A new family of Android malware codenamed Hummer has been discovered that installs malware and unwanted apps on affected devices. This malware infects the device in such a way that not even a factory reset can remove it; the only known guaranteed fix is to re-flash the phone with a clean OS image. 

If you device is showing abnormal pop-ups and has apps installing that you do not remember, you may be infected. Before download apps to your devices, be sure that they are coming from a reliable source.

I've seen more Mac malware in the last year than I have in my entire career, and it seems like every week I read an article about a new threat. This week, the news is that the OSX/Crisis malware is back!

A fresh new version of Hacking Team’s RCS (Remote Control System) spyware has been uncovered. This sample of malware is unusual insomuch as it uses a variety of techniques to avoid detection and analysis, being obfuscated with different encryption methods.

If you have a Mac computer, odds are that you are not currently using any sort of antivirus or antimalware protection. InfinIT has partnered with a Mac antivirus company to provide a monitored antivirus solution to our Apple clients. If you are concerned about security on your Mac and are interested in improving your protection, please contact us. 

If anyone out there is like us, they'd like to have a couple of alternatives to whichever Cable company or high speed Internet provider has the monopoly in their area (assuming that any high speed ISP is even willing to build infrastructure in your area!)

If you can't wait for Google Fiber to reach your area, there may be another option on the horizon. Startup company Starry wants to provide Gigabit wireless Internet connections with no data caps or restrictive contracts.

The current high-speed providers in the US have hobbled us in comparison to Internet speeds of other countries, and worse, charge a higher rate for their sub-par services. Of even greater interest is that existing ISPs tend to suddenly have the capability to provide faster and/or more reasonably priced services almost as soon as an alternative Internet provider is available in a region.

As consumers, we should be excited about any new Internet provider willing to shake up the status quo. Though I haven't heard any whispers of a reliable alternative coming to this area soon, I'll be sure to report as soon as an option is available.

A three-year old bug was identified in the Linux kernel which allows drivers to cache encryption keys and authentication codes, providing a path by which even secured devices could be accessed. This bug affects Android version 4.4 (Kitkat) and later, rendering nearly 70% of all Android devices vulnerable. The good news is that there is no known reported malware that has taken advantage of this exploit, so even though the security threat remains to be patched, it may have been caught before it posed a significant risk to users.

We're all aware (even if we don't always like it) that the big data companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon are monitoring our online habits and hoping to capitalize on them... But we'd all be naive to think that other corporations aren't interested in trying to monetize our actions...

When you are watching your TV, are you sure it isn't watching back? Vizio (and other smartTVs to a lesser extent) have been caught monitoring and reporting viewing habits, with the intent to sell that data to advertisers. Vizio has gone so far as to put into its terms of service that it  “may combine this information with other information about devices associated with that IP address.” In other words, your “smart” TV is smart enough to hunt for other devices that connect to the local network and to sell that information." There are laws in place that control what cable and video companies can do with the data users stream, but Vizio's legal team claims there business manufactures products and is not subject to those laws. 

Vizio's now the only one... XBox One was under fire before its release for its intended requirements to be always on (even when off) and to have a steady Internet connection to function, with the supposed intention of monitoring what went on in and around the device for targeted advertising (thanks to the built in camera and microphone). Verizon is unashamedly selling information to advertisers. And the list goes on and on.

It used to be that the trade-off for getting something for free on the Internet was that our information was going to be sold. Now it seems like the trend is to steal and sell our information regardless of whether or not we have paid for something.

The Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book was released a few weeks ago and the initial reviews are positive. If you are looking for a high-end Windows tablet that can also function as a laptop, then these devices definitely deserve a look. Though they come at a high price point, that price buys you some sturdy engineering and some good hardware. 

That's not to say that there aren't issues. Here is a list of problems (and potential solutions) mentioned by early adopters and review sites. It is important to note that these are new devices (and in the case of the Surface Book, first generation devices) so some issues out of the box are to be expected.

If you have any experience with a Surface Pro or Surface Book, please be sure to share your experience in our comments section.

Windows 10 was released yesterday, and many people have questions about the operating system in general or about whether they should take advantage of the free upgrade for their Windows 7 and 8 computers.

In general, we are recommending that business customers hold off on the free upgrade until they have confirmed that all of their hardware and software is fully compatible with Windows 10. For home users, the decision is more of a personal choice, but if you have Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, we believe that you will be happy with the upgrade to Windows 10. Windows 7 users, the interface of Windows 10 appears much improved, but will still require a bit of a learning curve to master the new operating system. There are a lot of advantages to the new OS, so if it's something you want to consider, be sure to contact us about your upgrade options.

For specific questions, submit them to us here or ask us by email. If we don't know the answer we'll figure it out for you. And if you want to see a Windows 10 machine in action, arrange to stop by our office and one of our technicians can introduce you to Windows 10 on a machine here at our Lee Street location.

A vulnerability was discovered in iOS 8.1.2 that could allow fake login prompts to be sent to users, possibly compromising sensitive account information.

This vulnerability was reported in January but remains unpatched even in the developer previews of iOS 8.4 and 9.0 Beta.

Identifying a fake login prompt is not impossible. With a genuine login prompt in iOS users must either press OK or Cancel to proceed past the prompt. A fake login prompt can be bypassed with the Home button.

We've talked about encryption viruses before, but this techrepublic article goes into more depth about one of the latest variants of encryption virus, and offers some suggestions about how to protect yourself.

The best chance for recovery from an encryption virus is a active backup with multiple revisions. InfinIT's monitored offsite backup options cost as little as $.75/GB, and for those with large amounts of static data (pictures, music, videos), we can leverage the power of our Cloud Sync software's backup feature to provide storage space of up to 100GB for as little as $10/month.

The best method of protection from encryption viruses is user education. Most of these viruses install themselves because of direct interaction from users. Maintain good security on your computers and make sure to follow links wisely!

One way a community hoping to grow and attract high-tech businesses, the kind that will likely be driving the economy over the next few decades, is to take its Internet service into its own hands and provide it as a utility to the community. By investing in a high speed infrastructure, municipalities can provide significantly faster Internet service at often significantly reduced rates than the Internet Service Providers in the area.

Investment in a public Internet infrastructure benefits both the residents of the community and provides a strong lure to businesses. Cities where municipal Internet is already provided or proposed (Lafayette, Cleveland, Chattanooga, etc.) are generating lots of buzz and have been able to provider their residents with speeds in excess of 1Gbps (about 10x faster than the fastest available Cox speeds) at significantly lower prices (prices and speeds more akin to what the rest of the world pays for service that is significantly better than ours.

Personally, I'd like to see the Internet service providers in the US provide speeds more than the average 34Mbps we currently enjoy, something more on par with tech savvy countries like Romania (65Mbps average). And that US average isn't adjusted for all of the areas of the country that don't have high speed access at all; it's just the aggregate.

Using Chattanooga as an example, they are currently offering home Internet service of 1Gbps for &70/month.