CCleaner Has Been Found to be Compromised with Trojan Malware – Virus Removal Lethbridge, AB

September 18, 2017 by Tony Whitney

I’m writing this morning to let all my clients, friends, family and followers know about a new source of Malware. A popular clean-up utility called CCleaner has been found to contain a Malware called Floxif. This comes shortly after Avast bought the company that makes CCleaner – Piriform. It is Y-Not Tech Services’ opinion that CCleaner and all other Avast products should be avoided. This particular threat has been found, contained and cleaned up, but I no longer have confidence in CCleaner or the security processes at Avast that should keep their products safe. Avast is a computer software company that specializes in antivirus programs. So the fact that a piece of malicious software made it through their security and into a popular software is surprising. Although, not THAT surprising if you pay close attention. In an article I wrote in May of this year I called out Avast for missing 6 malware pieces that were active on my PC and that Emsisoft picked up and removed as soon as I upgraded to it. The Malware in CCleaner was Digitally Signed as safe and trusted.

What Do You Need To Do?

I recommend un-installing CCleaner immediately. I used to use CCleaner all the time. When Avast bought them, I slowed down on my use since I was already leary about Avast product based on my experience with their Anti-Virus program. Now, I will be actively avoiding all Avast products including CCleaner. It’s unfortunate because it was a great program previously, but I can’t have the risk of it installing Malware on my or my client’s systems.

If you use Y-Not Tech Services Gold Plan and had CCleaner installed, you will automatically have been updated to a version without the Malware and your System will be safe. If you don’t have our Gold Plan, I recommend bringing your system in for a full Virus Scan to check for traces of the malware. To learn more about our Managed Services or to sign up to stay safe in the future Click Here.

If you are currently using Avast Anti-Virus or any other free anti-virus program including Windows Defender, I recommend upgrading to Emsisoft. Y-Not Tech Services offers a free 30 day Trial of Emsisoft and can Install and Configure the software for free when you buy it. Emsisoft is also included in our Silver, Gold or Platinum Plans. The plans are a great way to stay protected because they have us monitoring and making sure that your security program is updating and scanning regularly! We also review all malware that is found on your system and the Gold and Platinum Plans even include FREE virus removal if something gets past our security.

If you used CCleaner and are looking for something to replace it with we recommend checking out BleachBit. Y-Not Tech Services hasn’t fully reviewed BleachBit yet, but plan to in the near future and it’s currently the winner for our replacement needs of CCleaner.

It’s unfortunate that CCleaner has been compromised, but as I mentioned I stopped using them when Avast bought them up. Too many times I have seen great software ruined when other companies buy them. The vision and drive seems to get lost in larger companies.

If you have questions or concerns, please book an appointment:

SPYWARE VS. ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB

September 12, 2017 by Tony Whitney

So many of my clients think that because they have antivirus protection, that they are protected against spyware. This is so far from the case I can’t even tell you about the horror stories I have seen in the past few months. [Read more…]

Announcement: Changes to Y-Not Tech Services’ Manages Plans

July 4, 2017 by Tony Whitney

I was evaluating my Managed Plans the other day and realized that no one had signed up for the Silver Plan which has Application Patching, Windows updates, and Remote Monitoring, but doesn’t include Managed Antivirus. It occurred to me that this wasn’t really good value for the security-conscious client. So I am changing my Silver Plan to provide more value!

Instead of the Monitoring and Patching, Y-Not Tech Services’ Silver Plan will now include Managed Antivirus/Antimalware. The price will remain at $14/month. This provides a lower cost to get into antivirus which is the best value protection for your PC. Monitoring/Patching can be added by choosing the Gold Plan.

Here’s an overview of our Plans:

Bronze Plan:

Free

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-10% off Tech Services

Silver Plan:

$14/month

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services

ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION

–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals

Gold Plan

$19/Month

-Quick and Easy Contact Form
-Health Warning Pop Up Alerts
-Add-On Monitoring
-25% off Tech Services

ADDITIONAL ANTI-MALWARE PROTECTION

–Anti-Malware Software
-Unlimited Malware Removals

ADDITIONAL MONITORING:

-Anti-Virus Health
-Windows Crash
-Low Hard Drive Space
-Application Crashing
-Hardware Health
-Hard Drive Fragmentation
-Hard Drive Health
-Firewall Health
-Application Patching
-Windows Updates

It is our hopes that this change will provide extra value to our clients, and make it simpler for new clients to get into a managed Antivirus so that they never need to worry about when their subscription ends, whether the antivirus is updating or what infections are being stopped – we deal with it all, while you simply enjoy your PC.

If you are on the Gold Plan, you can expect to be contacted to see if switching the Silver Plan is a good option for you. For the next week or so, some of the graphics and information throughout the site will still reflect the old Plans, but I will be updating those as I have time. Don’t forget – The Gold Plan is still the best overall protection for your PC. Book an appointment to sign up today!

Y-Not’s Recommended Antivirus Software

May 30, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Here at Y-Not Tech Services, we have seen a lot of virus and malware infected systems. Dating back to my days at the retail store, I have been dealing with badly infected systems on a regular basis. Some of these systems were using free antivirus software like we talked about last week. Others had paid versions of Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro or Bit Defender. And of course, some of them had no virus protection at all. This last group I didn’t feel too bad about breaking the bad news to. I feel as a computer owner, it is our responsibility to have some protection on them. Especially if we are browsing and downloading indiscriminately. Those with the free software (remember, I was one of those for years!) thought they were protected and I felt bad breaking the bad news of infection to them. But those that paid money to one of the big Antivirus companies, only to feel betrayed when they still got infected I felt horrible for. The worst part was that they had often bought the software from the store I worked at, or even from me personally! And the only way I could help them now was to charge them $200+ and wipe their computer clean as per company policy. YUCK! Look, new viruses and malware are being developed all the time. They can slip through even the best Antivirus software.

How a Virus Gets In

I’m not saying that Norton, McAfee or Bit Defender are bad products (well, McAfee I’m not so sure about…). So, what goes wrong when systems running these programs gets infected with malware? It could be a number of things, really. The number one thing I see is when the software isn’t getting updates and the user doesn’t notice this. When this happens, even new viruses that the antivirus company has found can get through because the user’s system isn’t getting updates from their servers. Secondly, a brand new, undiscovered virus can slip through and infect the system. Ideally, these viruses will be picked up on the next scan, once the virus is in the software’s database, but often it’s too late at that point. The virus may have mutated and hidden in the system files. It’s surprised me how much Emsisoft can pick up, that these other, well-known software misses.

Emsisoft – Tony’s Current Favourite

Upon discovering Emisoft, it quickly became my current favourite antivirus. I say current because my antivirus of choice changes over time. A long time ago, on a computer system far far away, AVG Free was my favourite antivirus. Then they stripped out features and pushed users toward their paid version. Norton took up residence as my favourite next (although this was somewhat pushed on me by the retail company I worked for, my personal research showed it to be a strong and surprisingly lightweight program). When I saw systems running Norton come into the shop with infections too often, I shifted to become a fan of Bit Defender. I still feel Bit Defender is a strong contender. I went through a time where I relied on Free Antivirus Software but was dismayed to find malware slipping in. I searched for and tested a number of Antivirus programs that were recommended to me by colleagues in the technician world. One stood out to me for a few reasons:

Emsisoft Anti-malware. When I installed this on my system it found malware that my previous antivirus software missed. I was also impressed with the minimal resources that Emsisoft used. I have never noticed a performance hit, even while it’s running a full scan.

“Hey Tony,” you might be saying “Are you sure it’s not just your favourite because you sell it?” This is a valid question. And the answer is no. I could have chosen to re-sell almost any of the top names out there. They all have programs for technicians and software salespeople. I chose Emsisoft based on its performance and value to you, my client. There were a few other contenders, but they all lacked one key feature, I love about Emisoft. When I install Emsisoft on a device, I can monitor it from my own computer. I can see if you have the latest virus definitions, when the last time a scan was performed on your system and what the result of the scan was. To put it simply: It allows me to manage your Antivirus software so you don’t have to. Why not let Tony deal with it? I haven’t found a client that ENJOYS the chore of looking after their Antivirus software. With Emsisoft, you don’t need to worry about it at all. I handle it.

“But Tony, you said that some viruses can get through even the best antivirus programs. Can they get through Emsisoft?” It’s possible. That’s why with your subscription to Emisoft with Y-Not Tech Services, I include unlimited free Malware and Antivirus removals. You read that right. I really don’t want you to worry about viruses or malware. Let me handle it all.

$19/Month

Want to handle Emsisoft on your own? Click here for a free 30 day trial.

What Other’s are Saying About Emsisoft

You don’t need to take my word for it. Hopefully, you trust me, but if you’re new to my site and my services (welcome!) I get that you would want other opinions. So here are a few.

Pcmag.com says, “Excellent scores in our malware blocking tests. Good scores in lab tests. Effective behavior-based detection can even spot ransomware. Clean, simple user interface.” and, “Emisoft Anti-Malware focuses on the core task of keeping your PCs free of malware. It does a good job, and with a clean, simple interface, it looks good too.”

Bleepingcomputer.com has this to say: “Emsisoft AntiMalware has become a favourite at BleepingComputer.com. It’s dual scanning engine consists of BitDefender definitions as well as definitions created by Emsisoft themselves allow for very good and up-to-date detections. Emsisoft is routinely used in our virus removal guides as it is … on top of the latest viruses.” They add, “Overall, we have been very pleased with the performance of Emsisoft AntiMalware and would definitely recommend it as a necessary component of your security toolkit.”

Digitalcitizen.life claims Emisoft, “offers a very good antivirus engine: it detected and removed all the samples we used in our tests, scanning our test computer was reasonably fast and we were swiftly blocked from visiting dangerous websites.”

You can read more at http://www.anti-malware-reviews.com/

Book an appointment to learn more or to have Y-Not Tech Services handle all your PC Security needs.

Emsisoft can be installed remotely at no additional cost!

WannaCry Protection in Lethbridge, AB | Y-Not Tech Services

May 15, 2017 by Tony Whitney

Over the weekend a new RansomWare infection has spread widely. WannaCry uses a combination of malicious e-mail links and a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Windows OS to spread. It is interesting to note that the vulnerability in Windows was patched by Microsoft in March via Windows Updates. Is your system up to date? When was the last time you checked for updates?

It’s always a good idea to follow safe practices any time you are clicking on links from e-mails. Even if you know and trust the sender, they might have been infected and unaware that they are spreading viruses.

WannaCry is ransomware. It encrypts your data and only gives you access if you pay them. Reports say the cost starts at $300 and goes up to $600 before finally, they delete your data.

At this point, there is no way to decrypt the data without paying the developers of the virus.

How to Protect Yourself

If you aren’t infected with WannaCry make sure Windows is up to date! This stops the spread and can keep you protected. Don’t click links in e-mails without inspecting them first. The link could be hidden, meaning the text in the e-mail will say one thing, but take you somewhere else. Hover your cursor over the link for a few seconds and a tooltip should come up giving the exact link address.

Y-Not Tech Services offers a bundle that protects your device from Ransomware and other attacks. Our Gold Protection Package offers Emisoft Anti-Malware that detects threats like this and blocks them and Windows Patching that keeps your System up to date with Security Patches that cover this and other exploits. I also recommend a comprehensive backup strategy centered around the 3-2-1 philosophy.

Y-Not’s Gold Security Package – $19/month

Y-Not’s Gold Security Package plus Off-Site backup – $29/month

The internet is a wonderful place, but it is also full of people trying to take advantage of others with viruses, malware and more. Click here for my quick run down of internet safety.

Book an Appointment with Y-Not Tech Services to sign up for our protection plan or to learn more.