Hello from the Eldest Geek – RANSOMWARE NEWS! and some thoughts on the Cloud

RANSOMWARE NEWS – GOOD AT THAT!
You have maybe read my recent scriblings concerning Ransomware!
Well – we have some GOOD NEWS!
I was at a customer last week and I successfully decrypted a Teslacrypt attacked system – WITHOUT PAYING ANY MONEY!!!
In fact – if you have ANY TeslaCrypt variation (it renames your files to end in .ecs, .xxx, .vvv and similar and puts how_recover+xxxx files everywhere)
I CAN UNLOCK THEM FOR YOU!
And if you have been attacked by CoinVault or Bitcrypt – I can unlock those as well — WITH FULL DATA RECOVERY!
Attacked by ransomware yourself?  or know anyone who has been and currently is without their files send them over and we will HELP them!
HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE you ask?  Well – oddly 2 different ways.  CoinVault has been taken down by some smart action on the part of the Netherlands police unit – which captured a FULLY FUNCTIONING RANSOMWARE SERVER.  They were able to extract ALL the keys and make them available so that we can obtain the needed key – free of charge!
And with Teslacrypt – a flaw in the methodology of the kidnappers allows me to within minutes or a few hours to generate a valid key to unlock the files!
BUT IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS *ALL* GOOD –

We have just run across the first (and I mean this is VERY recent) Ransomware virus – THAT ATTACKS MACS!!!!
Make sure your information is backed up folks – AND have a backup that is NOT attached to your computer.
As nice as having TM Attached permanently – the Mac variant will encrypt ANY drive that is attached INCLUDING THE TIME MACHINE!

THOUGHTS ON THE CLOUD
There was a recent development with Dropbox.  They have LEFT the cloud!
Dropbox (which offers that service that lets you upload files to the cloud by just dropping it on the icon) used to consume a LOT of Amazon cloud space.
They decided (and have almost completed the move) to their OWN Servers – leaving the Cloud completely in favor of their own hardware.
Make sense?  well if you are big enough certainly.  Amazon is not cheap – but it IS highly scalable and lets you grow pretty much without limit.
But – at some point – it will always make sense to have your OWN servers and cut out the Amazon costs.
My thoughts?  Well I put up our own Cloud Server on my servers.  Its called appropriately OwnCloud.  And I will happily let customers store things on our servers – without fear of examination or dissemination of your files!
ADOPTION CORNER
We have Mac Mini’s (I5) ready for homes!
And a 13 and 15in Retina
One GEORGOUS 2011 *27in* Imac – I5, 16gb of ram and 4TERRABYTES OF HARD DRIVE SPACE!
One VERY NICE 2013 21.5in Imac.  (Has a broken screen and when it gets a home I’ll get a deposit and replace it 🙂
Its maxed out!
Various PC laptops – Dells, Sonys.
Ask me any questions you may have!
SIX MONTH WARRANTIES WITH ALL OUR COMPUTERS!
Take Care!