Our Private Data

As Facebook users we accept the privacy policies when we sign on.  For the most part we don’t even read over the extensive policy pages.  Instead we set up our account and enter data related to our personal lives.  We understand in the process this information gets recorded and stored.

Take Action:

We recommend that you get a clear idea of how much and what kind of data Facebook collects on you.  Check out the “Data In” section of our previous article for directions on accessing the data Facebook has collected from you.

Facebook is a free service and we can expect that they make revenue by providing our data to advertisers.  What many of us are not aware of is that they pass on our data to third party developers and organizations.

This is why we can sign on to a new app or online service using our Facebook login.  Right away they can access our data so that it is easier for us to create a new account with the third party app rather than having to enter all the personal information they require once again.

But what kinds of control are in place once our data leaves the hands of Facebook?  What kind of regulations are there to protect our privacy and information?  This is what Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has to address.

Facebook Updates

In the past Facebook has revised its privacy policies.  However, these previous revisions have been toward openness and sharing rather than protection of privacy.  Unfortunately, “…they were optimizing for profitability rather than security and privacy of their members” says David Kirkpatrick author of the Facebook Effect.[1]

Zuckerberg’s promise at the beginning of this year was to fix Facebook in 2018 – this is no small task.  In fact, he has stated that fixing the company’s problems will take years.

Presently, users are informing users in their News Feed if they’re among the millions of people whose data was improperly harvested by Cambridge Analytica.

Other changes we can expect in the near future: [2]

• Users will receive notice of all apps they use and what data is shared with those apps.  They then have a chance to delete apps they no longer want.
• Facebook will restrict access to certain data that applications can acquire.
• The option to search for users by entering a phone number or an email address will be removed.
• Facebook will set out to delete all logs after a year and only time of calls will be collected.
• New policy will also make users aware that WhatsApp and Instagram are part of Facebook and that the companies share information about users.  WhatsApp will still have a separate policy while Facebook and Instagram continue to share one.

Free

Whenever something is offered for free we need to ask: how is this business generating revenue?  Some companies offer a trial license for their software as a means to test drive the service.  Others rely on donation.

In the case of Facebook, it is free to users but there are associated costs.  Not only does Facebook sell data to advertisers who then place ads that are targeted to meet our purchasing preferences, they also harvests our data for app developers as well.

We need lawmakers to force these companies into the public spotlight and to enforce lawful conduct.

Regulation

Although Facebook is in the process of change and updates we need to ask: how is it possible to keep private data secure after it’s sold to third parties?  Facebook has admitted that it is impossible to monitor what these third parties do with the data once it is out of their hands.  However, Mark Zuckerberg has said that his industry should be regulated.

At present he is facing Congress and has delivered an apology and is answering questions.  But what will be the outcome of this?  What about past regulation?  Zuckerberg has stated they regularly testify before Congress on a number of topics.

In 2011, Facebook offered privacy assurances in a settlement with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).  Allowing Cambridge Analytica to harvest data could be a violation of that settlement.  The ability to transfer the data of users’ friends should have been banned with the 2011 consent.  But what is the FTC going to do to enforce existing regulations?

Turning Up The Heat:

In 2016, the European Union passed the comprehensive General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR.  One mandate restricts collection of personal data of EU citizens to be only saved for “specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes” and only with user consent.

This means, consent cannot be buried in the terms and conditions.

This law will take effect in May and companies worldwide are paying attention.  It is expected that this will expose the industry like nothing else.  In preparation for this law, PayPal published a list of companies it might share your personal data with – over 600 companies.

 Best Practices – Privacy at Stake

There is no doubt that privacy of information is at stake.

It’s essential that we throttle back on what information we make available online and what data is stored on our PC.  Here are our recommendations.

1. 1. We recommend the privacy functionality associated with PC Cleaner. By using the available functionality you can see all the personal and private data you have on your PC which could be accessed by illegitimate means.

1. 1. When on a public Wi-Fi network, we highly recommend not sharing out any sensitive data. Even downloading records online from a public location or terminal can leave your data vulnerable to hacks.

1. If you decide to delete your Facebook account, consider the following:
   • You will need to sever all ties with Facebook including Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Your data can be shared with these apps and policies are similar or, as with Facebook and Instagram, shared.
   • Any apps that you “log in using Facebook“ will no longer work and you will have to enter your log in credentials for these.
   • Delete all Facebook instances from all devices including your mobile ones. Make sure you delete and not deactivate.  Use this link from Facebook.
   • Do not even attempt to log in to Facebook for at least two weeks or you will cancel the account deletion process.

Last Comment

We started out this two part series asking a question of what to do as a Facebook user.  Undoubtedly, the data breach has been the final straw for some and these users are choosing to delete.

Do we throw the baby out with the bath water?

We need to acknowledge that there are positive online developments, and we need to take an active role in shaping it.

With respect to the baby / bath water analogy – we certainly can agree the bath water is dirty!

As for the baby – in the case of social media technology – we need to closely examine if it’s being overfed.

“…the thing we need to understand now,” Shoshana Zuboff states, “is that the online world, which used to be our world, is now where capitalism is developing in new ways.”

[1] http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/09/technology/

[2] https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/

[3] https://www.schneier.com/

The post How to Protect Your Privacy & Identity on Facebook – Part 2 appeared first on CompuClever.

In a previous article we examined Facebook and pointed out its allure.  We listed the aspects of this “free” service and we identified “Likes” and “Dislikes”.  Were we too quick to accept at face value, the company’s emphasis on the importance of privacy?

A Bit about Facebook

• Facebook, launched in 2004, is the most popular online social media and social networking service. It is based in the U.S. and is the creation of Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow Harvard friends and roommates.
• As of June 2017, Facebook reached 2 billion active users.
• It is a giant in terms of net worth. According to Wikipedia, as of Mar 25, 2018, it is worth US$62.2 billion.
• Recently the company has faced considerable scrutiny and public pressure in relation to hate speech, fake news, depictions of violence, and privacy.

Recent News

Facebook has been in the news multiple times of late.  With news related to privacy of data, we need to start with Aleksandr Kogan, a University of Cambridge professor, who created a survey filled out by 270,000 people.  In doing so, he was able to access the data of what was reported as more than 50 million Facebook users – recent news has been released whereby Facebook has admitted that upwards of 87 million people were affected by this breach.[1]

While Kogan gained access to this information using legitimate means, via proper channels governing all developers on Facebook, he violated rules related to passing the data to third parties which included Cambridge Analytica.

Zuckerberg was aware of this in 2015.  The action taken at that time was to ban Kogan’s app and demand legal certification from Kogan and others he shared it with.  According to Zuckerberg[2], Cambridge Analtyica completed certification and told Facebook that they actually hadn’t received raw Facebook data at all.  Furthermore, Cambridge Analytica deleted it and weren’t using it.

This reliance on certification turned out to be, as Zuckerberg admits, one of the biggest mistakes made.

Cambridge Analytica:  Is a British political consulting firm established in 2013, that combines data mining, data brokerage, and data analysis along with strategic communication.  They are in part owned by Robert Mercer and Alexander Nix has been the CEO however, this position was suspended after a Channel 4 news segment was broadcasted.  In this he was videotaped in an undercover, hidden camera video interview during which he spoke to someone he believed would use the firm in Sri Lanka for election persuasion purposes.  Nix speaks of creating sex scandals and using fake news to manipulate voters.

Cambridge Analytica has been involved in elections worldwide.  Their executives claim the company has worked in more than 200 elections around the world, including Nigeria, Kenya, the Czech Republic, India, and Argentina.

In 2016 they became involved in the 2016 Brexit referendum by supporting persuadable voters to vote for leaving the EU.  On 18 May 2017, the US Congress began investigation with their connection to Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.  Cambridge Analytica worked for Donald Trump’s political campaign but there is some question as to the level of involvement.[3]

Nix has made bold claims and it is uncertain if some statements have been embellished.  He was quoted as saying this in October, 2016:

Today in the United States we have somewhere close to four or five thousand data points on every individual … So we model the personality of every adult across the United States, some 230 million people. [4]

The Data

News reports point to unethical organizations making use of personal data made available by Facebook.  This begs the question: what data do they have on us and how can they use it?

Data In:

As soon as a user signs up, data and information is collected.  This includes all data – conversations, pictures, videos, and even documents sent via Messenger.  Does this surprise you?  Would you want to see what the information on you includes?

Should we be concerned?  If you use Facebook on your phone and your phone is an Android device, or you use Messenger to send attachments… it would be a good idea to take a closer look.

Users are discovering that they can request to have all of their Facebook data in a zip file.  Some are astonished to find that this data can include data on every call made and text sent.  There are users that are discovering that the data held by Facebook includes rental property lease forms, tenant ledger reports, bill statements, and screen shots of bank transfers.[5]

To download your information:

1. Click the down-pointing triangle at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings
2. Click Download a copy of your Facebook data at the bottom of General Account Settings
3. Click Start My Archive

In about 10 minutes Facebook processes the request and you’ll get an email and notification when the file is ready to download.

Data Out:

Likely no one is surprised to know that our personal data is being used and shared out to advertisers.  Facebook makes money on sharing out data to advertisers and to app developers.  The challenge is that there is no control of how the data is used once passed to these groups.

Indeed the most alarming aspect of Cambridge Analytica’s “breach” is that it wasn’t a breach at all. It happened almost entirely above board and in line with Facebook policy.[6]

World Response

Investigations are ramping up world-wide.

US:   Zuckerberg will testify before Congress.  On April 10, before a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees and the next day before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission are conducting separate investigations. [7]

This is a serious matter as stated by Senator Amy Klobuchar who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The senator will ask him to explain “what Facebook knew about misusing data from 50 million Americans in order to target political advertising and manipulate voters.” [8]

UK:   Damian Collins, chair for the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the House of Commons, questions Facebook user data policies.  “Their answers have consistently understated this risk, and have also been misleading to the Committee,” Collins said. “I will be writing to Mark Zuckerberg asking that either he, or another senior executive from the company, appear to give evidence in front of the Committee as part our inquiry.” [9]

MPs on the digital, culture, media and sport committee have accused Facebook of misleading it in a previous evidence session and called for Mark Zuckerberg to appear before them to answer questions.  They have also recalled Nix. [10]

A U.K. parliamentary media committee summoned CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify about how Facebook uses data.  U.K. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham is investigating how Cambridge Analytica got the data. [11]

Germany: After a meeting with its executives about the abuse of users’ data, the justice minister of Germany stated she wants closer oversight.

Australia: The Information and Privacy Commission has demanded that Facebook provide information on whether any Australian citizens were affected by unauthorized use of profile data. [12]

The Response:  Zuckerberg is set to testify next week before a U.S. congressional committee, and he said top executives at the company would be dispatched to other countries wanting to hold government hearings on the scandal. [13]

User Response

Zuckerberg has stated that the users affected by the misuse of personal data by Cambridge Analytica will be notified.  To date, this has not yet happened.  There are users that are going to delete Facebook as a result of this news and one of the questions we have posed has been: What is the best course of action with regard to Facebook and social media services?

We invite you to give this some thought and to check in with us next week for our Part 2 edition as we outline what Facebook is doing to correct this wrong and we identify the costs associated with what we thought was a “free” service.

We’ll provide out best practices and recommendations for being active on a social media service like Facebook.  However, we’ll leave it up to you to choose your level of exposure and if posting online personal information is worth the associated costs.

This concludes the first part of our Facebook and Privacy article.

We’ll pick it up next week.  Stay tuned!

[1] https://www.ctvnews.ca/
[2] https://www.wired.com/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/
[4] https://news.sky.com/
[5] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
[6] http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/19/
[7] https://www.ctvnews.ca/
[8] http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/19/
[9] https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/
[10] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/22/
[11] https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/
[12] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/22/
[13] http://www.metronews.ca/life/2018/04/04/

The post Facing the Truth – Facebook & Privacy appeared first on CompuClever.

The update gets its name from a variety updates that are intended to allow Windows users to create things on their computer. The Creators Update is also said to give Windows users more control over Windows updates, and solve some other issues.

As a matter of fact, Windows 10 is an amazingly powerful operating system that already offers plenty of hidden features most people don’t know about. To help you get the most out of your computer, here are five tips and tricks for Windows 10.

1. Personalize Windows 10

While the Windows 10 interface is a big improvement over previous versions of the operating system, it’s always nice to be able to personalize how it looks.

To personalize Windows 10, click on the start button in the bottom-left corner of the desktop. Next, click on the “settings” gear and select “personalization”.

You can change the desktop background here, and also apply different colored accents, based on your personal taste.

2. Customize File Explorer

What used to be called “Windows Explorer” is called “File Explorer” in Windows 10. File Explorer features something called “Quick Access” that displays frequently used folders and recently used files.

It’s easy to personalize which folders show up in File Explorer. It’s also easy to pin and unpin folders and rearrange them by dragging and dropping. Unpin them with a right-click and Unpin from Quick Access.

To add folders to the Quick Access list, simply drag them over to the left. Remove them with a right click and Unpin from Quick Access.

3. Lockdown Privacy

Privacy is a complicated when it comes to Windows 10. Many experts are worried about how much data Microsoft automatically collects from each and every user. On the other hand, Windows 10 has a ton of privacy controls. If you open in “privacy” in settings, there are more than one hundred settings to choose from. There are privacy setting for everything from your location to your contacts and call history. Microsoft collects data from all of this.

So, the question is, which privacy settings are most important?

For example, Windows 10 collects information about your browsing habits using advertising ID. The ID doesn’t just gather information about you when you browse the Web, but also when you use Windows 10 “apps” or software programs.

To turn off Windows advertising ID, launch the Windows 10 Settings app by clicking on the Start button at the lower left corner of your screen.

Next, type in “privacy” in the search box.

Click on “Privacy Settings” and select “General.” There you’ll see a list of choices under the title “Change privacy options.”

The first option on the list controls your advertising ID.

Move the slider from On to Off. You’ll still get ads delivered to you when you use the Internet Explorer or Windows Edge browsers, but the ads will be generic rather than targeted, and your interests won’t be tracked and sent back to Microsoft.

Ed Bott, writing for ZDNet, has more  recommendations for Windows 10 privacy.

4. Reduce Advertising

While it may seem hard to believe, Windows 10 features advertising, and lots of it. There are ads on the lock screen, ads in the Start menu, and little ads pleading with you to try a free trial of Office 365 or switch to the new Microsoft Edge browser.

5. What to Do When Windows 10 Upgrade Process Fails

While purchasers of a computer that comes installed with Windows 10 will never have to worry about this, sometime there is an error during the actual process of upgrading to Windows 10 and everything grinds to a halt.  

Happily, PC TuneUp Maestro does have a tool for addressing a number of Windows Update errors and should be the first thing to try if you have the program installed. Learn how to recover from this problem here.

More Tips?

Click here to read another 5 Windows 10 tips.

If you have Windows 10 tips you would like to share with us, leave us a comment below. In the meantime, stay tuned for more Windows 10 tips and tricks!

The post Five Useful Tips and Tricks for Windows 10 appeared first on CompuClever.

Incognito, according to Wikipedia, from the Latin incognitus, refers to a person who wants to remain anonymous to the world and others, in hiding or shut off from humanity.

Web surfers have the option to enable privacy mode or “Incognito” mode on their browser.  Each of the main browser type offers some level of private browsing.  It is known as Private Browsing, InPrivate Browsing, and Incognito depending on the type of browser used.

Basically – this is a privacy feature that quite simply provides some privacy on your local computing device but, DOES NOT provide hidden detection or stealth beyond that.  Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and other agencies connected on the Internet can detect your activities via your unique IP address on the web servers.

Disabling functions such as the web cache and browsing history make this a relatively private way of browsing the web.  Cookies, the data holders sent by web sites to recognize or track your online activity, are also disabled.

Items Deleted or Not Saved:

The list  of items that are deleted or not saved when you browse during Incognito or Privacy  mode are:

• Website history.
• The cache of files stored during your browse session.
• History of files downloaded.
• Search history stored by the browser.
• Cookies from browsed sites.
• Data on forms you have filled out.

Items That Are NOT Private:

There are items that are not deleted and the ways you remain exposed to detection:

• Search histories stored from search providers like Google are not deleted.
• Websites can identify you and keep a record of your visit.
• Your ISP can detect your network traffic and identify your IP address.
• Any malware on your PC or device can track your activities.

Also, it is important that you keep in mind the browser does not likely perform a secure delete and items from your browsing session can be recovered.  Until that data is overwritten with other data it can be undeleted using special recovery software.

Pros and Cons?

So why would you want to use Incognito?  It doesn’t seem entirely private after all.

Pros

The reasons for using this more of browsing include:

1. Reducing the history, browsing, and personal data stored on your PC or device.
2. You can prevent storage of sensitive data such as log-in credentials.
3. You can also use multiple accounts simultaneously using several tabs at once.
   Tip: You can let a friend check their email or log onto Facebook without you having to log out.  Just start up a new Incognito window.
4. You can perform searches that are not influenced by any prior browsing history.
5. Browser extensions are disabled so that Facebook and Google and other services can’t track you.

One of the main reasons however is to hide your online interactions on the computing device you are using from those sharing the same device.

In a busy household full of people… using Incognito mode can prevent others from seeing potentially embarrassing items.  It also prevents others from revealing your search history or the cache of browsed files.

Cons

We’ll, conversely, you may want to monitor online activities on your PC or device.  You may be concerned that someone will incur a malware infection or that they are browsing to websites that could be considered risky, unethical, or harmful. This is when you would want to disable Privacy / Incognito functionality as described below.

Also, having a false sense of protection can lead to consequences.  ISPs pass data to copyright holders (such as music, videos, books, or games), who are cracking down on the downloading of copyright materials.  The ISP is required to forward notices from the copyright holder alleging infringement of that work.

And, as we have pointed out, you are not completely stealthy.

How to Go Incognito

So now that you have a better idea of what the limits and benefits of this mode of browsing are, you can follow the easy steps outlined below to activate it.  Of course it will depend on which browser you are using.

• Chrome: Click on the ellipsis menu (…) at the right end of the menu bar, and select: “New Incognito Window”.
• Firefox: Click on the icon with three horizontal lines near the top right corner of the browser, and select: “New Private Window”.
• Internet Explorer: To change to an “InPrivate” session in Internet Explorer you would hold down Ctrl+Shift and press P (Ctrl+Shift+P).
• Microsoft Edge: Click the button with three dots (…), called the “More” button, and select: “New InPrivate Windows”.

Disabling It

As we mentioned above, you may want to disable this function so that you can detect for yourself the online activities of others in your household. Click the links below to take you to the specific directions for your browser type.

• Chrome
• IE / Firefox / and a freeware tool for Chrome
• Microsoft Edge

Warning: most of these procedures require a change to the registry.  We recommend you do a backup beforehand and proceed with caution.

For Parents:

If you’re a parent worried about your kids and their private online activities (for example, pornography or social networking sites), then you can first try to disable the functionality as mentioned above.  That way you can check the search and browsing history items.

You can also take the next step and look at filtering software such as NetNanny that will block porn and whatever else you want to filter even when the browser is in Incognito mode.  They have it for computers and mobile devices.  It’s not free but could be worth the peace of mind.

Last Note

We’re in favor of providing information that in the right hands is used with good intent.  To reach a higher level of stealth you would need to look at using a VPN solution.  A VPN masks your physical location and IP address so the website you’re visiting doesn’t really know who or where you are.

We hope this information has been of help to you and enhances your web browsing experiences.  For more information on this topic see our past posts:

• Privacy – Don’t Give It Away
• What Is a VPN, and Why Do You Need One?

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments on this and other subjects.  Simply send us an email at: newsletter@compuclever.com

The post Going Incognito – Browse Web in Privacy Mode appeared first on CompuClever.

With two prominent malware attacks occurring back-to-back during the past two months, you’re likely familiar with the term  – “Ransomware” – a cyber-crime gaining worldwide attention. In this article we explore ransomware in depth and offer recommendations and instructions to prevent it from happening and to protect your PC.

Ransomware defined:

You can think of ransomware as “data kidnapping”. It is the result of a malware attack that blocks access to a user’s PC data. Once infected, the attackers try to force you into paying money so you can regain access. In some cases there is a threat to publish or delete the data unless the ransom is paid. Data and access is blocked by using strong file encryption.

Computers can be infected whether at home or in the work environment. This includes PCs on an enterprise network or government agency servers.

Some ways of infecting your PC include:

• Surfing to unsafe or fake websites.
• Opening emails and email attachments from unknown sources.
• Opening malicious links in emails, Facebook, Twitter, and from online chat apps such as Skype.

The two main types of ransomware are: Lockscreen and Encryption.

1. Lockscreen ransomware prevents you from accessing your PC or files and instead displays a full-screen message saying you have to pay a ransom to regain access.
2. Encryption ransomware prevents you from opening your files by encrypting them. The encryption is very strong (uses an AES-256 “military grade” cipher algorithm), and would take an estimated 3×10⁵¹ years to crack. Also, a unique encryption key is generated for each infected computer so you can’t just get someone else’s key.

Note: There are older versions of ransomware that display false messages such as claiming you have performed an illegal activity with your PC. They then state you are being fined by a police force or government agency. We want to stress that these claims are false and can be considered a scare tactic designed to extort money from you.

What is the result of the attack?

While there are various forms of ransomware, all of them prevent you from performing normal PC functions. This includes:

• Getting locked out! Preventing you from accessing your operating system.
• Blocked access to files! Files are now encrypted and you can’t access them.
• Disabled apps! Certain programs (like your web browser), are no longer able to run.

What about the ransom?

Some ransomware attacks involve the victim having to pay money while some make you complete a survey. Payment of money is performed online and sometimes involves the victim having to pay in Internet currency Bitcoins. Due to the nature of those that commit these cybercrimes – there is no guarantee that your data or PC will return to the pre-attack state.

How much do they extort?

Symantec gained access to a malware server in 2012. This provided them first hand insight of the ransoms that were paid out. In a single day 5,700 computers were infected and 2.9% paid the ransom. This comes out to approximately $33,600 for one day.

“Given the number of different gangs operating ransomware scams, a conservative estimate is that over $5 million dollars a year is being extorted from victims. The real number is, however, likely much higher.”[1]

Recent Ransomware attacks…

WannaCrypt; May 12, 2017:

Many users around the world were victims of the malicious “WannaCrypt” software attack which has been considered one of the worst and most widespread cyber-attacks. More than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries were affected. All files on infected PCs were locked and the demanded ransom was 300 dollars in bitcoins.

Interestingly, people running Windows 10 were not targeted by the attack. Despite this, this attack was serious as evidenced in the steps Microsoft took. They took a highly unusual step in providing a security update for all customers to protect even the Windows platforms that are in custom support only. This includes Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003.

Supported versions of the operating system (Vista, Windows 7, 8.1, 10, etc.), have access to the security update MS17-010. If users have automatic updates enabled or have installed the update, they are protected. Microsoft states[2]: “For those organizations who have not yet applied the security update, we suggest you immediately deploy Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010“. They go on to state that this attack may evolve over time and additional defense strategies are warranted.

Petya; June 27, 2017:

Companies across Europe and the US were affected by the ‘Petya’ ransomware attacks. Infected computers displayed a message demanding a Bitcoin ransom of $300. Victims were unable to unlock their computers even if they paid the ransom.[3] The instructions included sending confirmation of payment to an email address. However, that email address was shut down by the email provider and there was no way to contact the attacker for a decryption key to unlock their computer.

This ransomware attack exploited the same Microsoft exploit as WannaCry – the vulnerability known as EternalBlue. Even with the patch, this cyber-attack has two other ways to spread within an organization focusing on the network administrator’s tools. Experts believe the initial infection is suspected to have been delivered through email (as with WannaCry).

If Infected With Ransomware:

You are a victim of a ransomware infection once you see some form of ransom demand appearing in a dialog window, an app, or a full-screen message. Unfortunately, this demand is displayed after encrypting your files or disabling some part of your PC.

Before you try to recover your files, Microsoft suggests trying to fully clean your PC with Windows Defender Offline. After this you can try to Backup and Restore in Windows.

We fully agree with Microsoft: “Do not pay any money to recover your files. Even if you were to pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that you will regain access to your PC or files.”

If You Already Paid:

If you paid the ransom, contact your bank and local authorities immediately. Your bank may be able to block the transaction and return your funds if you paid with a credit card. Inform your bank if you did submit credit card details to the cyber thieves.

We suggest you also contact the following government agencies that deal with fraud and scam reporting:

• In the United States, go to: On Guard Online.
• In Canada, go to: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
• For other countries: go to this Microsoft site.

Prevention:

There are safe measures you can take to lessen the impact of attacks and failures and there are ways to prevent malicious attacks from crippling your PC and network.

1. Keep a current back up of your data files (images, video, documents and music).
2. Keep your Windows install up-to-date with the latest Windows security updates.
3. Keep your antivirus program up-to-date. We highly recommend a reputable AV program with active subscription (one that keeps up to recent malicious attacks). We invite you to check out the performance and protection offered by CompuClever Antivirus PLUS.
4. Do not open email links or files from a sender you do not recognize. In many cases you can recognize a fake email and webpage because they have bad spelling or look unusual.
5. Be careful where you surf on the internet especially with less reputable sites. There is a greater chance of contracting a malware virus. Quite often unsafe sites can look convincing and have only subtle differences.

Microsoft states[4]: “Look out for strange spellings of company names (like “PayePal” instead of “PayPal”) or unusual spaces, symbols, or punctuation (like “iTunesCustomer Service” instead of “iTunes Customer Service”).”

Stay Safe:

Hundreds of millions of emails that include a ransomware attachment are being sent out every month. Many of these are being blocked and software vendors are working hard to shrink security holes and fix this ongoing cyber-crime.

As can be seen with the information provided here, staying informed, taking precautions, and using safe practices can help prevent you from getting an infection that could save you time and your data. If you require further information on this subject we recommend Microsoft’s Ransomware FAQ page.

[1] http://www.symantec.com
[2] https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com
[3] https://www.theguardian.com
[4] General information on ransomware

The post Don’t be Held at Ransomeware appeared first on CompuClever.

Thanks for choosing Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc, featuring Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. Before you start, please save all your documents and exit all running applications. Follow the steps below to install your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc and optimize your PC.

Step 1. Insert the Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc to a USB slot of your choice.

Step 2. If AutoPlay/AutoRun is enabled, you can click the Speed up my system using Windows ReadyBoost option.

Alternatively, you can open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Properties from the menu. Select the ReadyBoost tab from the Properties dialog box that appears.

If Windows states that “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system“, follow the instructions of Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc below. And then come back to this step.

If Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“, this probably means that Windows is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. Please contact our support team (support@paretologic.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Step 3. If ReadyBoost options appear, you can use the device for speeding up Windows Vista, 7, 8/8.1 or 10.

In Windows Vista, enable the Use this device option and move the Space to reserve for system speed slider all the way to the right.

In Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, select the Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost option.

Click OK and your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device is ready!

Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc

Occasionally, your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc requires initial reformatting prior being used. Follow the steps below to format your drive.

Step 1. Open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format.

Step 2. In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

You will be notified once your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc has been formatted and ready for being used. Simply follow the steps in the previous section to finish setting up your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc.

Need Support or Help?

Email us at support@compuclever.com for more information and get help with using your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device.

The post A Quick Start Guide for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc appeared first on CompuClever.

A: ReadyBoost is a Microsoft Windows technology that allows you to use ReadyBoost compatible USB flash drive, such as Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc, as an additional memory. Doing so, ReadyBoost improves your system’s performance by providing quicker access to data compared to accessing the information from the hard drive. To learn more about the ReadyBoost technology, please read this blog post.

Q: What’s the System Requirement for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc?

A: Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc supports Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10

Q: Do all USB flash drives support the ReadyBoost technology?

A: No. A USB flash drive must meet the minimum random ready and write speeds requirements to support the ReadyBoost feature.  In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device to have at least: 64MB, USB 2.0, read at 3.5 MB/s, and write at 2.5 MB/s. Our Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc well exceeds this requirements.

Q: Aren’t Hard Disks faster than flash? My HDD has 80MB/sec throughput.
A: Hard drives are great for large sequential I/O. For those situations, ReadyBoost gets out of the way. We concentrate on improving the performance of small, random I/Os, like paging to and from disk.

Q: What’s the recommended capacity for a USB flash drive for ReadyBoost?

A: We recommend a 1:1 ratio of flash to system memory at the low end and as high as 3:1 flash to system memory. So if your existing PC has a 4 GB of RAM, then you should choose a 4 GB USB flash drive for ReadyBoost, or consider an 8 GB or 12 GB USB flash drive if possible.

Q: I encounter the message: “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system”. What should I do?

A: Your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is fully compatible for Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. When you encounter this message, you simply need to format your USB flash drive.

To do so, open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format…

In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

Once the formatting is completed, your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is ready to be used.

Q: What does it mean if Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“?

A: This probably means that your Windows operating systems is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. This is only true in theory because each PC is different. If you feel that your PC is sluggish and requires optimization, please contact our support team (support@CompuClever.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Q: What happens when you remove the drive?
A: When a surprise remove event occurs and we can’t find the drive, Windows fall back to disk. Again, all pages on the device are backed by a page on disk. No exceptions. This isn’t a separate page file store, but rather a cache to speed up access to frequently used data. So no data loss will occur.

Q: Won’t ReadyBoost wear out the drive?
A: Nope. ReadyBoost technology is designed to take care of the lifecycle issues with flash drives and are smart about how and when it performs writes to the device. Relevant third party tests show that you will get at least 10+ years out of flash devices by using the ReadyBoost technology.

Q: How secure is ReadyBoost?

A: ReadyBoost is secure. ReadyBoost by default uses Advanced Encryption Standard 128 (AES-128) encryption, which should be sufficient as the chances of exposing sensitive data are very slim.

Q: What alternatives are there to ReadyBoost?

A: Two alternatives that will significantly improve performance over ReadyBoost are:

• Using a Solid State Drive (SSD) for your Operating System drive.
• Adding additional memory (RAM) to your computer.

Nevertheless, neither alternatives are cheap or easy to perform, as compared to using the ReadyBoost option.

The post FAQ – Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc appeared first on CompuClever.

While ISPs claim they will use your Internet history to help sell you more relevant ads, the decision by Congress has made many people deeply uncomfortable.

WiFi Hotspots Are Also A Risk?

It’s not just ISPs who are after your browsing data and personal information. For example, whenever you login to a WiFi hotspot in a coffee shop or at the airport you are potentially putting yourself at risk. WiFi hotspots may not protect your data as it is transmitted to and from your device. Even worse, some WiFi hotspots may want to steal your data, such as browsing history or even passwords and credit card information.

Luckily, something called a virtual private network (VPN) may help protect you from ISPs and anyone else who wants to snoop on your Internet habits.

What Is a VPN?

A VPN is essentially an online service that allows you to create a secure Internet connection. All of your browsing is encrypted, meaning that no one, including your ISP or even the government can determine what you are doing on the Internet.

How Does It Work?

When you connect to a VPN, you usually launch a VPN client on your computer (or click a link on a special website), log in with your credentials, and your computer exchanges trusted keys with a far away server. Once both computers have verified each other as authentic, all of your internet communication is encrypted and secured from eavesdropping.

There are two main advantages to using a VPN:

Advantage #1: Browse Privately and Safely

As mentioned, all of your browsing information is encrypted. This means that your ISP cannot sell your data to a third-party for advertising. VPNs also ensure that your passwords and banking information are kept safe, too.

For example, many journalists and businesspeople traveling abroad use VPNs to protect their privacy.

Advantage #2: Browse Everywhere

Businesspeople and journalists may also use VPNs just to be able to communicate. For example, the Great Firewall of China prevents Internet users from accessing many useful websites from outside of China. Many people rely on VPNs to access indispensable online services for their jobs.

On the other hand, VPNs are also useful because they allow you to browse as though you were in any country. Many online content providers such as Netflix, Hulu and the BBC restrict access to content based on your country. You can use a VPN to get around these rules.

What to Look For In a VPN

Not all VPNs are created equally, so it’s important to look for the right one before making a choice.

Look for:

Speed

If you want to use a VPN in order to watch online content such as Netflix, make sure it has enough bandwidth to do so. Generally speaking, this bandwidth is a result of investments in server capacity and other technology. Some VPNs have more than others.

Your Data Must Be Kept Safe

Almost anyone with a little technical know-how can setup a VPN service and then sell it to consumers. The problem for you is: how do you know they’re going to protect your data?

Look for a VPN with a professional website and an active and responsive social media presence. And, if you’re really concerned with privacy, look for a VPN that has its servers in a country with strong data privacy laws. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, government now has broad powers to access your data.

Countries such as Canada, Germany and Switzerland have much stronger rules prohibiting government collection of personal data, so look for a VPN headquartered in one of those countries first.

When Can a VPN Not Protect Your Privacy?

Even if a VPN does not share your personal information, there are others who can. For example, Google and Facebook both use your profile data, which includes browsing history, to sell advertising. A VPN is not designed to prevent this from happening–protecting yourself from Facebook and Google’s efforts to collect data is best done using browser-based ad blocking tools.

Also, keep in mind that you typically choose to use Google and Facebook because you agree to trade some privacy for the convenience of their services.

However, since you pay ISPs directly, you should expect that your privacy be respected. But since ISPs and others are not respecting your privacy, it may be a good time to use a VPN.

What We Recommend: SecureVPN

SecureVPN allows you to surf the web anonymously, unlock websites, unlock VoIP services, secure any wifi hotspot, and protect your data & privacy.

SecureVPN operates a self-managed VPN network with at least 750 servers in 141 countries, with plans to add more.

Since there are so many local servers, this means SecureVPN promises the fastest speed possible. SecureVPN also owns its own network–there are no third-parties that gather data, and SecureVPN keeps no logs of your activities.

Why choosing SecureVPN?

SecureVPN offers a variety of features, including:

• No 3rd Parties for Your Data: SecureVPN has a self-managed network. Your data is handled by SecureVPN only, without the intervention or interference of any third-parties.
• Military-grade Encryption: SecureVPN employs top-of-the-line military-grade up to 256-bit encryption to protect and safeguard user’s data from falling into the wrong hands.
• 750+ Servers in 141 Countries: SecureVPN has servers in 141 Countries. So, no matter where you are or where you travel to, SecureVPN will connect you to your favorite content.
• 99.99% Uptime: SecureVPN has its own network of servers and a team of highly professional experts who manage and host the network to guarantee 99.9% uptime.
• Powerful Software and Apps: SecureVPN wrote its own code for its proprietary software and apps for every major platform including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux.
• Unlimited Data Transfer: Download, browse, stream or share, SecureVPN users are free to do whatever they want, how much they want since there is no bandwidth or data limit.

The post What Is a VPN, and Why Do You Need One? appeared first on CompuClever.

1. Establish Restore Points

You can think of a “restore point” as a snapshot of the operating system settings at a given point in time.  Windows has the ability to automatically create a restore point before major changes are made to your computer. For example, when you get the latest automatic Windows update your system settings can change.

Be aware, there are situations that arise where modifications, such as PC updates, can cause problems. You can feel safe in knowing that you have the option to rollback your system settings to any restore point. Windows 7 created restore points for your system by default – Windows 10 in some cases is not active. In fact, System Protection may or may not be turned on depending on how you installed Windows 10.

We suggest you follow this easy tip to enable System Protection and have restore points created automatically.

1. Right-click the Start icon and select “Search”.  From the Cortana search box, type “restore point” and select the “Create a restore point” option as seen here.
   
2. In the System Properties dialog that appears, click the “Configure” button and make sure “Turn on system protection” is selected.  Click the “OK” buttons to exit the dialogs and you are done.

2. Schedule Restarts

We find one of the most annoying things about previous versions of Windows was that updates could be downloaded and installed at almost any time – with no warning. For those of us who need our PC running and don’t want to be interrupted with a restart, this was a problem.

Now, with this tip, you can forgo any install updates during a specific window of time each day using the “Active hours” feature. Updates will be downloaded and installed when you’re NOT using your computer.

Here’s how you can make the change:

1. Click the Windows Start menu, select “Settings”, and then select the “Update & security” option.
2. In the left panel, click the “Windows Update” option.
3. As seen above, click the “Change active hours” option.
   
4. You can adjust the Start time and End time by selecting the hour of your choice and clicking the check mark.  When you are done, click “Save”.
   

Here are some helpful tips:

• The start-to-end time window must be between 1 and 12 hours.
• The same Active hours are applied for every day of the week.

The Windows 10 Active hours dialog states: “We’ll check to see if you are using this device before attempting to restart.”  Keep in mind that in the Settings window you can choose “Restart options” to temporarily override the Active hours and customize a finish time for installing updates.

3. Control Startup Processes

Many Tech experts agree that one of the biggest causes of a slow computer is having too many processes at startup. More specifically, it takes longer for your computer to be ready for use if it has an excessive number of programs to load. However, as with earlier versions of Windows, you can control which programs you want to launch at startup.

In the past, you might have used the MSConfig command. Luckily, Windows 10 provides a more direct path to the Task Manager and make changes to the startup apps.

Manage Startup Processes From Windows 10 Task Manager:

You can begin by launching the Task Manager.  To do this, right-click on the Start button and choose Task Manager from the menu. You can also type in “Task Manager” in the search box.

Once the Task Manager launches, click the “Startup” tab.

This displays a list of everything that can launch when you turn on your machine. We advise to pay special attention to the “Status” column as not everything on the list is actually enabled. If an item it marked as “Disabled” you can ignore it as it will not be part of the startup sequence.

If you see any apps that you don’t want to launch at startup simply right-click on the item and select “Disable”.

NOTE: CompuClever makes it EASY to make alterations to startup programs with the “StartUp Management” tool available in PC TuneUp Maestro!

4. How to Get Started Using Cortana

Many new users find Cortana to be one of the more interesting and advanced features included in Windows 10. Cortana is a voice-activated personal assistant similar to iPhone’s Siri provided by Apple.

You can use Cortana to check the weather, set reminders, send emails, find files, search the Internet, and more. Cortana is an example of the great technological advances that have been done in voice recognition software.  This might be the first time you use voice commands to do many of your regular PC tasks and you may find it easier and more efficient – especially if you want to muslti-task.  You’ll also be getting a more “personal” PC experience.

Cortana requires both a working microphone and speakers as well as an Internet connection. As mentioned, it can be voice-activated, but this means you need to allow Windows 10 to use your computer’s microphone to listen-in on your day-to-day activities.  If this is more than you would like – you might want to look into how to turn Cortana on and off or avoid using it altogether.

If you want to get the most out of Cortana, we recommend you check out: 15 things you can do with Cortana as provided by How-To Geek.  You’ll be able to take advantage of Cortana’s ability to quickly come up with answers to calculations and conversions.  You can have Cortana track flights or packages. Or you can just chat or even get Cortina to sing, tell you a story, or a joke!

5. Collapse the Office 2016 Tool Ribbon

Through the years Microsoft Office has become very comprehensive and powerful. There seems to be a toolbar for almost anything you could ever want to do with a document, spreadsheet or presentation. The problem however, is that on smaller monitors and devices the toolbar ribbons can take over precious screen real estate as can be seen in the image below.

Luckily there is an easy way you can hide the Office ribbon and display it when you need it. To do so, you can simply double-click on the upper tab names, such as “Home”, as seen here:

When you do this the ribbon is hidden. You can display the ribbon once again and pin it in place.  You have to double-click on the name tab once again.

That concludes our list of 5 new tips for Windows 10.

More Tips?

Click here to read another 5 Windows 10 tips.

If you have Windows 10 tips you would like to share with us, we would love to hear from you.  Please send an email to us at: newsletter@compuclever.com.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more Windows 10 tips and tricks!

The post Five More Useful Tips and Tricks for Windows 10 appeared first on CompuClever.

If you have a flaky computer, a Recovery Disc can help by repairing Windows to make things run smoothly again. If you ever encounter a corrupted system file, a Recovery Disc will help you find it and fix it as well. If Windows crashes and you can’t get it to restart, you can also use a Recovery Disc to restore your computer’s operating system.

The best thing is by using a Recovery Disc you’ll be able to save all the data on your computer. This includes Word documents and spreadsheets, your photo collection and your valuable photos and movies.

In short, the Recovery Disc is a lifesaver that provides peace of mind. But, surprisingly, few people have access to one.

Recovery Discs Are Hard to Find

In the past, when you purchased a Windows PC, you likely received a “recovery disc”– an actual compact disc – that you would use to troubleshoot problems and restore Windows on your computer. Over the years these recovery discs can be easy to misplace. If you ever need one in an emergency, they are nowhere to be found.

Microsoft and most PC manufacturers stopped shipping Windows installation disc a few years ago – which is probably better for the environment.

Windows 10 doesn’t come with a Recovery Disc by default – this can be a real problem if you run into trouble with your computer.

Produce a Recovery Disc On Your Own

However there is a step-by-step process you can follow to download and create a Windows Recovery Disc for both Windows 8 and Windows 10, but if you want to protect your Windows 7 computer, you’re basically out of luck. Windows 7 has basically been “retired” by Microsoft, so a Recovery Disc with the full reinstall option is very hard to find online.

But no matter what, the process of producing a Recovery Disc takes some dedicated effort, and can be a real hassle. That’s because, to do it right, you need:

• A blank USB key that’s at least 4GB in capacity
• An actual working PC to produce a recovery disc (but what do you do if your PC won’t start?)

On top of that, the actual process of downloading and setting up a full Recovery Disc with the option of reinstalling the Windows OS could take as long as a few hours!

Imagine when you actually need a Recovery Disc, this could be a massive pain… but we have a simple solution.

Choose Your Windows Recovery Disc

Our CompuCleverGEAR store offers Windows Recovery Disc for Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 for both 32- and 64-bit versions. Please select the right version for your PC.

Having a Windows Recovery Disc ready by your PC provides you a peace of mind with an emergency plan for both your PC and your important files and data.

Always be prepared and don’t be caught in the rain without an umbrella.

The post Windows Recovery Disc – Be Prepared Ahead of Time appeared first on CompuClever.