Cyber security tips often scrape the surface of what it means to be a sitting duck online. However, for a Bridgewater, NJ business that uses technology, keeping up with the latest cyber security threats is something that you absolutely need to do, no matter what.

Remember that your cybersecurity absolutely needs to be your first priority, no matter what, because a security breach can impact your clients and your brand's reputation - which could harm you forever.

So what should you do? Start with these cyber security tips:

Understand Your Online Presence

You need to understand that if you are a business owner or even a person who does a lot on computers, you are going to be an attractive target for those who want to use the internet for nefarious purposes.

If you have any type of money, data (including usernames, passwords, emails or anything else), or just a place to work, you are going to be a target.

You cannot operate with the "it won't happen to me" mindset - it can, and it might.

Pay Attention To New Cyber Security Tips

There are new tools, patches, and options for cyber security coming out all the time, so it is important to keep your ear to the ground when it comes to them. Make sure you keep your applications updated and you talk to your employees, family, and friends about being safe when using your technology.

Think About What You Plug Into Your Computer

One thing many people don't do when they think about their cyber security is be careful about what you plug into your computer. This is one of the most important cyber security tips of all.

Never use a USB whose source you don’t know - or even if you do know them, you never know what can be spread from computer to computer! It can be infected with malware that can even resist formatting. Someone could infect your computer without even meaning to.

You Still Need Antivirus

One of the weirdest trends of the last few years is that people think that they don't need antivirus anymore, but that just isn't the case: Antivirus is still very necessary, so don’t skip it.

Even those people who follow cyber security tips to the letter might experience attacks, so you should put up the best defense.

Cyber Security Tip: Prioritize the Most Important Accounts

If you don't have time to focus on the security of all of your accounts, at least focus on the most important ones. Heimdal Security gives a great list of where to start:

• Email
• Online banking / Paypal
• Amazon / other ecommerce website you use
• Any account where you’ve put in your card details
• Any account that has sensitive info (social security number, address, phone no., etc.).

Use your best passwords for these websites and do not, under any circumstances, give them out.

Clean Out Apps You Don't Use

If you haven't used an app in the last six months, it is time to get rid of it. There isn't much else to say when it comes that - keeping around old applications, especially those that you don't update, will never help you to stay safe.

Stick To Your Own Devices

How badly do you really need to get on the internet? If you don't have your phone with you and want to do something, make sure that it is absolutely necessary before you do it. The more devices you enter your information on, the more chances you have to make a mistake.

Make Your Passwords Difficult

Gone are the days when you want to make your passwords something easy to guess like your pet's name followed by your birthday. If even that seems complicated to you, then you are putting yourself in serious cyber trouble.

One of the best (and easiest to follow) cyber security tips that you can follow is to just make your password difficult. What does a good password look like? Something like this: h295p!$%rvi***

It might seem complicated, but it will keep you safe. Even better, you can get a password manager to help you keep track of them.

Check For The S

If you are going to a website you've never been to before (or even one that you have been to), check to see if it starts with httpss. The added “s” is the key cyber security tip here. A website that starts with an "httpss" encrypts the data you put into the website as well as the data that you get from it, so no one can break into it or tamper with it.

If a website does not start with httpss, you can still use it, just do not give them confidential info (credit card details, social security number, address, etc.).

Disconnect When You Can

A short but sweet cyber security tip? Disconnect from the internet when you can - it will help to keep you safe at all times.

Be Smart About What You Post

Cyber security is about more than just keeping your information safe, if can keep you safe as well. Don't check into airports, hotels, or other places that will advertise the fact that you won't be at home. This just opens up the chance that someone will see it and know that your home is unoccupied.

You don't just have to be careful about posting those though, make sure you don't post vacation pictures until you are home, you don't leave reviews in real time, and try not to do "live" videos.

Our team takes pride in being the most experienced team of IT professionals in Montgomery and all of New Jersey. You can count on us to have solutions to problems that you may not have had luck with before. When it comes to data recovery in New Jersey, you simply cannot go to anyone better. We have technical support available to the public every day of the week: you’ll have the option to talk to an experienced technician if a problem arises.

Looking for the Best Computer Services in New Jersey? Call: (908) 332-5051

You have likely heard the phrase "malware" used then discussing cyber security and computer repairs. But the question we hear all the time is this: "Just what is malware and how does it impact my computer?" The truth is that there are different types of malware that could be impacting you.

Too often, we throw around this phrase without really understanding what it means and not explaining it thoroughly enough. For a Basking Ridge, NJ business, malware can stop you in your tracks. It is important to not only know what it is, therefore, but also know what it could be doing to your devices.

What Is Malware?

Malware, a portmanteau for malicious software, is a piece of software that compromises the performance of your computer. There are many different types of malware that can wreak havoc on your devices. The most common are adware, ransomware, spyware, and bugs. Each one will impact your computer differently.

Some of the most common signs that your computer might be compromised by malware include:

• Slow performance
• Issues connecting to networks
• Crashing
• Freezing
• Unrecognized emails sent from your account
• Programs running or shutting down on their own
• Frequent pop-up ads

Most Common Types of Malware

Do those symptoms sound familiar? You might have one of the most common types of malware.

If your computer is experiencing any of the above issues, rest assured that most malware can be removed with the help of a professional computer repair company in Basking Ridge, NJ.

Adware

Adware, which is short for advertising supported software, is arguably the most common type of malware that automatically delivers advertisements. This is when you see pop up ads on websites that sometimes make it hard to navigate.

Often, software and applications will offer free version of their programs that come bundled with adware that actually sponsors it. This is a revenue generating tool designed to deliver advertisements. In and of itself, this isn't really a problem. The issues arise when the adware is bundled with spyware (more on that in a minute) that tracks user activity and can even steal information.

Bots

Bots are another common type of malware that automatically performs specific operations. While some bots are created for relatively harmless reasons, such as online contests or video gaming, there are also bots that are not good news. Bots can be used in botnets (a collection of computers) for attacks and web spiders that scrape server data.

Websites can guard against bots with CAPTCHA tests that verify users as human, but sometimes they will still sneak through.

Bugs

Most people think of bugs are something that is mixed or broken. These flaws can be the result of human errors in coding. Minor bugs don't really impact a program's behavior and can actually exist for a long time before they are discovered.

However, there are more significant bugs that can cause crashing or freezing on computers.

The ones you really have to worry about, however, are security bugs that allow attackers to get around authentications, gain access privileges, and steal information.

Ransomware

Ransomware is another form of malware that isn't as common, but is somewhat terrifying. It holds a computer system captive while demanding something in return - a ransom. This type of malware restricts user access to the computer by locking down the system and displaying a message demanding the ransom or encrypting files on the hard drive.

Ransomware most commonly will spread like a normal computer worm (more on that below) and ends up on the computer via a downloaded file or through some other vulnerability.

Rootkit

A rootkit is a another type of malware that was designed specifically to give hackers remote access to your computer without it being detected by users or security program. Once installed, it is possible that someone can remotely take files, steal information, modify your system, alter software, install even more malware, or control the computer.

Prevention, detection, and removal of rootkits can be exceptionally difficult because they truly are very well hidden. As a result, the best thing to do is monitor computer behavior and regularly patch any and all vulnerabilities in software, applications, and operating systems.

Spyware

Spyware is a type of malware that spies on user activity without the user knowing. This can include activity monitoring, data harvesting, collecting keystrokes, and more.

Spyware often has additional tasks as well, from changing security settings to interfering with connections.

Worm

Probably the most common type of malware seen in Basking Ridge, NJ, computer worms spread throughout computer networks by exploiting operating system vulnerabilities. Worms tend to cause harm by consuming bandwidth and using up web servers. This can damage the host computers.

Our team takes pride in being the most experienced team of IT professionals in Basking Ridge and all of New Jersey. You can count on us to have solutions to problems that you may not have had luck with before. When it comes to data recovery in New Jersey, you simply cannot go to anyone better. We have technical support available to the public every day of the week: you’ll have the option to talk to an experienced technician if a problem arises.

Looking for the Best Computer Services in New Jersey? Call: (908) 332-5051

We tend to store everything on our phones and computers. The humble hard drive has quite the responsibility keeping all that data safe and accessible. That makes it very important to know what’s wrong if you’re having hard drive problems and how to fix them. That’s what this page is all about.

If you’re having problems with your hard drive, you can always bring it to Dave’s Computers in New Jersey. Our team of hardware and data recovery experts can troubleshoot and fix all manner of problems and recover data should any be lost.

There are some things you can do yourself too.

Overheating disk

If your computer keeps shutting itself down or doesn’t sound the same, it could be overheating. Computers produce a lot of heat and use fans to keep components cool. If your computer begins sounding quieter or different, check all your fans to make sure they are working. If your computer shuts down for no reason, download a temperature monitor program and see if your computer is getting too hot.

To fix, check fans and keep them free of dust and debris. Make sure the exhaust port on your computer is free of dust too.

Files won’t open

If you cannot access a file, this could be down to file corruption, being accidentally damaged or malware. You need to be careful here. Run an antivirus scan and malware scan to make sure you’re not infected. Open a CMD window in Windows and type ‘chkdsk /f’ and hit Enter. Allow the process to fix anything it finds.

If your data is still not accessible, bring your drive to us to recover the data.

Human error

If you have accidentally changed the disk type from Dynamic to Basic, deleted files or folders, used a disk cleaner and deleted files, you’re not the first and won’t be the last. I have done this a few times myself.

First check the Recycle Bin or Trash depending on your computer. Recover all files from there. If you deleted files, right click the folder that held them and select Recover Previous Versions. If that doesn’t work, bring your computer to our data recovery team.

Virus or malware

As well as contributing to files not opening, some malware and viruses delete files altogether. Ransomware does the same thing if you don’t pay up. Some malware will overwrite the data so it cannot be recovered but not all of them do. Try running a full antivirus and malware scan and cleaning up anything it finds.

For most malware situations, you’re going to need professional help. Most home data recovery programs just aren’t powerful enough to recover data from a malware or ransomware attack. While you can do the basic cleaning, it’s up to us to recover your data.

I personally dislike this trend towards games launchers. I don’t trust them, they include large installations, try to control all your games, even non-brand games and are likely to report back far more data than we want them to. If you use EA Origin for your games, you need to update it right away.

We test all kinds of game launchers here at Dave’s Computers. We have to know what they do as our customers use them. While Origin is more stable than some launchers, it is still a largely unnecessary installation. Nevertheless, as launchers go it is quite secure. Except for this flaw.

Origin update

A major security flaw was detected in the Windows version of the game launcher that allowed other users to trick you into opening and running malware within the Origin system. Once launched, the malware can be downloaded and run on your computer.

The flaw allowed hackers to send links to EA Origin users that includes a link. You don’t have to click the link for it to work. The hacker could include a script that automatically selects the link once it arrives on a target machine, so even if you’re aware of the risks links provide, you still get infected.

EA have released a fix for the vulnerability. If you have Origin set to automatically update, it will do just that when you next start it. If, like so many users, you didn’t want Origin running in the background all the time and set it to manually update, you will need to look for the prompt for the update.

If you don’t see the update prompt, either restart Origin or download a fresh copy from the EA website.

Once you have updated Origin, perform a malware scan and an antivirus scan. Use your malware scanner of choice and perform a full scan. Then fire up your antivirus and perform a full system scan just to make sure. This may take a while but is well worth the effort. If you can leave your PC running while you’re at school or work, or overnight, all the better.

As far as we know, the issue only affected Windows versions of Origin. Once patched, the vulnerability is no longer an issue and you can continue using it as normal.

If you have any issues with your computer, want to make double sure it has no malware or want us to fix, upgrade or replace your computer, bring it to Dave’s Computers in New Jersey. We are here to help!

You may have seen or heard about Cryptojacking over the past few months and it being identified as an emerging threat this year. What is Cryptojacking and should you be worried about it?

Here at Dave’s Computers in New Jersey, we like to keep up to date with threats like these. It helps us help you and allows us time to develop strategies for protecting against it and for recovering data afterwards should you lose it. That’s the case with Cryptojacking. It doesn’t delete data but it does take over your computer.

What is Cryptojacking?

Cryptojacking is the hijacking of a computer to mine cryptocurrency for criminals. Just like malware can turn your computer into a data miner, spam relay or other nefarious use, this malware makes your computer work for someone else’s gain.

Cryptocurrency is earned by allowing your computer to perform complex calculations to help currencies like Bitcoin maintain a ledger. In return for your help, you are rewarded with a portion of cryptocurrency. Performing these calculations is called mining and it takes many, many hours to earn even a single Bitcoin or other digital currency.

Enterprising criminals developed a way to sidestep all the effort. Instead of using their own computers and electricity, they designed malware that gets your computer to do it for them. This is cryptojacking. The malware includes everything required to mine cryptocurrency and sets your computer to work mining on behalf of the criminals.

How is cryptojacking malware delivered?

The most common cryptojacking malware is delivered via browser infection. This means it can infect Windows, Mac and in theory, Linux computers too. A website can be infected with this malware that will run when you have the window open. Some websites can have infected ads or code embedded to download the code to your computer too but these are less common.

Some popular, legit websites have been infected in the past including the LA Times website and the TV network Showtime. It isn’t just pirate websites or lower quality ones that are susceptible.

How can you tell if you have been cryptojacked?

There are some easy ways to identify if you have been subject to cryptojacking. Your processor runs constantly at high utilization, your computer fans run at full speed when they shouldn’t to keep the system cool, your computer does not seem as fast as usual or you see unusual browser activity or processor utilization with certain websites open.

Usually, if your computer seems to be working harder than it should be with no good reason, it is time to check it out. Open Task Manager or close your browser to see if things calm down. If they do, re-open your browser to see if it starts up again.

How to protect yourself from cryptojacking?

Use good internet hygiene and you should avoid the majority of cryptojacking attempts. That includes not going to the darker places on the internet, not clicking on random links on a page or through email and being aware of where you are and where you are going online.

Here are some practical things you can do to protect from cryptojacking:

1. If you’re following a link, hover over it first to see if it matches. If it doesn’t use a URL shortener like Bit.ly, be careful about following it.
2. Run a malware and antivirus scan regularly and perform periodic data backups to prevent data loss.
3. Run your browser in a sandbox if you can.
4. Use an ad blocker or use host file blocking.
5. Be aware of exactly what you are downloading if you download anything. Run an antivirus scan before opening anything you do download.

Cryptojacking is increasing and is set to become the biggest online threat in 2019. Use these common sense tips to prevent your own computer earning money from criminals. Be safe out there!

If you need help with IT security or anything to do with computers, visit Dave’s Computers in New Jersey. We are here to help!

Ten signs of malware infection

1. Computer begins running slowly – There are many reasons why your computer may slow down but most of the time it happens gradually. If yours suddenly begins slowing down or taking longer to boot, run a malware scan.
2. Computer keeps restarting or crashing – There are many other reasons why this might happen too, but if you see other signs in this list, run a malware scan.
3. Hard drive or processor working overtime – If you’re just browsing the internet or doing something basic and your hard drive is working hard or your processor is at high utilization, you could have a virus or malware. Run a scan. It can be other things too, Task Manager will tell you what.
4. Browser homepage changes – Most of us have a favorite home page that opens every time we open the browser. If it suddenly changes to something other than the browser default, it’s a sure sign of malware or of you not opting out of changes when you installed free software.
5. Search engine changes – The same for your default search engine. Some free software offer to change it for you but so does some malware.
6. You begin seeing popup ads – If you start seeing more popup ads than usual, especially when you’re not using the internet, this is a sure sign you have malware.
7. Internet activity picks up – If your internet slows down or your firewall shows more activity than usual on your network, this could be a sign of malware. If there are no other obvious reasons for this, run a scan.
8. Your security software turns off – If you see your antivirus or firewall disabled and you didn’t do it, it could be malware. Some malware can disable security software without your knowledge so if you notice it, scan.
9. Unusual messages or activity – If you start seeing strange messages like not being able to open an app or cannot write to a certain folder, this could be normal Windows or it could be malware. If you also see some of these other signs, run a scan.
10. Friends receive emails or messages from you that you didn’t send – This is a sure sign of malware. A piece of code has gotten to your email contacts and is spamming them trying to spread itself. Run a scan.

What is ransomware?

How does ransomware work?

How did this attack spread so far so fast?

How to protect yourself from ransomware

1. Keep your operating systems current and up to date
2. Use robust barrier security
3. Use good quality antivirus and malware scanners
4. Use a robust backup system
5. Educate all users to the risks of malware

Keep your operating systems current and up to date

Use robust barrier security

Use good quality antivirus and malware scanners

Use a robust backup system

Educate all users to the risks of malware

Types of ransomware

How ransomware is delivered

How to avoid ransomware

1. Keep Windows updated

1. Click the Windows Start button and select Settings.
2. Select Update & security. Here you can control how and when updates are delivered.
3. Click the Change active hours text link to change when reboots will happen.

2. Use reliable antivirus software

3. Use a reliable software and hardware firewall

4. Use a malware scanner

5. Use common sense

1. Don’t click email links unless you know who sent it. Never click a link within an unsolicited email.
2. Be careful where you download files. Use reputable websites and verify the file once downloaded. Check it for malware or viruses before opening. Simply right click the download and select ‘scan for viruses’ or ‘scan with…’.
3. Use an adblocker. Yes you need to pay for good quality content on the internet but many websites that use advertising have no control over what ads are shown. Some can be infected with malware.
4. Keep your browser updated and check the security options within them.
5. Use a password manager if you cannot remember passwords. It is much more secure than using the same password for multiple sites. If a hacker gets ahold of one, they can access all your websites.
6. Don’t give away too much on social media as it can all be used to build a profile of you. Be aware of privacy settings and know exactly what you are sharing and what someone could do with that information.

Spyware

Malware

Adware

Rootkits

Ransomware

How to avoid malware