3 World Famous Hackers

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Now there are actually two types of hackers. First, you have the type of hackers that are often portrayed by Hollywood as antisocial nerds that are out to rule the online world by breaking into secure networks and screwing things up. Second, you have the type of hackers who just enjoy fiddling around with software source code and hardware.

For those that don’t know, the term “hacker” originally referred to the second type, which didn’t have any malicious implications. However, recently the term is primarily used to describe criminal masterminds. There are both good and bad hackers. These days, harmless hackers are called “white hats”, while the more mischievous hackers are called “black hats”.  I have complied a list of three famous hackers that are termed black hats, and include the following:

Jonathan James- Jonathan James, known as “c0mrade” in the cyber world, was convicted of and sent to prison for hacking the United States government agencies. This all happened while he was a minor.  At the age of just fifteen, James managed to hack into networks, including those belonging to NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense.

James hacked into NASA’s network and downloaded enough source code to learn how the International Space Station operated. The total value of the assets he downloaded equaled nearly 1.7 million. To top it off, NASA had to shut down their network for three weeks while they investigated, which ended up costing them $41,000.

Kevin Mitnick- Kevin Mitnick was deemed the “most wanted” computer hacker in U.S. history. After Mitnick served his time for hacking into Digital Equipment Corporation’s network, he was let out for three years of supervised release. However, near the end of that period he went on a two and a half year hacking spree. This hack spree involved breaching national defense warning systems and stealing corporate secrets.

He was eventually caught and convicted, resulting in a five year prison sentence. After Mitnick served his time, he became a consultant and public speaker for computer security. Mitnick now runs Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC.

Kevin Poulsen- Kevin Poulsen, also known as “Dark Dante”, gained his fame by utilizing his elaborate knowledge in telephone systems. At one point, Poulsen hack into radio station phone lines and fixed himself as a winning caller, which landed him a new Porsche. According to the media at the time he was called the “Hannibal Lecter of computer crime”. Poulsen earned his way onto the FBI’s wanted list when he hacked into the federal system and stole wiretap information. He was captured later in a supermarket and was sentence to 51 months prison time, as well as paying $56,000 in compensation.

Be sure to protect your network from potential hackers. Contact Up and Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA 951-737-8558 to learn how to best protect you and your business from cyber attacks. Or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding the services we offer.

Up and Running Computer Solutions proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

5 Common Computer Myths

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To most people, computers are relativity simple to purchase, operate and understand (for the most part). However, to the non-tech customer, computers can seem like a scary devices made even more frightening by silly myths and misconceptions. The following list includes five common myths and misconceptions about computers.

You need to defragment your drive regularly. Fact is, you don’t even need to defragment a modern computer. Windows computers have a built in defragmentation utility that runs in the background on a pre-defined scheduled. Macs also have a file system that automatically defragments files, referred to as HFC.

Viruses are making your computer slow. Anytime a computer starts to run slower than usual, the most common thing to blame is a malware. While it is always possible that your computer is infected, modern malware is designed to be so profit-driven that the creator’s best interest is to keep it running secretly in the background. Meaning you won’t typically notice a performance decrease due to an infection. Instead, your computer may be slower due to running too many programs simultaneously, unnecessary plugins, lack of free RAM or disk space, or a hardware problem.

Paid “cleaner” software improve performance. I’m sure you’ve seen ads that say something like “Download Junk Removing Software for Faster Computer Speeds”. These programs promise to clean up your computer and speed it up, however, this is just junk software that will only slow it down. These programs also are commonly known to deliver malware, like spyware or adware and rarely do anything beneficial whatsoever.

You don’t need antivirus software. Two of the most common reasons people think they don’t need antivirus software are usually “I have a Mac and Macs don’t get viruses” or “I don’t do anything risky online that would get me infected”. Both reasons are completely incorrect; you always need antivirus software.

You should always turn off your computer. There is no truth to this myth. In reality, leaving your computer on and allowing it to go into sleep mode when you’re not using it is safe and effective way from having to turn it on and off regularly.  The system resources used as well as the battery drain is very minimal when it’s in sleep mode. However, you should turn your computer off from time to time if there’s no reason to keep it on. Every computer has a life-span, so turning it off when it’s not being used can allow the computer to last a bit longer.

If you have any questions or concerns about your computer, contact Up and Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA at 951-737-8558 or visit our website at www.urcs.net for additional information.

Proudly serving Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, and all surrounding areas.

32 Million Passwords for Twitter Accounts May Have Been Hacked

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Woman on Computer

Yet another hack for users of popular social media sites to worry about. LeakedSource, a website with a search engine of leaked login credentials, stated in a blog post that 32 million Twitter login credentials were collected by hackers and are now being sold on the dark web. However, Twitter has stated that their systems have not been breached.

LeakedSource said in their blog post that it received a copy of the user information from “Tessa88@exploit.im”, which happens to be the same alias name used by the person who’s linked to the recent Myspace, LinkedIn and Tumblr data breach. LeakedSource also states that its unlikely Twitter was breached and rather the consumer was. They pointed out that malware may be the culprit.

“The explanation for this is that tens of millions of people have become infected by a malware, and the malware sent every saved username and password from browsers, like Chrome  and Firefox, back to the hackers from all websites including Twitter.” the blog post states. LeakedSource said that it was able to verify the passwords associated with 15 users.

Twitter writes in blog post “We’ve investigated the claims of Twitter @names and passwords available on the “dark web”, and we’re confident the information was not obtained from a hack of Twitters servers.” And goes on to say “The purported Twitter @names and passwords may have been amassed from combining information from other recent breaches, malware on victim machines that are stealing passwords for all sites, or a combination of both. Regardless of origin, we’re acting swiftly to protect your Twitter account.”

As LeakedSource says in their blog post, “The lesson here? It’s not just big companies that can be hacked, users need to be careful too.”

Be sure to protect yourself as much as possible from potential hackers. Contact Up and Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA 951-737-8558 to learn how to best protect you and your family from cyber attacks. Or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding the services we offer here URCS.

Up and Running Computer Solutions proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

5 Reasons Your Computer May Be Running Slowly

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I’m sure you’ve experienced how frustrating it can be to use a slow computer. I know I have. Of course, the first thing I want to do when my computer is acting “sluggish” is to yank my hair out or toss my computer in the garbage. However, before you take any of those drastic actions I mentioned, you may want to try take a step back and see if it’s something simple that’s causing your computer to run slowly. I’ve compiled a list of possible reasons your computer may be running slowly, which include the following:

  • You have too many programs running at the same time. It’s very common for people to download apps, utilities and other programs that run in the background. If too many programs are running, your computer becomes “less focused” to other things you are having it do. Avoid downloading web browser help, more than one anti-malware program, or apps that claim to speed your computer up, as each one of them will slow your computer down.
  • You don’t have enough free RAM. One of the key factors to fast running computer is free space. Random access memory, commonly referred to as RAM, is what your computer uses for thinking space and temporary working. The more free space your computer has, the faster it will run. Make sure to clean up any old or unwanted files to help improve your computers speed.
  • Your computer has a virus/malware. Both internet slowness and slow computer operation can be signs that your computer may be infected. You can use an anti-virus and anti-spyware application to see if your computer is infected.
  • You haven’t shut your computer down in a while. It’s a good idea to shut your computer down once in a while. Computers cannot complete some of its updates until you restart it. You can also free up memory resources that are linked up with buggy programs by restating your computer.
  • You share a wireless network. For instance, if your internet speed is lagging but your computer is running fast, you may have a good amount of activity on your wireless network. Be sure to check if anyone else on your network is using a lot of bandwidth, such as playing an online game or streaming videos, as this can make your computer run slow. Be sure that your wireless network is secure by creating a password. If it’s not, anyone can use it.

Computers can be difficult to work on, especially if you don’t know what in the world you’re dealing with in the first place. If you have a slow computer that needs some working on, contact Up & Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA at 951-737-8558 or visit our website at www.urcs.net for additional information.

Proudly serving Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, and all surrounding areas.

Hacker Gives Away Email Account Information from Major Email Services

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Data Breach

Just recently, hundreds of millions of hacked usernames and passwords for major email accounts are being traded in Russia’s crime circle.

There were 272 million stolen accounts, which included a majority of users of Mail.ru, Russia’s most popular email service, and a smaller amount Google, Yahoo and Microsoft users. It’s been said that this is one of the largest known hacks since cyberattack hit U.S. Banks and retailers about two years ago.

This cybercriminal ended up being young Russian hacker, and was mysteriously willing to sell the entire accumulation of stolen legal documents for 50 rubles, which equals less than a one dollar! Included in these stolen accounts were some usernames that appeared to belong to employee’s at large banks, manufactures and retailers in the U.S.

However, Hold Security researching from Milwaukee was able to get the hacker to give up the sensitive information after they agreed to post favorable comments about him in the hacker forum. Hold security has found that cyber threats in forums and chatrooms are what make up the internet’s criminal circle.

The following is a simple breakdown of the major services that were affected by the cyberattack and the number of stolen accounts:

  • Gmail-24 million
  • Microsoft Hotmail- 33 million
  • Yahoo- 40 million
  • Mail.ru ( Russian Popular Email Service)- 57 million

These numbers are astounding, and to think that this hacker was selling the entire cache for less than a dollar is mind blowing. This type of sensitive information is extremely “potent” if it ends up in the hands of a cybercriminal.

Be sure to protect yourself as much as possible from potential hackers, contact Up and Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA 951-737-8558 to learn how to best protect you and your family from cyberattacks. Or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding the services we offer here at Up and Running Computer Solutions.

Up and Running Computer Solutions proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

5 Reasons to Upgrade to Windows 10

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Many people have already heard the news, but if you haven’t: Microsoft will end its free Windows 10 promotions in just a few months.  While Window 10 isn’t for everyone, it is still pretty darn popular. According to Windows, Windows 10 is now active on more than 300 million devices around the world!

If your devices isn’t a part of the 300 million devices running the new operating system, you should highly reconsider upgrading, and here is why:

The Cost. Microsoft has been so confident about its latest operation system that it’s been offering free Windows 10 upgrades to all user that run Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. However this offer will not last forever. As a matter of fact, Microsoft’s free Windows 10 offer is end soon- July 29, to be exact. You’ll still be able to upgrade after July 29, though it will cost you around $119.00.

Able to Change Your Mind. If you happen to upgrade to Windows 10 and decide that the new operating system isn’t for you, you have 30 days to downgrade and go back to the older version of Windows. In addition, you can upgrade to Windows 10, downgrade to your old operating system, and still be able to upgrade to windows 10 free, even after July 29.

You Have a Touchscreen Device. Windows 7 may look good, but it isn’t exactly touchscreen friendly. And while Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 were designed with touchscreens in mind, most of us know that didn’t turn out all that well. If you have a touchscreen laptop or plan to switch to a touchscreen for your desktop, you will want Windows 10 touchscreen-friendly settings app.

You Own More Than One Window Device. Windows 10 works on all Windows devices, such as computers, tablets and mobile phones. If you’re already apart of the “Windows family”, upgrading to Windows 10 will make things a bit more convenient because it’ll sync all your settings, notifications, and apps throughout all of your devices.

Don’t Forget about Cortana. If you don’t already know, Cortana is Microsoft’s intelligent, voice activated virtual assistant. While she has been around since Windows 8.1, she has really advanced and come into her own in Windows ten. Cortana is optimized for your computer, and she can several things ranging from finding files or specific pictures from a certain timeframe to tracking flights and packages.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your operating systems, contact Up and Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA at 737-8558 or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding the services we offer here a URCS.

Up and Running Computer Solutions Inc. proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

5 Most Notorious Computer Viruses in History

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Many people all over the globe have gotten computer viruses in some fashion or form. For most, the computer is virus is simply a mild inconvenience, which typically just requires a cleanup and the installation of an antivirus software, that you may have been meaning to get around to but never did. However, in other cases, a computer viruses can be a complete and utter disaster, resulting you a various amounts of damage.

While many computer viruses can be easily taken care of, others have gotten out of control, causing millions, even billions of dollars in damage.  Not only are government’s and big companies at risk for these sort of attacks, you can be as well. Your computer could possibly get hacked by a computer virus too, giving hackers access to all of your personal information, wiping your hard drive, corrupting your data, and may even use your computer to spread the virus to the contacts you have stored in there.

The following is list of the five most notorious computer viruses in history, the effects they had on their victims

MyDoom

MyDoom is a worm that was launched in 2004, where it originally spread through KaZaA, a file sharing app, but then eventually spread to emails. In both cases, the user had be open the actual file in order to become infected. When the unsuspecting victim open the file or email, the malicious code downloaded itself and would steal their Outlook address book. From there, the worm spread by sending itself to the contact in the address book and coped of itself to any P2P programs to grow itself though that network.

This virus infected between 600,000 and 700,000 PCs, and cost $38 billion in damage. MyDoom also slowed the internet access worldwide by 10%, and reduced access to some websites by as much as 50%.

ILOVEYOU

The ILOVEYOU virus was launched from the Philippines in 2000, and was allegedly written by Onel de Guzman. Aside from the virus’s innocent name, ILOVEYOU is consider one of the most destructive computer viruses. The virus was an innocent looking email attachment labeled “I Love You”, and when opened it released a malicious program. This program would overwrite the users’ flies with copies of itself to allow it to spread even when the original program was removed, and would erase a number of different files.

Roughly one tenth of computers in 2000 were infected with ILOVEYOU, reaching 45 million people in just one day.  McAfee even reported that a majority of their fortune 100 clients were infected with the virus. ILOVEYOU caused $5.5 billion in damaged the first week, and cause $15 billion worth of damages all together.

Code Red

Code Red was launched in July 2001, and a second virus, Code Red II, was launched later in the year. This worm infected Windows NT and Windows 2000 by exploiting a buffer overload vulnerability.  This allowed the virus to deface and even take down some websites, one being the whitehouse.gov website and forced other government agencies to take done their public websites temporarily too. The worm spread by randomly selecting 100 IP addresses at a time and then would launch a denial service on them, which allows backdoor access to the server, allowing for a hacker to have remote access to the machine.

Code Red infected more than 359,000 computer systems in less than one day, and infected 1 and 2 million computers were infected overall.  This virus caused over $2 million in losses.

Melissa

This particular virus, Melissa, was created in 1999 by David L. Smith, and he claimed to have named the virus after an erotic dancer in Florida. This virus started as an infected Word Document that was posted on the alt.sex.unset group, claiming to be a list of passwords that several “adult” content websites. This for whatever reason, got people curious and when downloaded and opened, the macro was triggered inside and unleased its fury. Melissa would mail itself to the top 50 people in the users email address book, causing email traffic, while also disrupting the services of governments and large corporations. Also, if the day of the month matched the minute the virus would insert a Bart Simpson quote into the document that it sent.

Hundreds of websites were affected by this virus, and the Microsoft Corporation even had to disable all incoming and outgoing email. This virus infected an estimate of at least 100,000 computers, and cause $1.2 billion in damages and losses worldwide.

Slammer

The Slammer virus, also referred to as Sapphire, was launched in 2003. This internet worm caused a denial of service on some internet hosts and severely slowed down general internet traffic. As Slammer began to spread throughout the Internet, it doubled in size every 8.5 seconds! Like other viruses, it selected IP address at random to try to infect, eventually finding all susceptible hosts.

A number of banks were affected by the virus, one being Bank of American, crashing their ATMs. Additional victims that were affected were, a 911 emergency line in Washington State, Continental Airlines and multiple government websites. This internet worm caused 1.2 billion in damages and affected 200,000 PCs.

Be sure you’re protecting yourself and your machine from these notorious computer viruses and internet worms by installing an antivirus software and firewall. If you you’re experiencing problems with your computer suspect it may be a virus, contact Up and Running Commuter Solutions in Corona, CA at 951-7378558 or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding our services.

Up and Running Computer Solutions Inc. proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

5 Common Myths About Computer Viruses and Antivirus Software

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Nearly every office job requires the use of a computer, and while most people know how to operate one, they become lost when it comes to viruses and antivirus software.

However, this may be because there are several myths, misconceptions, and downright lies about virus and antivirus software that have thrown people off for years.

We here at Up and Running Computer Solutions have compiled a list of the most common myths and misconceptions about virus and antivirus software:

Myth #1: Error messages mean you have a virus.

People typically assume their computer has a virus when error messages begin to pop-up on their computer screen. That’s not always the case though, error messages can be caused by other computer problems such as a faulty hard drive, bugs in the software or even problems with your antivirus software. The same applies when your computer crashes, it’s likely caused by something other than a virus.

If you are getting error messages don’t go from A to Z, try checking for any updates and cleaning your hard drive up to see if it helps. You can also scan your computer just to be sure that your computer isn’t infected with a virus.

Myth #2: Computers can infect themselves with a virus.

As silly as that sounds, many believe this myth. It’s not uncommon for clients to bring in their computers claiming that a virus magically appeared on their system all on its own. However, viruses don’t magically appear on computers, users must physically open an infected program, or visit a website that hosts an actual virus and download it.

The best way to decrease the chances of your computer becoming infected with a virus is to avoid websites that contain illegal or “adult’ content. Although other websites can be just as capable of hosting a viruses as well, so be cautious when sketchy sites offer free downloads.

Myth #3: Every antivirus software is the same.

While many people know how to operate computers, they are often confused when it comes to the antivirus software. They want to protect their computer, but only download free antivirus software or keep the one that comes preinstalled on their new computer. Most of the free antivirus software only protect against known threats though.

The free antivirus software doesn’t always protect against scan social media walls, phishing attacks or offer any mobile protection, and if your computer does get a virus, it may be very difficult to remove. There are even paid program that vary in their protection capabilities, so be sure to do your research and install an antivirus that best suits how you use your computer.

Myth #4: All computer viruses are the same.

This completely untrue. There are some viruses or malware that allow hackers to steal information. Some spread advertisements or spam, while others are much more atrocious, destroying your entire operating system, leaving it useless.

There are new virus that released all of the time, and they are all different. The best thing you can do is to be aware, follow the best security practices, and use an effective antivirus software to protect yourself and your computer.

Myth #5: Firewalls protect against computer viruses.

Wrong again, a fire wall is not an antivirus software. Firewalls manage traffic traveling over a network, but they do not protect again viruses, malware or Trojans. A firewall is a part of a smart security plan, and you should have one, especially if you use public networks. However, as mentioned, it will not protect your machine from getting infected.

Whether you need a virus removed or worried about your network security, Up and Running Computers Solutions is the place to call. Give us a call at 951-737-8558 and our experienced team will be happy to help get your machine back up and running. Or visit www.urce.net for information regarding our services.

Up and Running Computer Solutions proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

How to Tell if Your Computer Has a Virus

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There are several ways that your computer can become infected with a virus. It can happen while you’re browsing the internet, downloading an email attachment, accessing a different computer through a network, or when you’re plugging in a flash drive that was previously plugged into an infected device.

And while it’s easy for a computer to become infected with a virus, it’s not as easy to identify the virus symptoms. Especially when you take into consideration that the best or worst viruses (depending on how you look at it), will infect your computer without being detected.

For your convenience we have put together a list of the most common most common virus symptoms:

  • Your computer is suddenly running slower than usual.
  • Your computers frequently freezing or stops responding.
  • Your computer is restarting and crashing constantly.
  • Your computer isn’t running normally and starts on its own.
  • Your applications aren’t working correctly, especially your web browser.
  • You aren’t able to access your hard drive or additional disk drives.
  • You are seeing unusual error messages.
  • Your antivirus software is turned off and not by you.
  • You are seeing pop-ups and dialog boxes everywhere.
  • Your hard drive and modem are working extra.
  • Your computer starts preforming actions on its own.
  • You aren’t able to print correctly.

If you believe that your computer has been infected with a virus, or if you’ve noticed one or more of the above symptoms on your computer, disconnect it from the internet or your local network right away. You can do so by unplugging your network cable or turning off the wireless connection. By preforming the actions above, you can stop your computer from spreading the virus to your family, friends and co-workers.

If you need a virus removed from your computer or would like to have an antivirus downloaded and installed into your computer, contact Up & Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA at 951-737-8558 today. Or visit www.urcs.net for information regarding our technical services.

Up & Running Computer Solutions proudly serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.

Three Common Computer Problems

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headache over computer problems

We here at Up & Running Computer Solutions resolve several technical support calls and emails ranging from simple to advanced computer problems. Computer problems can be such a headache and can even leave you feeling like your about to toss your computer out. The following list are three common computer problems

  • Malicious Software

This sort of problem includes viruses, adware, spyware, worms, trojan horses and any other type of software that is designed to cause mischief with you or your computer.

You can get malware anytime you’re browsing the internet, downloading an email attachment, accessing a different computer through a network, or when you’re plugging in a flash drive that was previously plugged into an infected computer.

  • Slow Computer

Computers are essentially like a new home or car; if you don’t take proper care of them, you’re going to have problems. In order to keep your computer running smoothly, it’s very important to make good use of your computer resources.

Every computer has a limited amount of storage space, ram memory and processing speed. So the more programs, documents, music, videos, pictures and tool bars you have, the slower your computer will run. Computer can also become slower is the have been infected with a virus.

  • Hard Drive Failure

If you’ve been hearing your computer make loud noises it’s never made before, be scared because those noises could be coming from your hard drive. The hard drive is where everything is stored, and hearing a clicking noise when you access data is one of the first signs of hard drive failure.

Hard drives can stop working for a myriad of reasons, but they typically crash due to mechanical failure, a violet shake, electrical surge, or even viruses.

If you’re having any computer problems and looking for technical support, don’t wait till the last minute to ask for help. Be sure to contact Up & Running Computer Solutions in Corona, CA at 951-737-8558 for professional assistance today.

Up & Running Computer Solutions serves Corona, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin and all surrounding areas.