Backing up your computers

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Creating disk images lets you restore Windows and all your imaged disks and partitions to a previous working state from compressed copies you have created and kept updated on external storage media, quickly and probably without technical help.

You can recover from:
– a failed disk drive (restore to a new one)
– ransomware (which encrypts your disk)
– user error
– unrecoverable problems from failed updates to problem programs
– unbootable PC (hardware faults aside)

Images also act as a full backup- you can extract files too.

You can even use images to help you move more easily and quickly to a new PC.

Imaging can even help you sleep at night knowing you have a second chance.

I recommend and install on every computer I service Macrium Reflect (free) as a good robust solution and more reliable than some others. It’s
– more feature rich
– more flexible
– more reliable
than Windows Backup and Restore system images.

There are other such programs, free/commercial, some with simpler interfaces, but Macrium is one of the most robust and reliable.

How long does it take?
SSD+ USB3 – maybe 15 mins

HDD + USB2 – maybe 40-50 mins
That’s with little personal data, few programs installed.
– of course, depends on how much you have on C:
(You can and should image all your partitions and disks)

You need a backup medium – I recommend a 1tb external drive. This will vary dependent on the number of images you keep, I recommend keeping 3 images of each computer you own. So is only a rough practical guide.

Some comment that system restore isn’t always reliable; if it works and solves the problem, great. But sometimes restores won’t work or fail. And of course, a restore point only covers a limited number of aspects of the system. That’s where disk imaging comes in.
I can assist with setting this up and showing you how to do it.

https://sapcupgrades.com/services/backup/

SPAM Campaign Underway that uses Encrypted Word Docs to Install Ursnif

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A large SPAM campaign is underway where victims receive an email that pretends to be a requested invoice and contains a password for a password protected encrypted Word document attachment. These password protected word documents contain embedded VBScript files that will download and install the Ursnif keylogger.

When Word documents are password protected, they also become encrypted. Malware distributors are hoping that by sending these encrypted Word documents they will be harder to detect by security software. You can see an example of one of the malicious SPAM emails that was provided to me by Zenexer.

Read More. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/spam-campaign-underway-that-uses-encrypted-word-docs-to-install-ursnif/

 

 

Top Ten Infected Cities-Computer Repair San Antonio

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If you are looking for the best Virus Removal in San Antonio Texas and surrounding areas like Live Oak, Converse, Windcrest, Selma and Schertz consider SAPC Upgrades for affordable fair priced Virus Removal.

 

Do you live in one of the top ten most infected cities?  The answer is YES

Webroot conducted a survey and found the most infected cities in the U.S. The survey found that the numbers do not reflect density. New York, which is the most densely populated city in the U.S. is not on the list.

The research included PC’s, laptops and smart phones. And it also found that these infected devices had an average of 6 to 24 pieces of malware installed.

“Our most infected cities list shows that cybercriminals have no geographical bias,” said David Dufour, senior director of engineering at Webroot. “Whether you live in a big city or small town, from east coast to west coast and everywhere in between, you are susceptible to being a victim of malware. It is in everyone’s best interest to run a security solution on their personal device, and to make sure that all security software subscriptions are current.”

So what are the most infected cities? Here is the top ten:

• Houston – 60,801
• Chicago – 49,147
• Phoenix – 42,983
• Denver – 39,711
• San Antonio – 39,646
• Dallas – 37,630
• Los Angeles – 34,050
• Las Vegas – 31,836
• Minneapolis, Minn. – 28,517
• Charlotte, N.C. – 27,092

We advise that all users practice safe surfing. Those safety measures include having up to date security software, use strong passwords, avoid public wi-fi, and store your personal information and important documents in the cloud

Best of all have image backups on an EXTERNAL drive done on a monthly basis.

Contact Us today for Virus/Malware prevention and clean up 210-549-6477