The Tech Corner
The Tech Corner is a weekly technology news and advice column presented each week courtesy of Melvin McCrary at Ga. Computer Depot in Cedartown.
Android devices get hack attempt alerts on-screen
Users of Android smartphones and tablets will soon get an instant warning when somebody attempts to log in to their Google account. The notification comes as an on-screen message, rather than by email.
The new feature is designed to enhance two-factor authentication. That’s an optional feature which means that if somebody tries to sign in to a Google account on another device, they will have to wait for a security code to be sent via email, text message or through a dedicated app so that they can continue to login to the account. If no code or the improper code is entered, then the account login will fail.
While two-factor authentication affects the person logging in (which could possibly be a hacker), the new notification alert is for anyone that legitimately owns the account. Currently, Google always sends an email to the account holder when somebody logs in from another device.
One tap can lock account
The legitimate account owner will then be able to tap to see the device make and model, the time of the log-in, the geographic location, and the browser with IP address. There will also be a one-tap option to lock the account on all devices. Choosing that option means all devices are logged out and the newly discovered device blocked, with the legitimate account owner then logging back in from a trusted account to change the password.
Download Windows 10 free (Extended) after deadline
Days after the deadline for free upgrades to Windows 10 passed (July 29, 2016), the first Windows 10 loophole has emerged. Reports suggest that users with disabilities can still claim the free Windows 10 upgrade, but proving eligibility appears to be nothing more than an honor check.
Microsoft also has a page for people who use assistive technologies. Included are: reading menu text aloud, automatically adjusting text to larger sizes, or using a magnifier.
Getting the free Windows 10 upgrade through this page is still possible as Microsoft says it will be made available while it “con- tinues our efforts to improve the Windows 10 experience for people who use these technologies.”
The extension isn’t restricted to any specific assistive technology. Instead, users simply click an ‘Upgrade Now’ button underneath a sentence reading “Yes, I use assistive technologies and I am ready for my free upgrade to Windows 10.” There’s no process of verifying whether the user actually does use the technologies. Other users have reported one of the oldest tricks in the book, which involves temporarily changing the Windows system date settings to before the free upgrade deadline, which reportedly also works.
You can still get the free Windows 10 offer for Windows 7 or 8.1 device by going to the webpage entitled “Windows 10 free upgrade for customers who use assistive technologies.”
It is HIGHLY recommended that anyone interested in upgrading to Windows 10 do a disk image backup of their system before proceeding with the actual upgrade.
With a disk image backup, you can restore your previous operating system, should Windows 10 fail to install properly. Additionally: if Windows 10 becomes corrupt after it is installed (which happens more often than you may think!), you can use a disk image backup to restore to your previous operating system if you need to. If you use a disk image backup, there is no time limit and you can roll back at any point.
Android Trojan treatens 2.8 million users with unwanted ads
A new Trojan potentially threatens as many as 2.8 million Android users with unwanted mobile advertisements. Researchers at the Russian computer security firm Doctor Web published an alert about the Trojan, which goes by the name “Android.Spy.305.origin”
Security researchers detected the Trojan in 104 applications available for download on the Google Play Store. In total, Doctor Web’s research team believed as many as 3.2 million users had installed applications affected by Android.Spy.277.origin at the time of the Trojan’s discovery.
When a user first downloads and runs an affected application, the Trojan connects to a server and sends a request. “The server replies with URL needed to download an additional component which is responsible for the Trojan’s main malicious activity.
The Trojan collects several different pieces of user information and sending them to the malware’s command and control server, as well as displaying unwanted advertisements. Clicking on the fake virus alerts, brings users to the landing pages for Android optimization applications such as Turbo Cleaner, SuperB Cleaner, and others. Users can help protect themselves against this Trojan by installing a security solution onto their Android devices and by downloading applications from only trusted sources/developers on the Google Play Store.
Learn, memorize, practice the 3 rules
Follow 3 Basic Rules for online safety, and reduce the chances of handing control over your computer to the bad guys.
1) If you didn’t go looking for it, don’t install it. 2) If you installed, update it. 3) If you no longer need it, get rid of it!
Harden your hardware
Make sure you change the factory installed username and password. The administrative page of most commercial routers can be accessed by typing 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.0.1 into a Web browser address bar. If neither of those work, try looking up the documentation at the router maker’s site. You can also look it up at www.routerpasswords.com.
Onguardonline.gov has published some video how-tos on enabling wireless encryption on your router. WPA2 is the strongest encryption technology, followed by WPA and WEP. Also consider changing the router’s default DNS servers to those maintained by OpenDNS. The company’s free service filters out malicious Web page requests at the domain name system (DNS) level. OpenDNS will block your computer from communicating with known malware and phishing sites. OpenDNS also offers a fairly effective adult content filtering service that can be used to block porn sites on an entire household’s network.