Off Topic - Virus Warning

[DenverSooner]

I want to take a minute to warn my friends of a virus that has infected my law firm. It came disguised as an email from the IRS claiming a tax payment bounced. I knew it was not possible for a check in this amount to bounce but I foolishly jumped to the conclusion someone had a typo in an electronic payment. The email contained a secure link that looked like the secure links financial institutions use. Foolishly I clicked on the link.

This particular virus encrypts your files and then demands a ransom to remove the encryption. We will not be paying the ransom (and you shouldn't either, why trust these people). The solution is to rebuild my system to a point in time prior to the virus.

I have learned the IRS never communicates by email.

I hope this warning either prevents one of you from falling for this scam and/or reinforces the importance of being very careful about clicking on links in emails.

I know I was stupid so I really don't need any of you to remind me. This is going to cost me a significant amount of money. If I didn't have a flat fee computer support system and use a terminal server environment, it probably would have been much worse.

 

[WTSooner]

Our firm sent out warnings to clients and others about this virus earlier this year. It's nasty.

Our firm also got another virus a year or two ago that shut us down for a couple of days. It wasn't pleasant. Luckily our outside IT guys got us cleaned up.

 

[DenverSooner]

My assistant used to work for Haynes and Boone (a huge Texas law firm). She said they got one that spoofed Bank of America. It shut down 8 offices of Haynes and Boone for almost two days. That is hundreds (currently they have over 500 attorneys) of billable people with paralegals billing well in excess of $200 an hour.

 

[bocabull]

https://www.apple.com/imac/

 

[WTSooner]

lol, no thanks.

And I say that as an iPhone owner.

 

[zeptrey]

https://www.apple.com/imac/

Gross...apples...yeck. This bug hasn't got to those yet..., but we ran into the CryptoWall variance last week. I think the original bug was CryptoLocker.

 

[ksSooner13]

For something, maybe....but for my job I have to use a PC/Android, because the software is designed for certain settings that Apple won't allow.

And with viruses like that, it doesn't matter what it faces, the computer will lose

 

[DenverSooner]

I have one of those; however, I have a terminal server that is a Windows Environment. I think Apples are great. I don't even have virus protection on my computer because it isn't an issue.

 

[ousooners1baby]

All of you Apple geeks still have apps that require da winders. Thus the parallels everywhere. And we have recommended to some clients to pay the cash and get the data. They had let it go past the deadline. Were they able to use a shadow copy or did they have a backup?

 

[JBaker]

All of you Apple geeks still have apps that require da winders. Thus the parallels everywhere. And we have recommended to some clients to pay the cash and get the data. They had let it go past the deadline. Were they able to use a shadow copy or did they have a backup?

My work computer is a Mac, my home computer is a Mac.
Don't have a single app that requires Windows, so neither of them has Windows on it.

 

[bocabull]

My work computer is a Mac, my home computer is a Mac.
Don't have a single app that requires Windows, so neither of them has Windows on it.

You really can't comprehend what a humming clunky hunk of garbage PCs are until you use a 21 inch osX iMac with a track pad for a while. The new icloud office suite is light years ahead too.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

You really can't comprehend what a humming clunky hunk of garbage PCs are until you use a 21 inch osX iMac with a track pad for a while. The new icloud office suite is light years ahead too.

Is this what Steve Nash uses?

 

[scrybe]

You Mac guys are right: Comparing a Windows computer to a Mac is like comparing a Chevy to a BMW. Macs are just that much better.

Having said that, the newer Macs are no longer immune to virus issues like the Mac Power PCs were a few years ago. The days of Mac owners being insulated against most of the issues that plague PCs are gone. I'm a Mac man exclusively, but my advice to you is to make sure you are protected from the bugs that can now affect all computers.

 

[afaSooner]

Unfortunately this happens all the time. My job for the last 15 yrs has been network security/admin and luckily my networks have only been compromised twice in that time (I love you virus/Nimda). Curious if you have a security specialist notifying your staff of the newest phishing emails? Knowledge is power when it comes to fending off thieves. Best practice is to place a known phishing emails section on the company intranet or SharePoint (if you have it) site so users suspicious of an email can reference the site.

 

[JBaker]

You Mac guys are right: Comparing a Windows computer to a Mac is like comparing a Chevy to a BMW. Macs are just that much better.

Having said that, the newer Macs are no longer immune to virus issues like the Mac Power PCs were a few years ago. The days of Mac owners being insulated against most of the issues that plague PCs are gone. I'm a Mac man exclusively, but my advice to you is to make sure you are protected from the bugs that can now affect all computers.

Macs are (at least to this point in OSX history), immune to viruses because of the Unix core they're based on. Now, that's just viruses specifically, but there are other types of malware that Macs are vulnerable to.

The good news is the case with all of that malware is that you must open an application that was downloaded, and you are prompted by the system to verify that this downloaded program is something you actually want to run. If you were tricked into thinking a program was one thing but was actually malware, you're still kinda screwed in that instance though.