Merry Christmas from Homeland Secure IT!

We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! We hope you will get to spend it with those who mean the most to you and that the Christmas spirit fills you to the brim with joy and happiness! We are closing mid-day on Christmas Eve and will return on Monday, January 29th…   If you should have an …

Business desktop computer pricing for end of 2014

As the year draws to a close, many of the businesses here in Greenville SC and around the Upstate are making last minute purchases. Some are to use up the budget they have remaining, and some want to get purchases in on the 2014 tax year. Almost all of them want something new! Below you will find two of the …

Apple iPad 2 owners may wish to hold off on that IOS 8 update

If you have not updated your iPad 2 to IOS 8 yet, you might want to hold off or potentially suffer the same consequences that I have. Here’s the list of the most annoying issues that affect me since updating my iPad 2 64GB w/Verizon Cellular to IOS 8: EXTREMELY SLOW – When opening apps, or switching between them – …

Microsoft Patch Tuesday should be taken seriously this time (Sept 2014)

FORTY-ONE vulnerabilities have been addressed in this edition of Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday. There are 37 security flaws in Microsoft Internet Explorer alone which are being corrected. These range from “Important” all the way up to the “Critical” level, and include one fix for a “zero day vulnerability” that attackers have been exploiting. It is recommended that you apply the patches …

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 …

Holiday Hours for Computer / Network Service & Sales

Homeland Secure IT is closing in observance of Independence Day 2014 and so we can spend time with our families! We’re walking out the door on July 3rd at 2pm and will return on Monday, July 7th ready to tackle any project you may have. Should you have an emergency such as your server go down over this holiday weekend, …

Apple iCloud ransomware is a real threat

People are being locked out of their iPhones and iPads due to an attack that is taking place where the devices are locked and you can only gain access to your files if you pay a “ransom”. This is mainly in Australia but it has been reported in other locations. You should backup your data so that in the event …

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, …

Kevin Mitnick demonstrates a Microsoft Word document exploit

Did you know that most successful computer exploits that we encounter are because the user simply clicked a link, or opened a document without giving it a second thought? I think we’re all guilty of receiving an email from someone we know, or assume we know, then opening the email and following that link. I know I have done it, …