Sneaky Tactics for Bloatware
Clicking the X actually opted you in! As Lenovo resolves the Superfish bloatware scandal from 2015, a surprising detail has emerged from the fine print of the settlement. Consumers who bought Lenovo laptops with “man-in-the-middle” Superfish adware (by a company called VisualDiscovery) likely fell for a trick later made infamous by Microsoft: clicking the “X” to dismiss the program actually opted them into it.
Lenovo settled with the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, paying a reported $3.5 million in fines and agreeing to other security concessions to prevent a repeat of the Superfish debacle. According to the FTC, the software allowed VisualDiscovery to see all of a consumer’s sensitive personal information transmitted over the Internet, including log-in information, Social Security numbers, and more. In 2015, Lenovo CTO Peter Hortensius called the decision to use Superfish a “significant mistake.”
Via Mark Hachman at PCWORLD
Windows XP Support is Ending
The following applies only to large organizations, small to medium businesses, and home PC users currently using Windows XP.
Microsoft has announced that after April 8th, 2014, Windows XP support will end. Microsoft will no longer offer support or security updates for their Windows XP operating system. Affected users (Enterprise users included) will see the following Windows alert:
Support for this operating system is ending. When this occurs Microsoft Security Essentials will no longer be supported and your PC might be unprotected. To make sure your PC stays protected, click on the link below to see our end-of-support guidance for operating systems
How this will affect you
If you are a Windows XP user, you can continue to use your current operating system. You will however no longer receive support or security updates from Microsoft and your computer, according to Microsoft, “will become five times more vulnerable to security risks and viruses“. In addition, as more and more manufacturers adopt Microsoft’s newer OS, they too will eventually stop supporting their own devices on Windows XP.
What we can do for you
Microsoft suggests either upgrading to their latest operating system or purchasing a new Windows PC. We can help with both. Call our Santa Barbara computer repair office and we will backup your important files, documents and photos, upgrade your version of Windows XP to Microsoft’s latest OS version, help you install and configure a new anti-virus and, if you’re interested, help you choose a new PC.
Contact us to backup your system, upgrade your OS, install an anti-virus or choose a new PC