Another Toxic Email: Your email has exceeded storage limits.

Here is the text.  The red bar was inserted by gmail to warn that this was probably not legitimate.  An interesting feature of this one is that the "Click Here" has no link.  Real amateur or something else????

Service Profjmyu@aol.com via yahoo.com	11:09 PM (9 hours ago)

Be careful with this message. It might contain a virus or a malicious link.  Learn more

Your mailbox has exceeded the storage limit is 1 GB, which is defined by the administrator, are running at 99.8 gigabytes, you can not send or receive new messages until you re-validate your mailbox.

To renew the mailbox,
Click Here

Thank you!
Web mail system administrator!

WARNING! Protect your privacy. Logout when you are done and completely
exit your browser.

The Superfish Trojan, Lenovo "recall", and the AVG warning

I use AVG as one of my spyware tools.  "It" popped a warning that the "Superfish Trojan" might need to be removed from my computer.  I heard from others who have had the same thing happen.  When it occurred I was suspicious- could this be ransomware?  It turns out that, at least in my case, it wasn't.  But the way it occurred makes it a target for reengineering:  ransomware could easily spoof that warning.

So, the rest of the story is that the Superfish Trojan does exist and worse, Lenovo installed it on its computers as part of the ship image.  How bad is that!  They felt it was helpful in some way plus they made a little money from the developer.

Oh, don't try to reinstall your operating system- since it was shipped with the computer, going back to the original will only reinstall it.

Now I'm stuck with a problem.  If I start giving links, where you might be suspicious about where those links would go.  One of my former IBM friends called me to task for warning about links and then giving links to information.  So, for this blog entry, let me give you an web link without the underlying hyperlink.  Go there for an explanation of the issue and how to remove Superfish:  http://www.cnet.com/news/lenovos-superfish-screwup-highlights-biggest-problem-in-software/.   Copy this link into your address bar.

Lenovo offers a removal tool.  Go to this web page:

 http://support.lenovo.com/en/product_security/superfish 

What's next?!

Phishing Text Messages to Steal Your Identity- How to Trace, What to Do

Text messages (SMS) sent to your phone can cost you money and, worse, if you fall for them, they can steal your identity.  Here is what happened to me today and what I did to trace and report it.

The message:  Just realized I had your mobile.  Please advise me of your mailing address.  Thank you sincerely for your help

Well, I had my “mobile.”  A suspicious message:  foreign language phrasing.  Of course, the text message came with a phone number.706-631-26xx  (I'm disguising the last two numbers as xx.  I had the full number.)

So, I wanted to know where the number came from.

I went to google and entered “phone 706 631-26xx white pages”- including the numbers I've replaced with 'xx'

and got this.

Clicking on the link I got:

This gives all the 1-707-xxx numbers.  There is a search bar at the top of the page.  I typed in '706-631' and click the magnifying glass.  I got this:

I clicked on 1-706-631-26xx and got this:

The number is in that list.  I clicked on it:

At this point it is up to you to fill in the form to report the problem.  Leaving this page open, I went to Skype to avoid direct tracking and called the number.  My intent was to ask for someone, like John or Peggy and see what is said.  If no answer, then listen to the message.  I called a couple of times and nobody answered either time.  The message seemed “normal” to me.  A women’s voice, midwest accent.  So is the number hijacked?  I filled in the whitepages form, which really goes nowhere.  I then googled 'AT&T phishing' and got this information from one of the pages:

==============================

Phone and text messaging rewards scam

Be cautious if you receive a phone call or text message that entices you to claim an AT&T reward by logging into your myAT&T account. This scam directs you to a non-AT&T website that may look like the real thing, but it's a phishing site used to capture your personal information.

Scammers target AT&T customers like you in hopes of gaining access to your myAT&T account so they can make changes, order equipment, or obtain personal information. By opening links or visiting untrusted websites you may accidently download software or viruses to your wireless device or PC.

Some examples of fraudulent text messages and robo-call enticements that claim to offer an AT&T reward include:

• www.att620.com - Simply log into your account to redeem your $620. At AT&T we care about you. Thank you and have a nice day.
• www.att550.com - Simply log into your account to redeem your $550. At AT&T we care about you. Thank you and have a nice day.
• www.att440.com - Simply log into your account to redeem your $440. At AT&T we care about you. Thank you and have a nice day.

Defending yourself against a rewards scam

If you suspect a text message or phone call isn't from AT&T or is in any way fraudulent:

• Don't open the text message or click on any links within it.
• Don't respond directly to the phone call.
• Don't visit any websites a fraudulent phone call directs you to visit.

Reporting a rewards scam

We remain committed to protecting you against all forms of fraudulent activity that may compromise your security and enjoyment of our services. Partnering together, we can keep everyone informed and reduce the number of fraudulent attacks.

• Report suspected fraudulent phone calls to abuse@att.net.
• Forward any fraudulent text messages to 7726 (SPAM).
• Send any spam texts where you're not able to view the phone number to abuse@att.net, making sure you include the entire message.

=========================================================

I sent a note to abuse@att.net

This suggests my experience, though ending in the same result of identity theft, was a little bit different than normal.  Has anyone else seen this kind of text phishing?  

Cell Phone (4G) Coverage in our area: the technology and the debate

4G has the promise of providing our communities with broadband cellphone, TV, and internet coverage at a fraction of the cost of a wired system.  As we all know, the cellphone signals in our area vary from property to property, and even from room to room in a house.  One house can have 4 bars and the next no bars; maybe 1 bar of 3G.  The technology is better than that, but it depends on the desire of the carriers OR the POAs to pursue a long-term solution.  The long term solution would have to consider the "blind" areas of our community.

Most of us have "access" to at least a half dozen 4G towers from the wireless company most of us use.  But, we are "too high";  The 4G transmitters are not pointed "up."   If we had a more powerful 4G antenna from the flagpole transmitter at the top of the mountain, then that would resolve the problem for some, and it could serve all three of our communities in this region.  The problem the wireless company is addressing now is the weight of a 4G transmitter, pre-amp, and amplifier:  the flagpole would have to be strengthened.  

Even with that, over our three communities, there would still be a significant number of homes and areas where the signal would be inadequate.

To a communication technician, there are three options.  We can eliminate one immediately because the our community experience with it has been fairly uniformly unsatisfactory:  an in-home booster that relies on an internet signal (DSL).

Two are viable:

1. An external individual home antenna specially engineered to pull in a particular target tower
2. A "booster" substation that would take the signal from an existing tower, such as the flagpole, and redirect it to blind areas.

The following URL shows an example of a home system... For us, it might be way overkill, because we don't need a mast, just the receiver itself.  http://www.ciena.com/connect/blog/How-I-built-my-own-mobile-cell-tower.html.

I'm working on the second one.

For your information, Wilson Electronics is a good reference site.

Windows 10 Youtube reviews and release info

Windows 10 is the next release of the Windows operating system.  If you have Windows 7/8/8.1, it should be free (for the first year?)  At least that is what they say.  

Here is a Youtube produced by Microsoft highlighting some of the Windows 10 features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9phebKc_DOs.  Here is another one that discusses different features:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bULsgyliru4. Note that, when you bring this up in Youtube, a bunch of other related videos will be listed on the right side of your screen.

This was published yesterday at the reference at the end of the quote:

Windows 10 download will be a free upgrade for existing users

• Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 users during the first year.
• If you do not upgrade in the first year, you will be charged. There has been some confusion around pricing - but Microsoft is expected to charge a one-off license fee and NOT move to a subscription model.
• Windows 10 will launch in late-2015. The Technical Preview will end on 15 April 2015.
• Microsoft also debuted the 84in Microsoft Surface Hub and Windows Holographic. The latter will allow users to create 3D models via a custom-built HoloLens.
• Microsoft confirmed Cortana and the Spartan web browser will be introduced across all Windows devices.
• Microsoft's share price dropped by 1.55 per cent after the launch.

The Windows 10 Consumer Preview made its debut at Microsoft's launch event on Wednesday 21 January, where Redmond announced multiple hardware and software updates.

The company revealed that Windows 10 will be free for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users for the first year. During a Q&A after the presentation, executives declined to comment on the pricing structure after this time frame.

An 84in device - the Microsoft Surface Hub - was also revealed along with the rumoured "Spartan" web browser.

Windows-as-a-Service will allow developers to work across all Windows devices, as well as improving security.

In terms of appearance, the task bar appears streamlined on Windows 10, and the Start Menu can be made full screen with a touch. Settings has also reverted back to look like the traditional Control Panel of old.

The Charms Bar also has a new look, with users able to swipe from the right to find a notifications panel. Swiping down will close all apps - not just Metro.

When the keyboard is removed from a hybrid device, the user will be asked whether they want to enter tablet mode, after which apps switch to full screen.

Cortana - Microsoft's "personal assistant" is coming to Windows PCs and will be accessible via a search panel in the task bar. As demonstrated at the launch event, the app has the ability to learn about the user. You then have the ability to edit this information with Cortana Notebook.

Read more: http://www.itpro.co.uk/operating-systems/23119/windows-10-release-date-and-specs#ixzz3R6hqwQC7

Short Note on an "Ultimate" Apple Mac Vulnerability

I found this article interesting because it shows how espionage can occur given that the target is a Mac computer.  This probably won't impact us casual users, but I can imagine that it is already in play for world-class spying.  It just shows what is possible.  Real science fiction becoming reality.

The article:  http://www.zdnet.com/article/macs-vulnerable-to-virtually-undetectable-virus-that-cant-be-removed/