Tag Archives: tech
What Causes Ransomware Attacks?
What is ransomware, and what causes its attacks? The leading cause of ransomware attacks is malicious software. These attacks often involve a Word document that tricks the user into enabling macros that run a malicious executable file with functions that encrypt data. Some ransomware variants can even spread to other devices in your network. Sometimes, ransomware can infect an entire organization through a single email attachment.
Encrypting Ransomware
You can take several steps to protect your computer from an encrypting ransomware attack. The first is to make backups. Then, you should isolate all systems and separate them from the network. This will stop the malware from spreading to other systems and communicating with its command and control systems. Another critical step is to report the attack to law enforcement. This will help law enforcement action against the attackers and ensure your data remains unharmed.
The cost of a ransomware attack can be astronomical. As a result, businesses are often left with a moral dilemma about paying the ransom, which doubles the damage. In addition, paying the ransom does not guarantee the attackers will remove the ransomware. Fortunately, some companies have found a way to avoid paying the ransom and recover their data after an attack.
One of the most widespread ransomware attacks is the ZCryptor virus, which encrypts files and self-propagates to other computers. The malware often disguises itself as a popular software installer or malicious macros in Microsoft Office files. Once on your computer, it encrypts more than 80 file formats. The ransom demand is usually around 1.2 Bitcoin but can increase to 5 after four days.
Cryptomining Malware
Cryptomining malware attacks a computer by using it for crypto mining. The process is reminiscent of coal miners’ canaries, which served as early warning systems for toxic air. The presence of this software is a sign that an adversary is attempting to spread malware.
This type of malware has recently become a significant threat. It infects computers and uses their processing power to mine cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. The crooks then keep the proceeds. This is a complicated process, requiring a lot of computers, electricity, and processing power. In addition, the servers used to perform coin mining are often located in Iceland and require a high level of computer power.
Cryptomining malware can also affect the performance of a company’s servers and client devices connected to the server. This may result in productivity loss. However, there are ways to detect and remove this type of malware.
Human, System, Network, and Software Vulnerabilities
Ransomware is malicious software that spreads automatically across the internet, stealing sensitive data and holding the victim’s money. To protect yourself from a ransomware attack, you must be proactive and follow best security practices. The first step is to update operating systems. This will minimize the chances of a hacker targeting your system. Additionally, you should never install unauthorized software or give it administrative privileges. Furthermore, it would help if you used antivirus software to detect and block malicious programs as they arrive. Another great way to mitigate ransomware attacks is to perform frequent automatic backups.
Infections are most likely to occur when users unknowingly download ransomware through malicious email attachments or malware. Some of these infections can also be delivered by malicious websites and exploit kits. The best way to protect your computer against ransomware attacks is to prevent the disease before it even starts.
Fear Factor
One of the primary reasons why ransomware attacks happen is the fear factor. While these attacks can cause physical inconvenience, they can also cause a lot of damage to the public’s trust in technology. Furthermore, they can lead to panic buying because of the fear of price hikes or lack of supplies. For instance, the JBS ransomware attack led to temporary shutdowns of factory facilities and meat shortages in the U.S. As a result, meat suppliers warned consumers not to panic about buying beef or other meat products because that would increase the price.
Ransomware attacks are increasingly common and have become a significant issue in businesses and organizations. Since the first ransomware attack was made in 1989, the threat has only increased. The fear factor of these attacks is exacerbated by the fact that they are perpetrated by cartels, notorious for their power, reach, and ability to evade the law. Four of the most prominent cybercriminal groups have teamed up to create a toolkit to combat ransomware attacks.
Survive Another Semester With These Dorm Room Gadgets
At the start of the semester, you can fool yourself into believing you’ll be spending all your spare time between classes in the library. With your nose in a book, it’s easy to ignore how utilitarian your dorm room is. What do you care if it’s ugly? You’re only there to sleep, right?
If you’re lucky, you get about a week into this routine before you realize you can’t keep it up. At which points, you trade a trip to the library for staying in on your bed.
If you’re going to be spending a lot of your time in your dorm room, you might as well do everything you can to make it time well spent. This list will help you curate the best dorm experience possible. From the hilariously extravagant to the surprisingly practical, these gadgets will elevate your dorm room to the next level.
A robot maid
Raise your hand if you like cleaning. When neither hand even twitches, you know you can’t claim this activity as a preferred hobby. There’s just too much going on around campus for you to want to waste your time cleaning up.
In 2018, that doesn’t mean you have to live like a slob. You can “hire” a robotic maid to vacuum your dorm room. Though the Roomba is synonymous with the robot vacuum, the most well-known brand isn’t always the best. The iLife A4 is a cute little addition that keeps on top of dirt without emptying out your student wallet. It’s relatively affordable addition to your dorm room that saves you a fight with your roommate about whose turn it is to vacuum.
Noise cancelling headphones
Few residences could be confused for the Ritz. You’re going to be dealing with a lot of people in a small space. As a result, you’re going to be hearing a lot of stuff — whether you want to or not. Someone somewhere is always going to be making noise, even if it’s the middle of the night. Come midterms, it’s likely more than one person will take of up the Nordic tradition of wailing in the middle of the night.
If you’re sensitive to your surroundings, you’ll want to pack a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. While Sony’s WH-1000XM2 make it to the top of Tech Radar’s list, you may not have the budget to drop roughly $400 on a set of headphones. The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC offer an affordable alternative that offers NoiseGard ™ to filter out the sounds of college life.
Portable speakers
When you’re done cancelling the noises other people make and are ready to make some noise yourself, you’re going to need a set of speakers to help you make an impact. The UE Boom 2 offers considerable sound quality in a small, lightweight package. It’s small enough to fit anywhere in your room and light enough that you won’t regret owning it when it comes time to move out. Check out CNET’s review to see why it’s the portable speaker to blast your mid-semester playlist.
Nintendo Switch
If you’d rather skip the party to explore Hyrule, then a Switch would better serve your dorm room this year. As Nintendo’s first 2-in-1 console, it’s the perfect system for campus. It offers excellent single player games when you want to kill some time on your own, and it has a library rich with multiplayer (both co-op and competitive) games. You can dock it and play on the big screen or throw it in your bag and take it along to class.
A Switch skin
You’ll just want to wrap it up in a Nintendo Switch skin before it’s ready to mix and mingle in your backpack. This accessory protects your console from pens, keys, and other sharp objects in your bag that could damage it. When you shop from a company like dbrand, you’ll get a Switch skin that’s made out of 3M vinyl. Because of their partnership with 3M, these skins leave residue on the Switch’s unique surface material — or any other tech you want to decal. That means you can protect and customize your devices with multiple skin designs and switch it up whenever you’re feeling bored.
A power strip
Last but not least, you’re going to need a surge-protecting power strip to make sure you don’t blow the breakers once you plug in the rest of the gadgets on the list. The Dynex Surge Protector comes with 8 outlets and two USB charging ports, so you’ll never have to fight with your roommate over a chance to charge
Despite your best intentions, you’ll be spending more time in your college dorm room than you might expect. If you expect to enjoy all the time you log in this tiny room, you’ll need a few gadgets to help improve your quality of life. Once you have the right ratio of space to tech, you’ll never regret staying in your room. Your grades, on the other hand, might miss the library!
Cleansing Your Digital Footprint
We hear this all of the time: be careful what you post online. While some of us scoff at this recommendation, we need to heed this advice. While we may think that posting photos of our friend’s party from last weekend are funny at the time and display the college lifestyle, those photos could come back to haunt us years down the road.
Things that live on the Internet rarely ever die, after all. They can always be accessed in archives. Smartphones are changing the way we do things, and they certainly are changing the college experience. It wasn’t too long ago that I was on the other side of the desk, detailing my education and job experiences during interviews. Now, I own my own business and have to make hiring decisions, and I had to also do this during my previous jobs in the nonprofit sector. Trust me when I say this: potential employers do look at your social media accounts, websites and more. If you’re in a highly visible profession or want to be, such as public relations or other communication-based professions, your employers will look for your digital footprint even more.
Here are some ways to cleanse your digital footprint, according to The Balance:
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Take off your full name, birthday and other personal information from your social media sites. And it’s never safe to post your mailing address. If you use your cell phone for business-related activities, still be mindful of posting it everywhere. Don’t put up too many personal photos, like of your pets, children and family and friends. Hackers could use those things against you. Don’t give them the bait.
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Never post about when you’re on vacation. Sure, your friend may be feeding your dog, checking your mailbox and making sure your house is OK while you’re out of town, but it just begs people to invade your privacy — and your home.
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You never know what the future holds. Avoid ranting on social media. It puts you in a bad light and typecasts you as the resident digital complainer, but it could also cause you a job in the future. If you complain about your cable television company on social media but apply for a job there two years down the road, your social media rant could honestly cost you the job.
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Don’t show your full hand. You’ll want to keep a social media poker face. Don’t lament about your overbearing parents or talk about deep-rooted emotions. Don’t post your dirty laundry — or anyone else’s. If you need to talk with someone, consider chatting online with a mental health professional or reading through advice columns on Betterhelp.com. Keeping your personal feelings away from social media can help you avoid backlash and unnecessary drama. Plus, you will be working on improving yourself and your digital image.
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Put things you want people to see. Create a LinkedIn profile, blog, Google account and more that highlight your job history, skill sets and other communications about you and your career and personal brand. Be authentic in your communications but be strategic. Limit your car and gym selfies, which can damage your credibility. Did you just get a new Nintendo Switch or piece of workout equipment? Don’t brag about what you have or invite people in your home to steal what you have worked hard to get for yourself.
In today’s digital age, all of us have our own personal brands online. Stay true to yourself but always be mindful of what you post.
95 Inspiring Websites of Web Design Agencies
Finding creativity and innovation in websites may seem like it is a lost art to some, but there are still plenty of great web design firms out there that can create content for your website that may blow your mind. The real question has always been trying to find the right NYC marketing agencies and web design NY companies that can provide you with the look for your website that will help you to stand out well above the pack and really get noticed. Each year AWWWARDS provides a list of some the top web designs you can find on the Internet today and the agencies that provided these looks. The list of the 95 inspiring websites of web design agencies can help to give you some great design ideas for your own site.
See the Creativity Available
When you take a look at what some of the web designers are capable of doing today you may be astounded at the work produced. The art of web design has evolved a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. While you may still find sites out there that make use of basic templates and designs that are available, the truly innovative work is being by companies that specialize in thinking outside of the box. You can find a company that will be able to help you take your website to the next level and grasp the attention and imagination of many more potential customers. Having the right look and title on your main page and landing pages can significantly turn your website around.
Running with Inspiration
Of course the designs that you want the most for your website are going to need to fit well with your overall goals and the type of business you have. When you hook up with a search engine optimization company that has web designers on staff that is willing to get creative and work closely with you, you will be more likely to have a final product that will wow both you and your customers. You want a firm that is going to be willing to put in all of the effort needed to provide you with the best look possible and make use of the latest tools, techniques and designs being used today to create the awe-inspiring site you want the most.
If you really want a website that makes the most of your ideas and reaches new levels of looks and creativity then you want to take the time to find just the right design firm to work with. AS you look over the New York City SEO and web design companies available today you will find that Coforge has just the type of innovation that you want. They have the talent and experience level to help you completely reimagine the website you have now to create a new site that meets and exceeds all of your expectations so you get the visibility you want.
7 Reasons Why Students Need Technology
With access to technology that we never dreamt possible, the future looks bright for education. The younger generation can enjoy more learning tools than ever before and an infinite database of information. From smartphones to tablets and the internet, these resources can enhance learning in the classroom whilst being enjoyable. Here are seven reasons why students need technology to boost development and future career prospects.
Engaging
Students enjoy technology and find it interesting to use the latest gadgets and software. This engagement creates a happier classroom environment, where the students enjoy time spent in the classroom. This makes them more apt to learning and taking on information.
Practical
Technology continues to change the way we live from how we connect with others, to our work, play and socializing. As we become more dependent on this tech, it’s essential for the younger generation to become more proficient at using it. It provides the foundation for real world success, helping them to prepare for future careers.
Transferable
Using devices such as the touchscreen tablet have been proven as an effective aid for motor skill development. Requiring hand–eye coordination, this can transfer over into fields in the medical profession, such as surgery, and other fields such as engineering and aviation.
Self-development
If you’re more adept at using technology you’ll be more inclined to use it for self-development. With an endless choice of apps available, you can continue learning out of the classroom. Puzzle games or those which stimulate problem solving will improve attention span and strengthen memory processes.
Knowledge
The internet provides limitless access to information at the click of button. This provides the opportunity for self-directed learning where a child is responsible for seeking out credible and up-to-date sources. Whether they’re learning about History, Geography or Languages, people can now soak up more information than ever before.
Convenience
Digital textbooks are now replacing the traditional books, and this means no more heavy bags full of books. Not only is it safer for a person’s posture and back, these digital alternatives store a huge selection of books which are constantly updated, providing the most relevant information.
Safety
Whilst using mobile devices and connecting to broadband, teachers can provide information on safe browsing. This form of supervision ensures appropriate use of the internet and mobile phones, and teaches students how to avoid blacklisted websites. They also learn how to overcome technical issues and improve service coverage. Learning how to solve these problems and become more tech savvy should help them in later life.
There’s never been a greater opportunity for better learning in the classroom. In this new era of technology, it’s clearly important for colleges to adopt these tools and integrate them into everyday use. This platform can provide greater opportunities for success and more fulfilment for students.
Image by US Department of Education, used under Creative Commons license