CompuClever Blog

Privacy and Security – Touchless Cyber Crime

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Synopsis: Our goal in presenting the following information is not to scare our reader base but to inform. With knowledge of real and potential PC crimes and threats you can take steps to guard yourself. Brace yourself for the real world as we take a look at some of the trends in cybercrime and security breaches. After that we introduce the privacy and security features available with PC Clean Maestro.

Cybercrime has been a growing concern since the onset of the first computer virus. The very first PC threats were more about status and cyber geeks flexing their brain muscle as they penetrate computer defenses and proliferate in typical virus fashion. These days there is much more to lose. Personal information and finances can be stolen with the use of more sophisticated and stealthy technology. One recent hot topics in this field is “skimming wallets” – theft which involves just walking past someone and picking up there credit card information. We will look at this and other forms of cybercrime and speak to how to guard yourself from PC cyber attacks.

Trends and Threats:

Researchers and security professional are in agreement: breaches of PC security are on the rise.  This is not only at an individual level but even with institutions and businesses that have considerable expertise and finances directed specifically at cybercrime prevention.

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Fix or Disable Java

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Synopsis: There are Java errors that can appear and require your attention to resolve. Another major issue with Java relates to security. Many experts are beginning to say turn off Java altogether. This is a difficult decision to make and we have covered this in some detail in our newsletter: “Java – The Hacked.” For the purposes of this article we will focus on how to fix Java errors, keep your version of Java recent, and offer recommendations. Simply put: if you want to use Java error free –run the updated version. If you decide on continued use… consider our suggestion for safe surfing.

What is Java? Where is it Used?

Java is a programming language and platform used with many devices and on web pages. Frequently, Java is used to run applets – small applications that perform a specific task on a web page. Without Java, these little applets would show as blank areas on a web page and you would not have access to the interactive features they provide. From the Java site, examples are provided including chatting with people online, using mortgage interest calculators, viewing 3D images. The site also states that unless you have Java installed some websites and applications will not work. Continue reading...

A Close Brush with McAfee

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“Safe is not a privilege.  It is a right.  Safe never sleeps.”

This is the message that McAfee delivers on their home page.  They claim to provide comprehensive anti-theft protection.  So what is theft?  What kind of price do we expect and are asked to endure in order to get “protection”?  Let’s look at the details which we at CompuClever experienced first-hand.

McAfee

  • Prior to Sept. 17 2012:  We were contacted by McAfee Web Security team about renewing our web security monitoring service for the next two years.  We had been using this service for the past four years, but given there are comparable services with better pricing plans, we decided not to renew.  The expired American Express credit card information was stored on our McAfee account.  The card expired in May 2012 and we decided to not update the card record, thinking that no one could do anything using a credit card with invalid expire date.
  • Oct. 22, 2012:  We discovered a transaction of $3,910.44 was charged by McAfee on Sept. 17th 2012, for a two-year web security monitoring service that we didn’t want to renew.  No bill, invoice, or notification of any sort was sent by McAfee.  
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Who Can You Trust?

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There are software producers that are dedicated to security, safety, and to combat online crime.  One of the guiding principles for CompuClever is to assist users in making their PC secure by removing confidential and private information such as banking and credit card data.  There are many security vendors that protect our computers from viral attacks – viruses and malware and the like.  We come to rely on these companies and trust they employ high standards of ethics.  However, when it comes to the “bottom line” – money and the pursuit of profits – you need to be vigilant and you need to take precautions.  In some cases, such as the example described here, you need to take a stand.

McAfee Forges Credit Card

McAfee is a security software company based in California which was purchased in 2010 by Intel for $7.68 billion.  We are no less than shocked to experience first-hand that McAfee, a company whose objective is to protect its clientele from fraudulent behaviour, would go as far as to force a transaction by arbitrarily picking a new credit card expiry date.  This was done all for the purpose of renewing a software service license.  In this article we will provide an overview as follows.  Continue reading...