DPS Tech News
03
Nov
2024
How cautious are you and your team with online security? You know about phishing scams, dodgy downloads, and not clicking suspicious links, right?
But an even sneakier new malware (that’s malicious software) wants to frustrate you into giving up your Google login details.
The malware doesn’t have a catchy name yet, but it’s part of a larger threat known as “Amadey”, and it’s been on the rise since August.
It forces your PC into something called “kiosk mode” (a setting often used on public computers that only lets you access one window). This allows it to lock your browser in full screen mode, hiding all your usual navigation buttons like the address bar and menus. Then you get sent to a fake Google password reset page.
Normally, you’d just hit the Esc or F11 keys to get out of full screen mode, right? Well, not this time. It won’t work if the malware has infected your PC. It wants to confuse you into thinking you must enter your password to solve the problem.
The password reset page will look like a real Google page. But the second you type in your details, they’ll be stolen by a second piece of malware hiding in the background, falling right into the hands of cyber criminals.
Pretty scary stuff.
But here’s the good news: You can break free without giving up your details.
If your browser gets stuck in full screen mode, try hitting ALT+TAB to switch tasks, or ALT+F4 to force the window to close. Otherwise, try closing it through your task manager (CTRL+ALT+DELETE).
If all else fails, just restart your PC by holding down the power button or unplugging it, then get an expert (like us) to look at the malware.
Prevention is always the best approach, though. Be wary if your computer starts behaving strangely, especially if your browser suddenly goes into full screen mode and won’t let you navigate away.
Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments you aren’t sure about. And as tempting as it might be to get past an annoying screen, never enter your password unless you’re 100% sure the website is legit.
If you’d like us to teach your team how to avoid the latest scams, we can help. Get in touch.
27
Oct
2024
If you’ve ever tried to tweak a setting in Microsoft Edge and found yourself lost in all the options, this one’s for you.
Microsoft is cleaning up the Settings page, so you’ll no longer need to dig around in endless menus to find the setting you need.
What’s changing?
You’ll see a new quick access panel under the main Settings menu, giving you shortcuts to the features you’re likely to use the most.
Settings will also be split into smaller submenus, like “System and Performance” and “Appearance”, making it easier to find exactly what you want.
Better yet? The submenus will have their own quick access shortcuts too.
The improvements will give Google Chrome (which has been praised for its well-organised settings) a run for its money. So if your team doesn’t already use Edge as their default browser, it’s a great time to give it another try.
Microsoft is currently testing the update, and it should start rolling out soon. Once it does, you can expect much smoother navigation.
If you need help making the most of the new features in your business, we can help. Get in touch.
20
Oct
2024
Losing access to your business’s data – even temporarily – is a nightmare worthy of a horror movie.
Data backup tools create copies of your data and store them in a safe place. If something goes wrong, recovery tools will use these copies to restore your lost files.
So, if your business already uses backup and recovery tools, you’d think your data is safe… but this isn’t necessarily true.
A new report shows that some backup tools aren’t always as reliable as they should be. In fact, a third of all data losses are caused by backup-related issues. When people try to recover data, they discover it’s been lost or corrupted.
It’s not just corrupted backups that you should be aware of.
One of the biggest threats to businesses right now is ransomware. This is a type of malicious software (or "malware") that locks you out of your files unless you pay a ransom to regain access.
The report found that half of businesses using backup tools still ended up paying ransoms to retrieve their files, because it was faster than trying to use their own recovery tools. Even worse? Only a small number of businesses that paid ransoms were able to fully recover their data.
Backup tools are supposed to keep your data safe, so why are they unreliable for so many businesses?
Often, it’s because they haven’t been set up properly. And even when they are, they still need to be verified regularly to make sure they are still backing up your files.
Also, older backup and recovery tools can’t always keep up with today’s sophisticated cyber attacks.
Setting up and maintaining a reliable backup system can be complicated. IT experts (like us) can make sure your tools are running correctly every day.
We can also put in place extra safeguards such as continuous data protection (CDP). This constantly saves changes to your files, allowing you to go back in time and restore your data as it was just before an attack or loss.
This is something we do for businesses like yours every day. If you’d like us to help you too, get in touch.
