Yet another form of Ransom-ware!

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.9.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]

Your screen just went to this:
What do you do?

It could be a Ransomware – Just look at that color!!!

Ohh NOOOOO!!!!
Do you call the phone number?
Do you click on the page and find as many links as you can?

NO! STOP! SLOW DOWN! IT’S REALLY A DOOR TO RANSOMWARE

This is the doorway for ransomware that will only bring you sadness and destruction.
There are a couple of tell-tale signs that will only bring you sadness and destruction. There are a couple of tell-tale signs:

The URL. In most cases, it is something that should throw red flags. In THIS case, it is virus.com…
Windows Security Essentials does not send a phone number to their help desk and that hints towards a potential ransomware attack. Many times, ransomware attacks can also come through email viruses too.
You may not even have Windows Defender turned on, but it will never blank out your screen with an error, it might send a “notification”.

What should you do?

  1. You will want to start the Task Manager. There are two ways to get to it:
    <Ctrl><Alt><Del> at the same time
  2. Right click on your taskbar
  3. Select the browser you are in (Chrome, IE, Firefox)
  4. Select “End Task”. (this will close out the application
  5. Download an Anti-Malware app for example:
  6. Call Sandra Network: 978-535-0202 #3 or email: [email protected]

Sandra Definition

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

LogMeIn is the Right Thing Baby! Call Us.

Think about the Summer and LogMeIn

Though Sandra Bullock in The Net could do it without a thought, very few (if any) could work remotely from a beach in 1995, let alone use VI shell to program on a Macintosh Laptop. Sorry, I was speaking geek… I digress… Now add LogMeIn into the plot.

The Net - LogMeIn

Scene: The Net (1995)

It is 2017 and you have the option to work anywhere you want to You can WAH (Work At Home) or WAB (Work At Beach) or just about anything. How do you do this you ask?

  1. Call Sandra Network at 978-535-0202 #3 or [email protected]
  2. Ask about setting up LogMeIn for your business, or personal use
  3. Log into the new account
  4. Roll over in the sun and enjoy that margarita on the beach, while working on your computer in the stuffy old office.

There are many options, and you can get in touch with us to discuss some of them and break the leash of the office and get out and enjoy the sun while being productive.

Avoiding a Virus in the New Year

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]

There are times when even the smartest and most careful people fall into a trap and are duped into pushing that “save” or “open” button, creating a Virus on their machine. The message looks plausible, but before you push the button check a few things out…

  1. What is the URL? Does it show the page displayed is being sent from Firefox/Mozilla?
  2. An executable file has the extension .exe. In this example, notice this is .js. This is a (java)script the site is attempting to run on your computer and it may collect personal information, or be a virus ready to spread into your system.

 

If any of this seems suspicious or you think it’s a scam, the best thing to do for assurance is to actually navigate to the Firefox download site. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/?v=1
If this installer is downloaded it will be called: Firefox Setup Stub (version #).
If you have this version installed, you will be alerted to that.

What is your best course of action if this page comes up?
Close the browser, reopen it and delete all temporary internet files. This will prevent your downloading a virus.

With that,  we at Sandra Network hope everyone finds a healthy and successful New Year in 2017!

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Did you just break the internet?

broken internetWhere it is very unlikely you actually broke the internet, there is always the fear and anxiety that something may be very, very wrong when you are unable to access any of the websites you need at that particular moment. Is it the internet? Is it you? Is it them? Is it your provider? Who is to blame?

Well, unless you posted a photo of one of those characters from that Kard***ian family, chances are you have not broken the internet by “Urban Dictionary” standards. But, there are certainly factors that could cause difficulty in connecting to the ISP (Internet Service Provider). One of the first things is ALWAYS to check the light on your router, and make sure it is plugged in and connected, and none of the cables have been disconnected or sliced.

There are unfathomable miles of cables wrapped around the planet, and many of the biggest are unprotected and in a lot of cases they are underwater. Generally, this is not the cause of the inability to connect to the internet. The problems are more than likely far more simple.

A few may be:

  • It could be the browser is not compatible with the site.
    • Have multiple browsers on your machine (Firefox, Google, IE,
      and now Edge)
    • If it does not work on one browser, try a different one.
  • If an error comes up “Internet may not be reached”, then it is not a
    browser issue.
  • A disconnected wire on or in the house
  • An outage with the ISP
    • The companies usually have a phone number on the bill that may be called to determine if the designated area is down.
  • Potentially, there is something wrong with the network card, but start with the simple first.

If at any point there is a panic beginning to set in, give us a call and we will determine what the issue may be. Hopefully you will NOT be the one to bring down the internet for everyone else!