general overall comments and then move into some pros and cons. Now, I'm not going to cover everything there is to know about the Apple Watch. To learn more, please visit the Apple site to learn more at the following link Apple.

The Apple watch is a smart watch released by Apple earlier this year. As far as functionality goes, it provides a great deal of functionality; but lacks in some key areas. In particular, one of the main drawbacks is that most of the functionality is tied into the watch having to be within bluetooth range (30 feet) of the phone. Venturing too far away from the phone will result in reduced functionality and thus relegate the watch to being just that without all the additional bells and whistles. In my opinion, given the current state of the watch, I view it as more of a luxurious toy than a necessity.

Pros:

Convenience: Notifications are received on the watch which eliminates the need to reach into your pocket and pull your phone out every time you receive a text or call. In addition, the Apple watch makes it more convenient to respond to a text while driving through the voice dictation feature which allows you to talk into the watch to respond to a text.

Fitness Tracking: The watch has a built-in fitness tracker which tracks how active you've been throughout the day and also "nudges" you to be more active based upon goals that you can modify each week.

Coolness: As a kid, one of my favorite shows to watch was "Knight Rider" which I always envied Michael Knight when I would see him talking into his watch. Now with my Apple watch I can talk to people through my watch as well. How cool is that? The Apple watch gives you the functionality to answer calls directly on the watch which can free your hands to complete other tasks during the conversation.

Cons:

Bluetooth Rage: The Apple watch must be within 30 feet, give or take depending on envorinmental factors in order to work. This is a major drawback for me and in my opinion the watch would be much better if it worked more independently.

Cost: The Apple watch is a little on the expensive side. Especially, given the functionality or lack thereof it is my opinion that it's not necessarily worth the steep price tag in it's current form.

Apps: Although there are quite a few apps available for the Apple watch, that part of the market is still trying to catch up. However, the current apps list isn't too shabby.

 In conclusion, the Apple watch is an intriguing tech gadget; however, in it's current state it leaves a little to be desired. In retrospect, I would take a wait-and-see approach to see if there's any functionality added before taking the plunge to purchase it.

Tune in next time for the next #techtuesday blog.

That's all folks. Keep Calm and Tech On!

'Shark Tank's STEMCenter Encourages Education Using Robots

S(Science) T(Technology) E(Engineering) M(Mathematics) areas have been in the headlines quite a bit recently and for good reason. These are vitally important areas to the future of America. Currently, there aren't enough qualified candidates to fill many of the open positions in the STEM areas. This shortage has ultimately led to a great deal of emphasis being placed on creating awareness and increasing training and education in the STEM areas. STEMCenter is one of the programs introduced to help create awareness and stimulate interest among students in STEM. The general focus is that through kinesthetic (hands-on) learning through the use of robots will help motivate students to pursue STEM careers. The program was recently featured on Shark Tank and the creators were able to secure a deal. How cool is that? I'm looking forward to seeing this program expand and continue to help shape the future of STEM. That's all for now, tune in next week for another amazing #techtuesday topic.   

STEMCenter

Solid State Drives (SSD)

Solid State Drives are storage drives that do not contain any moving parts. There are many advantages to installing a solid state drive into your existing computer. However, there are a couple of disadvantages as well.

Traditional hard drives contain internal disks called platters that store data on various places on the platters. These platters are spun and read by heads (see image below). For many years, these hard drives have been used and they are very reliable for the most part. However, the emergence of solid state drives has revolutionized the hard drive industry.

Traditional HDD

Solid state drives are storage drives that do not contain any moving parts (see image below). If you're having trouble visualizing how a solid state drive works, just think about a flash drive. A flash drive does not contain any moving parts and the data is saved on the drive without the use of spinning platters and read/write heads. With that being said, the absence of spinning platters and read/write heads greatly speeds up the process of saving and retrieving data to and from the disk. Recently, I bought a new laptop and quickly swapped out the hard drive for an SSD. The amount of time it takes the computer to boot up has greatly been reduced with the new SSD. In fact, when I turn my computer on I'm up and running in a matter of seconds as opposed to minutes. This may not be a big deal for some but to me it's like a difference of night and day. 

SSD

In conclusion, solid state drives are a good investment for the computer user that needs more efficiency out of their computer. However, as of the writing of this blog they are a bit expensive and come in smaller storage sizes than traditional hard drives. If you can wait, it may be better to catch them on sale like I did. If you can catch them on sale, I think the increased efficiency and speed are definitely worth the price.   

The Raspberry Pi and why you should own one

The Raspberry Pi and why you should own one

If you haven't heard of the Raspberry Pi, you should probably read up on it. The Raspberry Pi is a small computer about the size of a credit card (see picture below). What's so special about this computer? Well for starters, it's a fully functioning computer that can fit in the palm of your hand. Next, it can use your existing television as a monitor which cuts down on the cost. Also, it can be connected to your existing wi-fi and bluetooth devices using an inexpensive dongle plugged into the usb ports. Lastly, it only costs $35. Yes, you read that correctly $35.

If you have children and would like to introduce them to the world of computers, I would definitely recommend purchasing a Raspberry Pi. If you haven't noticed yet, there is a big campaign to boost student's interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) areas and this little computer may just do the trick. There are plenty of cool activities for students to learn as they explore many different areas. While completing the projects, students will learn how to write code, troubleshoot the computer, and most of all have lots of fun! Best of all, one of the main features is the Raspberry Pi is so inexpensive that if it gets broken, you're only out of $35 as compared to hundreds or even thousands for traditional desktop or laptop computers.

If you don't have kids, you too can have fun while exploring the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi. There are plenty of do-it-yourself projects available using just a quick Google search. Some of the projects I'm personally intrigued with are hosting your own personal and private cloud, home automation, and home security. If you like to tinker with electronics in your spare time, this may be of interest to you. And to top it all off, depending on the project you may be able to save money in the process. What's not to like about that? For more information, please visit the Raspberry Pi site at the following link: https://www.raspberrypi.org/

 

Cybersecurity - Are you at risk?

Cybersecurity is one of the more recent buzzwords that have gained popularity in the IT industry. The concept of cybersecurity has actually been around for quite some time; however, as a result of a the recent hacking events the focus on that area has been heightened as more people have become aware of what could potentially happen if your system is compromised by an attack. As a result, I've come up with some basic tips and techniques to help prevent attacks for the average home user.

One of the main things I've noticed while assisting friends, family, and others with fixing their computers is that while many people have an existing antivirus program on their computer, many fail to either update them in a timely manner or they simply do not physically run the antivirus to detect threats on the computer. 

First, let's address the problem of not updating the antivirus program. Let's consider the following scenario: The antivirus on your machine hasn't been updated since 10/20/2014), under this scenario your system could potentially be exposed to threats through the internet. In fact, according to a report on Global Threats, Risks, and Vulnerabilities produced by Symantec (www.symantec.com) your system would be vulnerable to 99 viruses that were released after the last update. 

Next, let's address the problem of not physically running the antivirus. Quite often when I initially analyze an infected computer, one thing I notice is that a virus scan has not been performed in quite some time. This is a very dangerous practice because it leaves the machine vulnerable to every virus that was released after the last scan. Consequently, the antivirus can not protect if it's not utilized by the owner of the system. I like to think of it as a security alarm, the alarm can not do it's job if it's not activated. 

In conclusion, cybersecurity has become a major source of concern for many people on the internet today. Almost every week there's a new report of major company that may have been hacked into which would compromise millions of consumer's personal information and data. While there's no fool proof way to prevent becoming a victim to a data attack, there are ways to help minimize the threat. Please see below for a few recommended steps and look for the next blog where I'll be discussing more interesting topics in the area of cybersecurity. 

Recommended steps: 1) If you do not have an antivirus, please get one. There are plenty of free antivirus software solutions available online. 2) Set it to update automatically or update it manually at least every couple of weeks, if not every week. 3)Perform a scan at least once a week. If you do not want this to interrupt your normal computer use, you can set it to run when you're not on the computer.