Double Whammy

~~Microsoft is not having a good month security wise. First of all, their stopping support for their very popular Windows XP OS created a security nightmare for a lot of people who have yet to upgrade their windows XP machines. Secondly, there has been a new flaw in Internet Explorer that has yet to be patched. This new bug has been called the scariest in recent times. If a hacker is able to exploit that weakness, they are able to take over your computer and see everything you are doing. The scary thing is that a lot of bank computers, including ATM’s, that use Windows and rely on internet explorer to go to the internet. This means that there are a lot of computers out there that can be hacked by a cyber attacker.
The scariest scenario is the intersection of those two problems; Windows XP computers with Internet Explorer. The reason is that not only Windows XP is vulnerable because it has not received windows updates since the beginning of April, but compounding it with the internet explorer flaw and the fact that since XP is not going to get the patch for this internet explorer bug, this makes XP users with Internet explorer primed to be hacked at almost any moment. If you are one of these people who have not yet upgraded to Windows 7, please give TRA Consulting a call. We can help you figure out the best option for you to upgrade to a more secure operating system at a price that fits your budget. At TRA Consulting we service the Long Beach, Orange County, Southbay, and greater Los Angeles area. TRA Consulting specializes in small business and home users pc and network security. Call us today.
Though it is imperative that you migrate out of XP into an operating system that is more secure, there are a few things that can be done as a band-aid solution to mitigate this massive security vulnerability.
First, make sure that you have an antivirus program installed and that it had the definitions updated. Make sure to also run a full scan at least once a week
Secondly, use a browser other than Internet Explorer to browse the internet. There are many options out there, like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Dolphin Browser, etc. Many of these are much safer than Internet Explorer, and some like Google Chrome have java and flash already installed when you download them.
Thirdly, be careful when opening emails, especially if they have attachments. The most popular way for hackers to infect and take over your computer is to send you and email with either an infected attachment that will help them take over your computer when you open it, or it will contain a link that when you click on it, it will send you to a fake website that will ask you for your personal information (phishing). This is more common with elderly and less experienced computer users.
If you need help strengthening your computer and network security, TRA Consulting is here for you.