gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,808
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 14, 2014 0:54:58 GMT -5
Warning good people, genuine evil lurks out on the internet.
Something very bad just happened to me and hopefully by knowing it exists you can protect yourselves. I shot a few images this afternoon of slabs I’m considering as entries for the KCC. My camera downloads directly to a compact flash card and I’ve gotten into the habit of archiving lots of images on the card. Big mistake!
When I plugged the card into the reader, nearly all the image files I’ve saved over the past year or more were blank. Instead I found a link to a site where I was told they were essentially gone forever – unless I agreed to pay ransom to restore them. I’ve heard that by paying $300-$400 or more they’ll restore the files – maybe -- but who would be insane enough to click on a link direct to those criminals? Not me. Chances are they’d take my money then corrupt my entire computer. My images are apparently gone permanently and I'll live with that. I can always shoot more. I immediately contacted my computer guru who is taking steps to protect me in the future. I’d been depending on Microsoft Security Essentials but he told me it’s been severely downgraded in recent months and I should use another program. He downloaded a free program, Avast Antivirus, which he says is good. So that’s where I am at the moment. Be careful out there folks!
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Post by mohs on Oct 14, 2014 12:01:09 GMT -5
UUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!
things are tough enough then we got to have money hungry weenie hacks
better luck down that rocky road Rick ! Ed
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,808
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 14, 2014 13:42:39 GMT -5
Thanks Ed. I guess I should count myself lucky that only images on that card were destroyed. I've since heard about a lawyer acquaintance whose entire computerized case file was held by similar cyber-extortionists. I guess there may be some honor among thieves: when he paid $500 ransom the files were restored. But if they can do it once.....? I'm taking some serious protective measures. But they'll only be good until the next generation of thieves figures out how to beat them.
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Post by mohs on Oct 14, 2014 13:59:49 GMT -5
yep cyber hacking chumps!
they need to get a honorable hobby as mad hack lapidarian of which I proud to be part of that number
most-mostly !
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Post by mohs on Oct 14, 2014 15:54:34 GMT -5
Rick do ya recall what you clicked on that set it up?
I got into a scam where I wanted to tune up my P.C. Those type of pop up happen all the time and its easy to get lured into the web....
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,808
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 14, 2014 17:02:20 GMT -5
I don't Ed, I'm puzzling over it. I've received some weird emails lately and I'm very careful about stuff I open. But some of them remind me of hacker stuff I used to receive before I had virus shields up. I got a very serious virus once just by opening an email from an unknown party. I didn't click on a link or an attachment, I just opened it. Yikes! It makes me think my info somehow has made it into some very bad circles. The phishers have so many tricks it's hard to keep up except by being super-paranoid. I'm going to run full scans every day for a while until I'm sure the bad stuff's been purged.
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Post by mohs on Oct 14, 2014 18:16:51 GMT -5
what's your back up plan?
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,808
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 14, 2014 18:32:44 GMT -5
Right now I'm running both Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials. I'm going to buy an external hard drive and will back up all my images on it.
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Post by mohs on Oct 14, 2014 18:36:04 GMT -5
don't mean to just drop that question out of anywhere Rick I don't have a back up plan myself and it bothers me because I realize that probably going to cost a monthly fee when I worked in data processing backing up was offsite Iron Mountain we send off the tapes usually up to 1000 a day to an offsite storage facility o there was hell to pay when some tape didn't make it and problem crash occur it made for few career ending decisions
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Post by glennz01 on Oct 14, 2014 19:11:59 GMT -5
well from a computer guru this is why you should keep backups of everything important on something like an external hdd or in the cloud. An antivirus is always a must have unless the computer never connects to the internet or has any devices plug into it that have gone into other computers.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,686
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 14, 2014 20:30:23 GMT -5
My computer is loaded for bear now,plus we have a two year plan with the "Geek Squad" with Best Buy....Nothing getting in!!! I don't even open emails unless I know who sent them. I don't click on any external sites either..Not worth the hassle anymore... Sorry to hear about your photos,dang that SUCKS!!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 19:20:22 GMT -5
Dear Sirs,I currently use free microsoft anti-virus.Windows 7,Firefox web browser.Free programs like ccleaner etc and have no problems.Mcafee has a free version of a program called site-advisor that works with internet explorer and firefox.It combines with Google and shows up on their search results pages.Red,Yellow,Grey,and Green dots alert you to known dangers at the site you are going to.It helps to use it.I never click on adds at web-sites,if I see something I like I go directly to the company's web-site at least at first.Running cleanups with built in computer programs and cleaning up web browser history etc all has a long term effect to help keep you safe online I think.You have got to run everything on a routine basis,every 2 weeks or less.I have never used anything wireless so wonder if that stuff is more open to attack?Hope you all stay safe......Steve
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