HP Expands Recall of Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Fire Hazard

This recall involves many different models of notebooks sold under the following brands: HP, HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario and HP Compaq. Several other HP battery recalls preceded this one, dating to 2005. You can find out if you have a battery from this recall or from one the older recalls on HP's recall site, which also has details about how to get your free replacement battery if you have one of the recalled units. HP also has an FAQ regarding all the battery recalls.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10240.html

A Great Example of using Social Media

One of my favorite websites is All-Star Basketball Academy's site. You can find it at http://www.ababend.com/index2.html. Here, Daniel integrates his Constant Contact Newsletters as well as his blog link into his site. I love the way the website is at the center of all this.

Fake Anti-Virus Software a Growing Online Threat

Google said Tuesday that fake software security programs rigged to infect computers are a growing online threat, with hackers tricking people into installing nefarious code on machines.

An analysis of 240 million web pages by the internet search giant during the past 13 months revealed that fake anti-virus programs accounted for 15 percent of malicious software it detected, AFP reported.

"The Fake AV threat is rising in prevalence, both absolutely and relative to other forms of web-based malware," Google said in its findings.
"Clearly, there is a definitive upward trend in the number of new Fake AV domains that we encounter each week."

Fake anti-virus (AV) peddlers rig websites to frighten visitors with pop-up messages warning that supposed scans have found dangerous malicious software on machines. The scam goes on by selling victims programs that hackers claim will fix the purported problems -- but which in fact usually plant nefarious computer code on machines.

Such transactions can also leave credit card information in the hands of cyber crooks.

"Surprisingly, many users fall victim to these attacks and pay to register the Fake AV," Google said. "To add insult to injury, Fake AVs often are bundled with other malware, which remains on a victim’s computer regardless of whether a payment is made".

Suspicious search results and strange behavior: What is phishing?

I found this in Google. I received a suspicious email from Paypal on January 10. I clicked on the link and there was a phishing warning on the webpage that looked like this picture. DO NOT CONTINUE BROWSING THE SITE! Read on....
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Phishing is a type of attack whose goal is to steal private information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers, usually to carry out various types of financial fraud. An attacker impersonates a trusted entity, such as a bank, government, ISP, or large web site, and tries to trick people into giving up their private information. These attacks often take the form of "urgent" emails asking people to take immediate action in order to prevent some impending disaster. Examples include topics such as the following:

"Our bank has a new security system. Update your information now or you won't be able to access your account."
"We couldn't verify your information; click here to update your account."
Sometimes the email claims that something awful will happen to the sender (or a third party), as in "The sum of $30,000,000 is going to go to the Government unless you help me transfer it to your bank account."
People who click on the links in these emails may be taken to a phishing site - a web page that looks like a legitimate site they've visited before, but is actually controlled by an attacker. Because the page looks familiar, people visiting these phishing sites enter their username, password, or other private information on the site. What they've unknowingly done is given a third party all the information needed to hijack their account, steal their money, or open up new lines of credit in their name. They just fell for a phishing attack.

The concept behind such an attack is simple: Someone masquerades as someone else in an effort to deceive people into sharing personal or other sensitive information with them. Phishers can masquerade as just about anyone, including banks, email and application providers, online merchants, online payment services, and even governments. And while some of these attacks are crude and easy to spot, many of them are sophisticated and well constructed. That fake email from "your bank" can look very real; the bogus "login page" you're redirected to can seem completely legitimate.

If you think you may have encountered a phishing site, please report the suspicious site to us.

What you can do to avoid phishing attacks

The good news is there are things you can do to steer clear of phishing attacks and phishing sites:

Be careful about responding to emails that ask you for sensitive information. You should be wary of clicking on links in emails or responding to emails that are asking for things like account numbers, user names and passwords, or other personal information such as social security numbers. Most legitimate businesses will never ask for this information via email. Google doesn't.
Go to the site yourself, rather than clicking on links in suspicious emails. If you receive a communication asking for sensitive information but think it could be legitimate, open a new browser window and go to the organization's website as you normally would (for instance, by using a bookmark or by typing out the address of the organization's website). This will improve the chances that you're dealing with the organization's website rather than with a phisher's website, and if there's actually something you need to do, there will usually be a notification on the site. Also, if you're not sure about a request you've received, don't be afraid to contact the organization directly to ask. It takes just a few minutes to go to the organization's website, find an email address or phone number for customer support, and reach out to confirm whether the request is legitimate.
If you're on a site that's asking you to enter sensitive information, check for signs of anything suspicious. If you're on a site that's asking for sensitive information -- no matter how you got there -- check for the signs that it's really the official website for the organization. For example, check the URL to make sure the page is actually part of the organization's website, and not a fraudulent page on a different domain (such as mybankk.com or g00gle.com.) If you're on a page that should be secured (like one asking you to enter in your credit card information) look for "https" at the beginning of the URL and the padlock icon in the browser. (In Firefox and Internet Explorer 6, the padlock appears in the bottom right-hand corner, while in Internet Explorer 7 the padlock appears on the right-hand side of the address bar.) These signs aren't infallible, but they're a good place to start.
Be wary of the "fabulous offers" and "fantastic prizes" that you'll sometimes come across on the web. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, and it could be a phisher trying to steal your information. Whenever you come across an offer online that requires you to share personal or other sensitive information to take advantage of it, be sure to ask lots of questions and check the site asking for your information for signs of anything suspicious.
Use a browser that has a phishing filter. The latest versions of most browsers include phishing filters that can help you spot potential phishing attacks

What is a Computer Virus?

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.

The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojans, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software, including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms and Trojans, like viruses, may cause harm to either a computer system's hosted data, functional performance, or networking throughput, when they are executed. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious or go unnoticed.

Article by Wikipedia

Little d Technology: Back up your cherished holiday photos

This holiday season protect your digital memories by following these simple tips:
Backup or transfer images from the camera's Flash memory onto CDs, DVDs or an external hard drive after each use.
Do not delete images or reformat the memory card while it is still in the camera. Wait until all photos have been transferred and verified.
Remove the Flash memory or card reader from the camera carefully. Follow instructions to avoid deleting or corrupting photo images.
Protect your Flash memory card from static buildup or breakage by using a sturdy container when carrying them around.
Replace your Flash memory card over time. After an average of 1,000 uses, they can begin to wear out.

This list is provided by DriveSavers

PC Repair Shops Fail Hidden Tests

This is an article Tony came across today. Good education for all of us who have a PC.

December 21, 2009

From Oregon Small Business Association,

Two different studies this year exposed serious problems in the computer repair industry which often goes unquestioned by many businesses. The Wall Street Journal did a secret study with in-store computer repair being offered by big box chain stores. Sky News did a hidden study that measured honesty and privacy concerns with the repair industry. Both studies showed terrible results.

Staples and Office Depot have rolled out their own massive computer tech services campaign with the successes of Best Buy’s Geek Squad. The Wall Street Journal criticized these stores as not the best place to start. Their study concluded that a connection with a corporation doesn’t necessarily translate to efficiency and reduced costs.

At Staples, they were plagued with slow service, conflicting information and it took four trips to the store before the “Easy Tech” announced the computer couldn’t be fixed.

At Best Buy’s Geek Squad, the technicians gave a complete report within a day evaluating and explaining the costs and options. Unfortunately, it cost $70 to learn that there was a bad hard drive and it wasn’t cost efficient to salvage the computer.

At Office Depot, they were given a computer requiring a minor fix and this small job ended up costing $200. Office Depot was complimented for their speed of repair but had doubts about the qualifications of the technician (who was selling the office chairs the week earlier to the study researchers).

A study in Businessweek found that PC technicians aren’t always as honest as we may think. When British TV’s Sky News and PC Pro magazine loosened a memory card in a computer and took it to six different repair shops, they received different responses. All the technicians quickly discovered the lose chip and all but one said extensive repairs were necessary. Two of the six technicians viewed some of the photos on the computer, and one tried to copy them on a USB drive. To their credit, one store actually put the card back in place and told the customer there was no fee. Having only one repair business that proved honest and effective is an unsettling statistic.

To better drive the point home further, the State of California’s last month was faulted for their computer upgrade project being over-budget by $300 million. The project is expected to be caught up in years of delay as well.

In the business world it is tempting to dump money into computer repair to achieve a quick fix. The hidden tests demonstrate that it may cost you more time and money in the long run without proper accountability and oversight.