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Springtime for us means it’s time for none another than…spring cleaning! And if there is one thing we love to clean, it’s PCs. Just like those nasty spaces between your bed and the wall, over time our devices fill up with junk and filth – in the form of unnecessary files, over-crowded desktops, and over-burdened Startup menus. In the good spirit that crisp, light spring air, we offer tips to help you tidy up your PC and clean up your act.

**Get rid of unused startup menu items**

Does it take ages for your PC to boot up? As if you could have been to Winter and back before you could get onto the internet? Maybe you just have too many programs starting when you boot up.  
Lots of programs, including printers attempt to start up upon booting up and they continue to run in the background even though they don’t need to be running at all. To really speed things up, keep those programs from starting up, and open them when you need them.  
To do this, go to your [Reason Core Security client](https://www.reasoncoresecurity.com/product.aspx) and choose the “Tools” tab on the top right corner. Once inside Tools, you’ll see four different options on the left side – Programs, Startup Browser Addons and Remediation. Choose Startups and it will display all the different programs that turn on automatically upon booting up. Go through the list and turn off what you don’t need.  
RCS even makes recommendations about what to turn off and what to leave. One piece of advice though, If there is a program you don’t recognize, the best thing to do is to leave it there – You don’t want to turn off something you need.

**Remove unused, unnecessary, and questionable programs** 

We all have some programs hanging out on our devices that just don’t need to be there. Sometimes they came with your PC and others you downloaded intentionally or unintentionally. These programs use resources and slow your PC down – so get rid of them! Again, go to the tools tab in your RCS client and this time pick the Programs option. Find the program you want to get rid of there and click on it. It will be on its way to program heaven in just a second. For a change of pace you can also remove unnecessary programs with our very own [Should I Remove It](http://www.shouldiremoveit.com/), which also offers helpful explanations on what programs are and whether or not they can be beneficial.  
Once you’re done with the purge, don’t forget to empty your recycle bin regularly to keep it from taking up resources.

**Clean up your desktop and files**

Do your desktop a favor and tidy it up by putting files in the right places. Keeping files on your desktop isn’t only a messy habit, (Tsk tsk, if that’s what your desktop looks like, your bedroom must be a disaster!) it also eats up memory, because the files are stored in images – put them where they go to save some memory. While you’re at it, make sure you don’t have duplicates of files – if you do, merge or delete the ones you don’t need, which will free up even more memory.

**Install and maintain your antivirus and antimalware suite**

Nothing eats speed like a nasty piece of malware – whether it’s the latest banking trojan or a zero-day attack masquerading as a Java update, malware not only puts your data at risk, it uses up resources. Keep your device malware-free with a top-notch anti-malware program like RCS that scans your PC for intruders and helps you dispose of freeloaders.  
**Cut down on downloads** 

When was the last time you looked at your downloads file? Um… like never? Well, now is as good a time as any to check it out and see whatcha got there. Chances are there are lots of things that were downloaded by accident or that you clicked on as a whim. Go through them and get rid of the ones you don’t need or want, like the download for the _“How to Get Ripped While Eating Brownies and Potato Chips in Just 10 Days!”_ ebook.  
**  
Update them updates**

If you want to keep your PC working as fast as it can, you need to keep up with updates. To check for updates to your OS and software, go to your Control Panel and choose the System and Security option. Then go to the blue “Check for updates” option under the “Windows Update” section and follow the instructions to install the recommended updates.

**To defrag or to not defrag – that is the question**  
Then there is the idea of defragmenting your hard drive to speed things up. The idea behind defragging is to collect all the little bits of fragmented data strewn about your hard drive – so is this a good idea to do or not?  
[It depends on the kind of hard drive your computer as](http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/20179/HDD-vs-SSD-vs-SSHD-Which-storage-device-should-you-choose-for-your-Laptop-and-PC.html) – if you are working with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), then go and defrag away. Newer computers though have Solid State Drives (or hybrid SSHD’s, which combine both kinds) SSD’s have no moving parts and are super durable, which means that there really isn’t much of a need for defragmenting. So If you do have an HDD, you can defrag all you like but if your PC has an SSD, don’t do it. As a side point, there are a lot of companies out there that try to sell software to help defragment – but Windows has its own built-in defragmenter so stick with that one.  
Another word to the wise regarding programs you really shouldn’t waste your money on, you might have heard of “PC cleaners” or registry cleaners. These programs claim that they can make your PC feel _good as new_ with a click of a button – but they don’t really do very much and some can actually be harmful to your computer, so stay away.  
If all else fails, you can try sucking up all the dust from the vents of your PC. Then take that vacuum to your bedroom, and for goodness sake, clean the spaces between the walls and your beds!  
Now if anyone can offer us any tips on how to keep our closets nice and tidy, we would be all ears…

a56fc854-f839-472f-91fb-c7cc1e231ab8.jpeg

We have written a lot about ransomware in all different forms and incarnations here on the Reason blog. At the beginning of the year, we predicted ransomware would go viral and true to our predictions, now a scant five months later it seems that every tech-news site is just bursting with another story about yet another hospital, business, or utility’s data being held for ransom.

**Ransomware Basics**  
And if you don’t remember your ransomware ABC’s, just to remind you, in a ransomware attack, a company, home user or organization’s networks become locked with a super-strong encryption key that can only be unlocked by the attackers who have the correlating unlock key. During an attack, the compromised data is held under the key and a ransom to be paid in bitcoins is demanded from the victim. Often times, the longer a victim waits to pay up, the higher the unlock fee gets, sometimes upwards of 2-3 bitcoins for home users, equaling $900-1400 at the current exchange rate. For hospitals and businesses, the fee can be much, much higher.

**A problem that’s not going away any time soon**  
It’s safe to posit that ransomware is on the rise. In a big way too. In the last year alone ramsonware occurrences were up 35 % from 2014. And as the once-rare phenomenon becomes more commonplace, the attackers get more creative in their methods and attack vectors. In the past, ransomware, by and large, accessed computers as a result of clicking malware infected links in emails and in attachments. Now that email systems are better equipped to route out such emails, hackers have turned their sights to more creative and harder-to-fight methods, like lacing legit websites with bad code, so as to infect any and all visitors to the said website.

For example, just last week, toy maker Maisto found that their website was infecting visitors who were running outdated versions of Flash, Java, and Internet Explorer with ransomware dubbed CrpytXXX. Just a simple visit to their site, which sells their popular remote control cars could render a computer locked using the popular Angler exploit toolkit. Luckily, security giant Kaspersky noticed a small loophole in the code that allowed infected visitors to restore files without paying but sadly hackers are usually more careful than that and you can’t bank on loopholes.  
And this past week, the utility sector got theirs, too. The Lansing (MA) Board of Water and Lights was hit with a form of ransomware after an employee opened an email attachment that contained code that when activated, encrypted files on the organization’s network, causing them to shut down their email and some services.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_680078878.jpg)

Both attacks come on the heels of last month’s hospital network-focused ransomware rampage. In the course of just a few weeks, MedStar in Maryland MD, Presbyterian Hospital in Hollywood, CA and Methodist Hospital in Kentucky were all targeted in separate attacks. Hospitals are an easy target because of the highly sensitive and emergent nature of the information stored on their servers. Hackers know that life and death decisions are often hinged on the information they have under lock and key so hospitals are inclined to pay up, rather than wait and see if their IT department can salvage something.  
After speaking with hospital IT administrators who asked to not be named, the problem is larger than just what gets reported. Hackers try “mini” ransomware attacks to test the waters at some facilities. One admin admitted that his hospital’s archived radiology reports, of all things, were targeted. They weren’t in any way current or all that useful so rather than pay up, they rebuilt what they could from other databases and let the hackers have their fun with those radiology reports.

Even the FBI is concerned about the phenomenon and [published a statement](https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2016/april/incidents-of-ransomware-on-the-rise/incidents-of-ransomware-on-the-rise) on their website about it in late April. And whereas a few months ago an FBI representative said that they recommend paying the fee because there is no known alternative, they have now changed their tune. According to FBI Cyber Division, Assistant Director James Trainor “Paying a ransom doesn’t guarantee an organization that it will get its data back—we’ve seen cases where organizations never got a decryption key after having paid the ransom. Paying a ransom not only emboldens current cybercriminals to target more organizations, but it also offers an incentive for other criminals to get involved in this type of illegal activity.”

**So what does this all have to do with you?**  
This all just goes to show that ransomware seems to be the attack vector de jour and you need to be prepared. The sad truth is that once files have been locked, they are nearly impossible to unlock so prevention is your best weapon. Knowing how widespread the problem is and how it’s only growing in popularity, here are some easy things you can do to secure your computer and devices before disaster strikes:

**Backup your files.** This is important advice regardless of whether or not you get hit with ransomware – you never know when your kid might just flush your iPhone down the toilet or when your laptop will just give up and die. So either way backing up is a smart habit to get into. But when it comes to ransomware, it’s your only defense if want to see your files again without paying those rotten hackers.

**Stay away from shady emails and links.** Most ransomware gets on to computers via infected links in emails as we mentioned above. The scenario usually goes something like this – You get an email from an address you kind of, sort of recognizing, and hey, look! There’s an attachment to the email! It has a pretty compelling call to action, something along the lines of “ Open this. The important financial information included” so you open it. By clicking that link you have set into action a process that will lock your files with a strong form of encryption, and now you’re out of luck. This is why having a reputable antimalware like [Reason Cybersecurity](https://www.reasonsecurity.com/essential) to protect your computer is super important. By routing out the malware harbored in the link or attachment, the ransomware is essentially blocked in its tracks.

**Educate yourself about the threat.** You don’t need to be a computer nerd to understand that hackers will do all they can to persuade you to do what they want. Learn about their methods and tricks and don’t fall for them.

**Patch and update.** There is nothing a hacker likes more than an operating system that has vulnerabilities. What does that mean? Vulnerabilities are holes that exist in operating systems. You probably get updates every now and then from the software you have installed or from Windows to update your system. These are updates and patches that close newly found vulnerabilities. By failing to update your system according to the software or OS instructions, you are inviting hackers onto your device.  
No matter what, don’t pay up. This important for two reasons. 1 – Like the FBI said, we’re not exactly talking about the most reputable guys around here, we’re talking about creeps who might just take your money without actually fixing anything. 2 – When you do pay up, even if they do unlock the files, you just let them know that their methods work and this fuels them to keep going. Nice going.  
As the old saying goes “ A stitch in time saves nine.” They probably weren’t talking about ransomware but you see how much truth there is in the statement here. Prepare yourself before disaster strikes, we promise you won’t regret it.

#Ransomware

How to spring clean your PC!

Ransomware, Ransomware , Everywhere

Vulnerability of the year: Ransomware

Fireball – the explosive malware heard ‘Round the World’

#Ransomware

How to spring clean your PC!

Ransomware, Ransomware , Everywhere

Vulnerability of the year: Ransomware

Fireball &#8211; the explosive malware heard &#8216;Round the World&#8217;

Fireball – the explosive malware heard ‘Round the World’