Your Online Account(s) Got Hacked & You Are Locked Out: What Do You Do!?

Online security is becoming increasingly critical as more of our daily lives move onto the internet. If you believe one or more of your online accounts have been hacked or compromised, it’s essential to act swiftly. If you are locked out of an account, the situation becomes even more urgent. Below are detailed steps you can take to mitigate damage, regain control, and enhance the security of your other online accounts.

Understanding Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks: A Deep Dive Into Modern Scams

Phishing and social engineering attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, targeting individuals and organizations intending to deceive and exploit. One of the most prevalent forms of social engineering is the fake tech support scam, where attackers pose as legitimate technical support representatives to gain access to personal information, financial details, or direct control of the victim’s computer. However, there are many other ways a scammer can convince someone into believing and going along with a targeted Scam. In this article, we’ll explore how these scams operate, their common tactics, and how you can protect yourself and others from falling victim.

I think someone is accessing my accounts and/or devices! What do I do!?

If you suspect someone is accessing your accounts and/or devices, quickly securing them is crucial. Here are steps to check if your devices or accounts are being monitored or accessed by a 3rd party; and how to secure them!!

How To Protect Yourself From Scammers

How To Protect Yourself From Scammers

Scammers are versatile in their tactics, posing as various entities, including banks, real estate agencies, utility companies, and even family members or government agencies. They often employ pressure tactics to create a false sense of urgency, leading to rushed decisions and financial losses. To safeguard your interests, it's essential to be vigilant and take proactive steps to prevent falling victim to scams. This article offers insights and tips on how to protect yourself from scammers.

Question Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers

Scammers often dangle tempting promises of high returns, low risk, and "golden" opportunities. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Take your time to ask questions, verify claims, and conduct due diligence before making any financial commitments. This cautious approach can help you avoid falling prey to fraudulent schemes.

Be Wary of "Grandparent Scams"

One common scam involves imposters claiming to be family members, especially grandparents, seeking financial help. If someone purports to be a family member, independently verify their identity by calling them directly. In cases where you suspect a family member needs assistance, reach out to them through a trusted phone number or in-person contact. Avoid responding to such pleas via email, social media, or text, and always consult with the person's parents before sending money to a potential scammer.

Guard Your Passwords and PINs

Your passwords and PINs are the keys to your online security. Never share them, even with close friends, family, or relatives. Keeping this information confidential is vital for safeguarding your financial and personal data.

Protect Against Phishing Emails

Phishing emails are a favored tool among scammers. Pay close attention to any email that appears as a bill or a security alert. Be cautious if you notice misspelled words, your name is absent, the links seem suspicious, or if you're asked to "verify" your account or personal information. In such cases, delete the email and promptly report it to the relevant authorities.

Implement Security Best Practices

• Be Cautious with Money Transfers: 
• Avoid sending money to individuals you don't know in real life, particularly through third-party services like Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App. 
• Refrain from using gift cards to settle bills; legitimate businesses do not request payment via gift cards.
• Ignore Unsolicited Messages: 
• Delete random texts and emails that ask you to click a link or provide personal information.
• Never click on links from untrusted sources.
• Regularly Monitor Your Accounts: 
• Stay vigilant by regularly monitoring your financial accounts. 
• Respond promptly to fraud alerts and report any unauthorized transactions.

Enable Multifactor Authentication

For added security, enable multifactor authentication (MFA) for your accounts whenever possible. MFA provides an extra layer of protection that can thwart account hacks or hijacks even if a malicious actor obtains your login information.

Understanding Fake Websites and How Scammers Exploit Them

Fake websites are tools scammers use to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information, downloading malware, or making purchases from non-existent products. Scammers often employ these websites as part of phishing attacks.

Recognizing fake websites is becoming increasingly challenging. To ensure you're not dealing with a fraudulent website, remain vigilant and apply the aforementioned protection measures. By staying informed and exercising caution, you can significantly reduce your vulnerability to scams and safeguard your online security.

In conclusion, being proactive, skeptical, and informed is the best defense against scammers. Protect your personal and financial information by following these guidelines, and remember that it's always better to be cautious than to fall victim to fraudulent schemes.

We Also Recommend Reading:

11 Ways To Spot Fake Website

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

Protect Your Comcast.net Email from Hijackers

How to Protect Your Comcast.net Email Account from Hijackers

If you use Comcast.net email, you may have heard of some cases where customers’ email accounts were hijacked by hackers. This can be a very frustrating and scary situation, as hackers can use your email account to scam your contacts, steal your personal information, or cause other damages.

In this blog article, I will explain how hackers can hijack your Comcast.net email account, what they can do with it, and how you can protect yourself from this threat.

How Hackers Can Hijack Your Comcast.net Email Account

There are different ways that hackers can gain access to your Comcast.net email account, but one of the most common methods is phishing. Phishing is when hackers send you fake emails or direct you to fake websites that look like they are from Comcast or other legitimate sources. They may ask you to enter your email address and password or click on a link or attachment that contains malware. If you fall for their tricks, they can capture your login credentials and use them to access your email account.

Another possible method that hackers can use to hijack your Comcast.net email account is through a data breach. A data breach is when hackers break into a database that contains sensitive information, such as email addresses and passwords. If the database belongs to Comcast or a third-party service that you use with your Comcast.net email account, hackers may be able to obtain your login credentials and use them to access your email account.

What Hackers Can Do With Your Comcast.net Email Account

Once hackers have access to your Comcast.net email account, they can do a lot of malicious things with it. Some of the common things that hackers can do are:

• Set up email redirection or auto-forwarding rules. This means that hackers can forward emails coming into your account to their own email account and continue their attack on those who are emailing you directly.
• Create a spoof email account that looks very similar to your actual email address but with a different domain name. For example, if your email address is johnsomeguy@comcast.net, hackers may create a spoof email address like johnsomeguy@outlook.com. They can then use the spoof email address to impersonate you and scam your contacts in various ways.
• Attempt to hijack and take over other various online accounts, as the hackers can now receive/redirect security and login authentication emails.
• Delete all contacts in your address book, storage folders in your email account, or incoming email messages. This can cause you to lose important data and communication.
• Send spam or malicious emails from your email account to other people. This can damage your reputation and expose others to potential harm.

How You Can Protect Yourself From This Threat

If you suspect that your Comcast.net email account has been hijacked by hackers, you should take immediate action to secure it and prevent further damage. Here are some steps that you can take:

• Change your password as soon as possible. Make sure that you use a strong password that does not use any common words or phrases. You can use a password manager or generator tool to help you create and remember a strong password.
• Check your email settings and rules. Look for any suspicious redirection or auto-forwarding rules that hackers may have set up and delete them. Also, check if hackers have changed any other settings, such as your signature, reply-to address, or recovery options.
• Scan your computer and devices for malware. Use reputable antivirus or anti-malware software to scan your computer and devices for any malware that hackers may have installed on them. Malware can compromise your security and allow hackers to access your email account or other accounts.
• Contact your contacts and inform them of the situation. Let them know that your email account has been hijacked and warn them not to open any emails or click on any links or attachments that they may have received from you recently. Also, ask them to report any suspicious emails that they may receive from the spoof email address that hackers may have created.
• Consider switching to a more secure email provider. Comcast.net email does not always offer some of the advanced security features that other email providers do, such as two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA is when you need to enter a code or use another device to verify your identity when you log in to your email account. This adds an extra layer of protection against hackers who may have stolen your password. You may want to switch to an email provider that offers 2FA or other security features.

I hope this blog article has helped you understand how hackers can hijack your Comcast.net email account, what they can do with it, and how you can protect yourself from this threat. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

Pacific NW Computers

www.linktr.ee/pnwcomputers

www.pacificnwcomputers.com

Data Privacy & Data Security In Today's Digital Age

How to Become as "Invisible" as Possible In Today's Cyberage

I have been getting a lot more questions from customers lately with regard to online data privacy and data security.
"How can I keep my online accounts more secure?"
"I would like to surf the internet as anonymously and as privately as possible. How can I do that?
"I found some personal information online, and would like it removed! How do I do that?"

So I decided to write a post covering the basics of online privacy, how to improve your safety and security when online, and how to get personal data removed from the internet (if at all possible).

RansomWare or a Fake Tech Scammer Locked You Out of Your Computer using a "SysKey" Password

Some RansomWare Viruses and "Microsoft Tech" Scammers will Enable Windows' "SysKey" Function,
 and lock you out of your computer!

Well we have a few ways you can remove that pesky "SysKey,
and get you back into your computer!

*THIS IS FOR WINDOWS 7; MAY WORK ON 8 or 10 BUT THIS IS NOT TESTED OR CONFIRMED.

If this happens to you, the first thing you can try is use a Windows OS Media disk to remove the "SysKey" function using the Command Line.

1. Boot to the appropriate OS Media (matches the installed OS version of the computer you are fixing). 
2. When the OS installation screen comes up, Select USA English and then "Repair the Windows Installation"; DO NOT INSTALL!! 
3. Go to "Advanced Troubleshooting" 
4. Click on "Advanced Repairs" 
5. Click on and open the the "Command Line" tool 
6. Find the OS Disk by changing drive letters and checkin contents with the "dir" command. ie: cd C: cd D: cd E:, etc. 
7. Run the following command on the OS drive:
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback c:\windows\system32\config 
8. Say no to the "Software" replace prompt, but say yes to the others and replace a total of 4 files; Default, SAM, Security and System. 
9. Reboot system 

You should be able to login to the computer again!
A warning however, you may have some security, OS and/or user account damage after the fact.

However there is an alternate method (or two) that can also do the trick, if the above process does not work, or is too difficult!

I have also removed the "Syskey" password using the following procedure:

1. Boot from a Windows 7 Install DVD/Thumbdrive, or boot from a user created Windows Restore/Repair Thumb Drive.
   *You can also attempt the same procedure from Windows Start-Up Repair; if you are able to get there. 
2. When the "Install Windows" screen appears, click on "Repair your computer" to access the system recovery options. 
3. From the nex screen, run System Restore to last point before the syskey password on your computer.
   *This will fail, but must be done! 
4. Click "run system restore again" and this will take you back to the main system recovery options list. 
5. Open Command Prompt from the main system recovery options list. 
6. Open Regedit; type "regedit" without the quotes, into the command prompt and the Regedit application will open. 
7. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa and change the 'SecureBoot' value entry from 1 to 0. 
8. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SAM\SAM\Domains\Account and delete everything for "F value" so that it's data/value is 0000 
9. Reboot and you should now be able to Login! 

If you are not able to boot into the Windows 8 or 10 Startup Recovery Environment there is still yet another repair method you can try!

To get the computer to run a system restore if you can't get into the recovery environment, you try to make/trip the computer into doing a Startup Repair. 

• The way we do this, is by turning the system off mid boot and then Startup Repair should catch that "issue" and run the next time you power on. 
• During this process Windows typically recommends running a system restore to fix any possible boot issues; allow this process to proceed and complete. 
• After this process has completed, open the computer's DVD drive and insert a copy of Hiren's All-in-one Boot CD/thumb drive. 
• Turn the system off/restart the system. 
• Booting from DVD or USB, boot into the Hiren's All-in-one Media and select "Mini XP Recovery Environment" 
• Allow your system to boot into the "Mini XP Recovery Environment" RAM Drive environment. 
• Once booted into "Mini XP" you can now run the built in Registry Editor (regedit) to complete the registry edits needed and listed in the previous repair steps. 

This procedure lets you complete the same repair tasks but using a different access methods and tools, but the same general repair principles and process.

These all have worked for me on client machines and has allowed me to get passed a "syskey" password each time. Once I am able to login to the client's system, I will physically disconnect the internet and start my cleaning procedures on the affected system. After a full clean-up, software removal and tune-up the once locked PC will now run fine without the user getting locked out anymore!

I hope this helps general users or other IT professionals!

Pacific Northwest Computers
Jon Pienkowski - Owner/Operator
www.pnwcomputers.com
360.624.7379

Microsoft Internet Explorer Vulnerability ~ Fact and Opinion

As you have most likely heard, Microsoft is scrambling to fix a major bug which allows hackers to exploit flaws in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The company has also confirmed it will not issue a fix for web browsers running on Windows XP after it formally ended support for the 13 year old operating system back on April 8th.

The vulnerability was discovered by cyber security software maker FireEye Inc. which stated the flaw is a ‘zero-day’ threat. This means the first attacks were made on the vulnerability before Microsoft was aware of it. FireEye also revealed a sophisticated hacker group has already been exploiting the flaw in a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Clandestine Fox’, which targets US military and financial institutions.

FireEye spokesman Vitor De Souza declined to name the hackers or potential victims as the investigation is ongoing, only telling Reuters: “It’s unclear what the motives of this attack group are at this point. It appears to be broad-spectrum intel gathering.”

For its part Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the flaw in an official post: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/2963983

Now, Internet Explorer has always been a vulnerable browser and has exploits created/identified against it everyday. This is why for YEARS I have pushed my customers to use an alternative Web Browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. As previously mentioned, both of those web browsers are safer to use than Internet Explorer and are both immune from the recently identified exploit!

What makes this recent vulnerability stand out from the others, and why this particular vulnerability is making all the headlines, is that the problem is pretty widespread; affecting 1 in 4 Windows based computers and ALL Windows XP systems.

A Temporary Fix
While Microsoft rushes to fix the bug, FireEye gave concerned users two workarounds .

1. Use another web browser other than Internet Explorer
2. Disable Adobe Flash. “The attack will not work without Adobe Flash,” it said. “Disabling the Flash plugin within IE will prevent the exploit from functioning.”

*Adobe has released a new patch/update for their Flash Player! Allow the Flash Player to update or manually download and install the latest version here: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html

No Hope For Windows XP
Microsoft has confirmed that no fix will be rolled out for Windows XP because support has officially ended and there are no plans to make an exception. It states:

“An unsupported version of Windows will no longer receive software updates from Windows Update. These include security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information.”

The company’s advice to Windows XP users has remained the same for some time: upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 or buy a new PC. It has also repeatedly sent a pop-up dialog box to reachable Windows XP machines with the following end of support notification.

For users unsure whether their existing XP PCs can support Windows 8, Microsoft offers a software tool called ‘Windows Upgrade Assistant’ which can be downloaded here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=321548

If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Jon Pienkowski
Pacific NorthWest Computers
www.pnwcomputers.com
360-624-7379