CryptoLocker victims may have some hope

Some victims of the CryptoLocker ransomware / malware / trojan may have hope for recovering their files thanks to a site that has gone live in the last few days. The way CryptoLocker works is that once it has run on your computer, it will begin encrypting the files on it (and potentially on file shares on your servers) and …

Stolen computer from Greenwood hospital may contain unencrypted patient data

Here we are in 2014, with operating systems which feature built-in data encryption, and in the news today over on WYFF’s site is a story titled “Hospital: Patient info at risk after laptop is stolen“.  It was just a couple years ago that I wrote on this blog about a similar incident HERE. The long and short of today’s story …

Internet Explorer being actively targeted – Why are you using IE?

This is from our partners at WatchGuard, taken in its entirety from their blog for your reading enjoyment: Advanced Attackers Exploit IE & Flash 0days in the Wild by Corey Nachreiner Over the weekend, Microsoft released a critical security advisory warning customers of a serious new zero day vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE), which attackers are exploiting in the wild. Around the same time, …

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Internet Spring Cleaning Day 2014 is upon us! Read Immediately!

It’s that time of year again when ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from around the globe perform their yearly scheduled maintenance. This is dubbed “Internet Spring Cleaning”. In case you have missed the stories on the news and the countless emails flying around for the last week or so, then this may come as a total surprise to you. Newcomers to …

Microsoft FixIt for Word / Office should be applied without hesitation

Yesterday’s Microsoft Security Advisory announced a vulnerability in Microsoft Word which could permit remote code execution. The summary of this advisory simply states that people are being exploited due to a vulnerability. It happens when someone opens, or even previews an RTF in email using Microsoft Word as the email viewer. While Microsoft has not released a full patch at …

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Credit card compromised? Maybe it was from a local establishment not Target…

Surely by now you’ve heard all about the Target breach, where credit cards were compromised… Maybe you were one of the bazillion who were affected, and you might have already replaced your card and moved on and put that out of your mind. But, here’s a story about what appears to be a local breach, though we do not know …

Zero Day Fixes for Microsoft IE and Adobe Flash Should be Applied Immediately

In case you have been wondering, there’s a very good reason for the most recent updates from Microsoft and Adobe… The vulnerabilities are being exploited and today I have heard of two people being affected. It is our recommendation that you apply the fixes immediately in order to avoid this type of issue…. If you require any assistance or have …

XP is destined for obscurity – Time to give it up!

So long XP… I’d like to say it has been nice knowing you. Here’s a little info about how the death of Microsoft’s XP Operating System may affect you and what is to come!   If you would like to discuss a migration to Windows 8 for your Greenville / Upstate business, whether it is for one computer or one …

Merry Christmas 2013!

We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Hopefully you will spend it in good health and high spirits with your family and friends. Or, at the very least, with a pet that loves you! If you are travelling, watch out for the loonies and get back the Upstate safely. Homeland Secure IT is going to close today, …

Zero Day Vulnerabilities addressed by Adobe and Microsoft – Get it while it’s hot!

It’s time for updates to come out from from your favorite software vendors, and whether you are using a Windows based PC or a Mac, there’s something for you this month! Applying these updates is VERY IMPORTANT – your machines are vulnerable unless you take steps to secure them. Up for your patching pleasure are the following (as listed by …