Author: tinsleyNET Admin

Man accidentally ‘deletes his entire company’ with one line of bad code

tinsleyNET Admin
tinsleyNET Social Media Services

“Man accidentally ‘deletes his entire company’ with one line of bad code”

OK, It’s going to turn into one of those urban myths that unsuspecting journalists or well-meaning Facebook friends post from time to time, but behind the PR there is a serious note or warning.

[The Story, The Truth] Read more

UK Cybercrime in global top 5

tinsleyNET Admin
tinsleyNET Security Services

UK Cybercrime is increasing

A recent report on Internet Security and cybercrime has shown that UK users are among the most targeted in the world, with both home users and businesses being attacked daily, and over half a billion personal records stolen in 2015.

The report highlights some shocking statistics that show just how big the cybercrime problem is. Read more

Windows Support Call Hoax

tinsleyNET Admin
tinsleyNET Security Services

Keeping the hoax callers busy…

It’s Monday morning, about 10am and I get a call on my home land line. The lady explains that her name is Shirley and she’s calling from Microsoft about a security issue on my computer.

Well, already I know it’s a hoax and I know what ‘Shirly’ is going to ask me to do, it’s the same old script but I do notice a few improvements this time that could mislead an unsuspecting user, even if you don’t give over control of your computer.

First up, she’s introduced herself adding a bit of a personal touch, not sure if the criminals have been studying psychology or if by accident, but introducing yourself as a person with a name is known to help foster a sense of trust. Secondly, she said she was from Microsoft. This is the first time I have heard Microsoft used, previously they have said they are from ‘Windows’ which is of course a product line, not a company.

So I’m intrigued by how many other changes they might have made, and I feel it’s my little way of helping the community by keeping their phone operative busy for as long as I can.

Shirley asks me to startup my computer. Well I’m actually working on my computer at the time but I don’t tell her that, instead I startup VirtualBox and load a virtual computer running Windows 7, I also startup a Linux Virtual Computer that can act as a Gateway configured so I don’t disclose my real IP details.

Once up and running I tell Shirley that I am logged on and she instantly falls back to the old script; “Click the Windows Key + R” (this opens the RUN dialogue box)
“Type in EVENTVWR and press enter” (Windows Event Viewer, this is where the OS and installed apps log events that help diagnose issues on your computer, NOTE: It’s completely common for there to be 10’s of thousands of log messages, with lots of red crosses and yellow triangles. If you are worried about anything you see in the Event Viewer, contact us and we can tell you if it’s something that needs urgent attention)

Windows Event Log, especially when filtered, can look very scary, but don’t let that fool you. While these are errors that probably need attention, they are not an indication of a virus.

I’ve duly opened up the event viewer and Shirley asks me to click on the FILTER CURRENT LOG and to tick the WARNING and ERROR boxes, this is another new part to the script, as previously I’ve just been asked to read out the NUMBER OF EVENTS listed at the top of the screen. With the log filtered, it’s now a sea of scary looking error messages.

Shirley informs me that those are all infected files, this is a revert to the old script again. She tells me that unless I fix the files in 1 hour, Microsoft will cut off my computer from the internet and I will have viruses that allow people to access my computer.

Well, obviously I don’t want a virus riddled computer that been disconnected from the internet, right?

But not to worry, just a few questions and install a file to connect me to the Microsoft central computer and I’ll be fine to go about my business.

Shirley asks me if I use online banking, I say ‘yes’ and she asks me who I bank with. I don’t know why but the first bank I can come up with is Deutsche Bank. I get asked a series of questions that will help ‘them’ find out where the viruses came from. In reality what these questions are doing is helping to build a list of information they need to get from me or my computer, and a list of files they will be looking for when they eventually get onto my PC.

How many people use the computer for online banking, online shopping or online gaming?
Do I use any other computers?
How often do I change my passwords?
Do i use the same password on many sites?
Do I have any antivirus software?
… and so on…

Log Me In & TeamViewer

Once I have given satisfactory answers to the questions, I am directed to the Team Viewer website and asked to download the app so they can connect me to the ‘Microsoft Central Computer’, which sounds very exciting. But I have to be quick as I might get my computer cut off soon.

I have been trying to waste their time without arousing suspicion, so I gave VERY long detailed answers to the questions, including why I bank with a German bank (and my fictitious 2 years in Germany helping the Kremlin to move funds and gold into off-shore banks based in Panama) and asking for everything to be spelled out in the phonetic alphabet, but then mixing up my phonetic names ‘H’ for Hoax, ‘S’ for Scam)

Eventually I start to download TeamView…. and then the internet breaks!! My ISP has an outage and I am left unable to finish the download. I could switch to my 4G account, but I have used TeamViewer lots of times in the past, I can bluff this!

I pretend the download has finished and I have installed the application, Sheila asks me to read out the 9-digit user ID (good job she told me how many digits as I couldn’t remember!) “it’s 456 123 789” I say, and the pass-code “that’s 654321” I tell her…. a pause, then “can you read that out again, it’s says it’s not recognised”

At this point, Sheila was hopeing to log into my computer and take control over it. Probably she would have tried to make copies of the files in the folder I keep on the desktop called “Bank Account Details” (the contents of which are two word documents, one infected with a macro script that renders the boot disk of the infected computer un-bootable, the other is full of apparently random data that spells out “Who watches the Watchers” in long hex) maybe install a cryptoware or keylogger app and setup a backdoor so others could log on in the future, and download anything else that might be of use to them.

But instead she spends about 20 minutes trying to figure out why the number I have given her is not working, which is not helped by me changing the numbers around each time.

Eventually she gives up and moves onto www.support.me (Log Me In) again witout any actual internet access I know I can’t start this, but I bluff and ask her for the session code, she gives me a code and I write it down, making a note of the exact time so I can email it to the LogMeIn abuse email account once I have access.

I manage to make this last another 10 minutes before saying that my computer is restarting after doing Microsoft updates. Shirley is getting quite impatient with me now but doesn’t give up. She almost shouts at me that i am going to get my computer cut off and all these viruses are going to infect my other computers.

After nearly 2 hours (I think this must be some record) I am the one who admits defeat, well actually I am getting peckish and feel I have done my bit for the day, so I ask Shirley if she can call me back after I have been to the pub, thinking she will realise I am winding her up, but Shirley is not going to give in so easily. She tells me she will call me back after I have been to the pub!! and she does. But it’s her home time now and she can’t fix my computer today so she is going to call back tomorrow to try again.

Microsoft won’t call you

If you get an unsolicited call from Microsoft, McAfee, Apple or anyone else telling you that you have a virus on your computer, it’s most likely a scam. Take a note of the callers name and company name, and ask them for a phone number. Check out the details online to put yourself at ease, or contact us and we will check up on them for you.

#WeCanHelp

tinsleyNET Fraud Prevention

Don’t let the hoaxers catch you out. No matter how convincing or how insistent an unsolicited caller is, never take their word for anything. This applies to banking calls as well as these hoax support calls. If a caller asks you to provide some information to confirm you are who you say you are, don’t until they have proven they are who they say they are.

Never download or go to websites that allow remote access unless you know 100% who it is you’re talking to. Tricksters will always try to sound convincing and will use any means they can to get you to lower your guard.

If you suspect your computer may have been infected or compromised, or you think you may have fallen victim to a scam, you should alert the police cyber crime department, and if you have online banking you might need to alert your bank too.

 

 

tinsleyNET IT Services Consultants07825650122 | it@tinsleyNET.co.uk | @tinsleyNET | +tinsleyNETcouk | www.tinsleynet.co.uk | Facebook | #Stuff4Steph
tinsleyNET LTD | IT Services Consultants
Offering IT Services to businesses and home users across the UK
#WeCanHelp

Outlook Error 0x08004010F

tinsleyNET Admin

Outlook Error 0x08004010F

Outlook Error 0x08004010F relates to a problem while sending emails, the account could be either IMAP or POP but using SMTP to send the outgoing email. The problem is in the PST/OST file used for processing the SMTP outward bound mail.

It’s often a result of moving the PST files from their default locations, but other profile issues can cause this error too.
(Note, it can also occur while synchronizing OAB for exchange users)

POP

For POP users, the workaround is to create a new dummy PST file and temporarily set it as the default INBOX, then revert the settings back to the original file

IMAP

For IMAP users, you can’t change the INBOX folder so here are some other options:

  1. Create a new profile and set as default. This is the official Microsoft line and works, but can be a massive pain if you have multiple accounts and lots of specific configurations set up, like I do.
  2. Use SCANPST to check the outgoing PST file – might be something that the SCAN tool can fix, but if you have been able to get into the PST in the first place, it’s unlikely to be corrupted.
  3. Run the Compact option on all the PST files, it’s not worked for me but a few posts I have seen have suggested it does work.
  4. Recreate the email accounts one-by-one, not the entire profile, just go onto the email tab and add each email again. I have not tried this yet, but I imagine it will recreate the PST files in the default location.
  5. VONAH suggested a registry fix on the technet forums here that actually worked for us (though not for the novices, it requires delving into the registry and editing in HEX)
    1. Open HKEY_USERS
    2. Open the USER folder – this will be the long one that starts S-1-5-21- and doesn’t end in _CLASSES
    3. SOFTWARE > MICROSOFT > WINDOWS NT > CURRENTVERSION > WINDOWS MESSAGING SUBSYSTEM > PROFILES
    4. BACKUP THE REGKEYS AT THIS POINT!!!! so if something goes wrong, you don’t loose your profile
    5. Open the folder with your outlook profile name
    6. Open the folder 9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676
    7. Look through the subfolders for the one(s) containing the REG_BINARY entry “Delivery Store EnteryID” (There will be one for each IMAP address you have)
    8. Edit the “Delivery Store EnteryID”
      1. You’ll notice it’s in HEX with a readable version on the right.
      2. Edit the end of the entry to point to the correct PST file
      3. Note that between each character there is a null ’00’ represented by a period, but it is NOT the period character
    9. Save the changes for each folder then open outlook and test SEND/RECEIVE
If you need any help, contact us on twitter, facebook or mobile (details below) or email if you can get to another computer!
tinsleyNET IT Services Consultant
IT Support for small to medium sized businesses, home office workers and home users across the West Midlands and Shropshire.

Safer Internet Day : Using Twitter

tinsleyNET Admin
tinsleyNET Security Services

Safer Internet Day

We’re supporting the Safer Internet Day again this year, giving tips throughout the day on how to use help make the internet more safe.

Follow our posts on popular social media sites, by searching for the #SID2016 and #ShareAHeart hashtags, or find out more about the Safer Internet Day on their website http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/

From the SID Checklists, here’s some tips on using Twitter:

What Is Twitter?

Twitter started life in 2006 primarily based around SMS text messaging as a way to post status updates to friends. It quickly got noticed and boomed into the Twitter that we see today, with most tweeters using mobile apps or the twitter website to access the service.

Twitter is limited to 140 characters per tweet, it’s a lot like going back to the early day’s of mobile phones when sms/text messaging was first used. The debate on the effect this has on the languages is ongoing, but it does mean that each and every tweet is short and to the point.

Tweets can include links to websites, images, links to video’s on YouTube and other such media additions, the modern Twitter app and website allow you to see these links as embedded parts of the message.

Twitter’s appeal is it’s speed and accessibility. From the world of twitter grew the now universal use of hashtags ‘#’ to categorise and group tweets, and the ‘@’ sign to signify a username.

Many celebrities and businesses use Twitter as a more personal tool for posting news and contacting their fans and followers. In many celebrity cases, it’s the celebrity who is posting the update rather than their PR company.

How Do I Use It?

When you sign up to Twitter, you choose a username, that’s the @ bit (you don’t need to include the @ sign at the start of your username) this can be changed later on if you want. You also set your ‘real’ name, that’s the bit that appears bold above the username, This can be changed as often as you want.

Once you have created and verified your account you can start posting updates known as tweets.

What Should I Follow?

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The Verified Person tick

Depending on how users have configured their twitter accounts, you can find people by searching the twitter site. Users can be found by their registered mobile phone numbers (although this information is never shared, you need to know the phone number first) by registered email address (again, this is never disclosed, and you need to know the full email address first) by username (search @tinsleyNET for example) or by full name (so maybe you’re searching for ‘Nigella Lawson’)

All Twitter accounts are public by default. You can choose to make your Twitter account private (this means you need to approve followers, and non-approved users can’t see your tweets) but the nature of Twitter has grown up around the openness of the platform, so not many (hardly any) users enable that privacy settings.

Genuine celebrity accounts can be identified by a blue tick next to their twitter name called a verified account mark. There are quite often parody accounts for celebrities, so this helps identify the real ones.

Once you have started following some accounts, Twitter will suggest other users who you may be interested in following.

How Do I Stop Following Someone?

If you want to stop following someone, go to their profile page (click on their account photo on a recent tweet or search for them in your ‘Following’ list) and click the blue FOLLOWING button, this will remove them from your FOLLOWING list

You can also choose to MUTE a user, say you are following a personal real-life friend but they are tweeting about a football match and you don’t want to see all their posts, selecting MUTE from the cog icon on their profile page will silence their tweets on your feed, but you will still be following them, you can go back and un-mute them at any time.

Also in the cog menu are options to BLOCK a user, a blocked user can no longer follow you or message you.

Who’s Following Me?

To see which users are following your tweets, click on your profile page and click the FOLLOWING link, this will show you a list of your followers, and give you the opportunity to follow them back.

Reporting A User

If a user is behaving badly on Twitter, and you believe the user is breaking Twitter’s rules, you can report them. Click the menu option (three dots near the heart-shaped like button)  and select REPORT then follow the on-screen prompts.

Closing Your Twitter Account

If you decide you no longer want your Twitter account, you can go into SETTINGS > ACCOUNTS and select DEACTIVATE ACCOUNT, you’ll need to enter your password to confirm, and you should know that Twitter will keep your account data for 30 days before deleting it from their servers, this gives you time to change your mind and re-activate the account.

tinsleyNET IT Services Consultants07825650122 | it@tinsleyNET.co.uk | @tinsleyNET | +tinsleyNETcouk | www.tinsleynet.co.uk | Facebook | #Stuff4Steph
tinsleyNET LTD | IT Services Consultants
Offering IT Services to businesses and home users across the UK
#WeCanHelp