This is a common issue and I wrote this FAQ for the Mitel Forum on the My Phone Techs
for anyone troubleshooting this problem.
(FAQ) Mitel SX200 Why isn't my call accounting receiving call records?: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Scareware and Ransomware
Oh for the old days when we only had to guard our computers from viruses! Then came adware, spyware, malware, and botware. Now we have scareware and even ransomware. I've had to do some pretty extensive work recently for several clients, just to remove this stuff.
Scareware is a fake anti-virus program often picked up through spam or even by a seemingly harmless download. These programs copy a few files onto your disk which are then targeted by a fake anti-virus popup warning that "Your system has been infected with a virus. Click here to remove the infection". The popup window isn't easy to close or minimize, and will reappear when you restart your computer. It's made to look like one of the recognized antivirus programs, or even a Microsoft product, so this ploy often works. Once you've clicked the link, the "anti-virus program" removes the fake virus and loads new ones for next time. Eventually, you're convinced you have a serious problem and agree to upgrade to the paid version. Now you've handed over your credit info card and enough other stuff to make you vulnerable to identity theft. The process often continues until your computer becomes practically useless.
Unlike scareware, which Ransomware begins in much the same way but cuts to the chase, making a demand for money so you can regain use of your computer. They use proxy servers and botnets to hide their identity so your options are to pay up or scrap your machine.
So, what's the answer? Same as always, be careful what you do, where you go, and what you click. Have a good backup routine and some emergency software that can help you regain control of your machine. More on that later...
Good luck,
Harry
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