Paul got nailed by a "search assistant" malware and he can't get rid of it. Leo says the good news is that it probably hasn't wormed it's way too deep. It's probably been installed as an extension into the Mac. He has to be careful because bad guys have made pages alleging to uninstall with a program, when it actually installs more malware.
Rick bought a new Windows 7 PC. But when he was using Windows XP one last time, he got nailed by the FBI Moneypack virus. Leo says that the FBI is not going to make him buy a gift card at 7-11 and pay them tribute. Since he isn't locked out, he can just backup his data, format the hard drive and reinstall Windows. It's just an annoying malware popup designed to make people worry.
Francine's Gmail got hacked and now she's hearing from people she hasn't talked to in years. She knows it was a hack because she's been locked out of her account. Leo says that's the tell tale sign, as hackers will change the password in order to keep it. She ended up paying hundreds of dollars to get her email back. Leo says that Google will never charge to help get email back, and that's the danger of "googling" solutions.
Brian wound up getting a browser hijacker. Leo says that's the risk of downloading software these days -- it often will come bundled with other unwanted programs. Typically, during the install, there will be checkboxes for other programs which should be unchecked. It's not technically considered malware, but they were likely obscure in how it was worded and it tricks users into installing these programs. Leo strongly advises against using third party download sites like CNET's Download.com because of this. Only download software from the original developer.
Stephanie bought a Samsung Windows 7 notebook and it's been a disasterous affair. She wishes she had bought a Mac. Leo says that Apple has a much better way to teach users how to use computers with their One to One teaching. She tried to get tech support with a phone number given to her from friends who used remote desktop and now she got infected. Can she wipe it and start over? Leo says sure, if she has a system recovery disc that came with the computer. She should get her data off first, then wipe the drive and reinstall Windows. And she should make sure she updates it completely.
Sue went to a website to watch Bob Dylan live on stage and her computer got "fried." Leo says that there's no website that can short out a computer. And it's not in the interest of a hacker to be that destructive. They want vulnerable computers to exploit them. So it's important to keep the computer updated. She should also update Flash, her PDF reader, drivers, and just about everything can be exploited. Leo also recommends using Google Chrome, because it sandboxes Flash and updates it all the time. So she doesn't even have to install Flash on her system.
Greg's PC got attacked by Crypto Locker, malware that encrypts user data and holds it for a ransom of $500. They require Bitcoin and they do that because it's not traceable. Greg decided to not pay the ransom, formatted his hard drive and now he's going to recover his data from Carbonite. But it didn't backup everything.
Kathy downloaded an update for Adobe Reader and now she thinks she may have been bit by a virus. Leo says if Adobe Reader had an official update, she would really need to install it because it protects her from the viruses she fears. She was told to reset the browser and she lost all her booksmarks and extensions. Leo says that's actually what he would have advised because often it's extensions that cause the trouble. That's why Leo suggests using another browser like Google Chrome. Internet Explorer is a mess.
Leo called in and said his work computer got a virus. Everytime people log onto his website now, they get that FBI symbol. Leo says that hacking websites is the number one way hackers can get onto home computers. It's possible that his work website has been hacked because it isn't up to date and has security vulnerabilities.
Bob has been seeing that the Microsoft scam is targeting seniors. Seniors are getting calls from "tech support" at Microsoft saying they're infected. Bob says that he tells all his clients that it's a scam, but they find it's very authoritative. Leo says that's why seniors are much better off with tablets instead of computers. Leo says that he believes the same technicians that actually handle tech support overseas are moonlighting making these calls.
