How To: Two-Factor Authentication

Security: 

The word often makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

We want to feel safe and secure. We buy security cameras when want to feel more secure in our homes. We use passwords for sensitive websites such as banking and utilities.

But just how secure is that password you use? 

Better yet, when was the last time you changed it?

Is it complicated or does it start with the word 'Password' and end with '12345'? 😀

One of the more secure ways to prevent others to try to gain access to your email and banking websites is to use "Two Factor Authentication" or 2FA.

Two Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security to your accounts on the internet. Whether it be email, a social website, banking account or any other sensitive web page, Two Factor Authentication prevents those accounts from being hacked.

The two parts of the authentication is:

1. Your password

2. The code which the website or the application sends to your device. Such as your phone or tablet. This is the key to Two-Factor Authentication. A second electronic device.

How it works:
When you log in to a service account or webpage, you use your mobile phone to verify your identity by either clicking on a texted / emailed link or typing in a number sent by an authenticator app.

Authentication apps are the standard to receive authentication codes. Such apps as Authy and Google Authenticator.

Authy is available in multi platform OSs. Besides Android t's available in Windows, Mac, Chrome and iOS.

Tech News: US Dept Of Treasury and Dept Of Commerce email servers breached by Russian hackers

 In one of the most sophisticated and perhaps largest hacks in more than five years, email systems were breached at the Treasury and Commerce Departments. Other breaches are under investigation.

Russia-backed hackers infiltrated internal email systems at the US Treasury and Commerce departments, and were spying on email communications for months, possibly as far back as March.

The attacks, first reported by Reuters on Sunday, was apparently carried out by hackers from the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service.  In truth, no one knows where the damage ends; given the nature of the attack, literally thousands of companies and organizations have been at risk for months

The White House National Security Council, which reportedly held an emergency meeting on Saturday, said via spokesperson John Ullyot on Monday that it is collaborating with CISA, the FBI, and the intelligence community to respond with "a swift and effective whole-of-government recovery."

Original Article at https://www.wired.com/story/russia-solarwinds-supply-chain-hack-commerce-treasury/

How To: Two Of The Best Disk Space Analyzers For Windows

Even though hard drives and SSD's have become less and less expensive, space is still a precious commodity when it comes to storage on a PC.

It's happened to me. You get that pop-up in the lower right corner within Windows. "Oh my god", you exclaim. "How did that happen?"

Well. Don't fret. No need to go digging in Explorer to find out what files are taking up space and which to delete. (And where would you start anyways?)

There are plenty of disk utilities and space analyzers which show this information. These programs are not disk cleaners per se. They do not automatically remove or delete files, but they do display in a slick graphical display which files are residing on your hard drive/ssd.

Windirstat 

Windirstat is a popular favorite among geeks. It gives a graphical display of files as a treemap.

The treemap represents each file as a colored rectangle, the area of which is proportional to the file's size. The rectangles are arranged in such a way, that directories again make up rectangles, which contain all their files and subdirectories. So their area is proportional to the size of the subtrees. The color of a rectangle indicates the type of the file, as shown in the extension list. The cushion shading additionally brings out the directory structure.

Spacesniffer

Spacesniffer gives a slick display of the hard drive tree in a graphical display. It doesn't have the directory list which WinDirStat has, however the "tree map" is clickable, allowing you to dig deeper within the file folders.

So next time 

Tech News: FBI warns ransomware threatens healthcare sector

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and US-CERT (Computer Emergency Readiness Team.... a branch of Homeland Security) issued a joint alert which stated they had credible information of "an increased and imminent cybercrime to US hospitals and healthcare providers".

The alert stated malicious groups are targeting the public healthcare sector with the purpose of "data theft and disruption of healthcare services".

Ransomware is an specific attack on systems, servers and networks to scramble data and to literally hijack the data until the clients pay up. It may be found on personal PCs as an individual pop-up stating your computer has been infected and to "click here" to remove the infected file. 

However the moment you click on the pop up, a file lurking in the background starts scrambling and locking your data. The pop-up then gives you a notice to contact a phone number to remove the so called "infected" files..... which in reality your paying for tech support to unlock your files...... it's a very evil scheme.

Since the early 2000s, groups have been deviating from private individuals to targeting larger corporations for bigger pay. Major corporations (Norsk-Hydro/Lockergoga in 2019) and entire city governments (Atlanta/SamSam in 2019) have been attacked by ransomware.

A total of 59 U.S. health care providers or systems have been impacted by ransomware in 2020, disrupting patient care at up to 510 facilities.

The alert was posted so healthcare providers, IT and network administrators, can take necessary steps to protect their networks from such attacks.

**** Change in Services Offered ****

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation, services which I offer will only be conducted remotely via Team viewer.

Teamviewer is a remote desktop sharing platform that allows desktop sharing.

Services are limited with remote desktop sharing

The following services are offered as long as the computer can connect to a network (wired or wireless)

*Virus/Spyware removal 
(As long as the Virus/Trojan allows network connectivity)
*Data backup and resolutions
*Software install and upgrades
*Consultation and Training