What Is Phishing And How Can You Protect Yourself From It?
Ever gotten an e-mail offer that seemed just a little bit too good to be true? Might’ve been a phishing attempt! These are everywhere and can come in many different forms.
So what’s phishing exactly, how can you detect it and how can you keep safe?
What is phishing?
Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is a type of cyberattack that tricks the user into trusting the source and revealing sensitive information. Fishing being the perfect analogy, the bait is a legitimate-looking site, e-mail or file and when you take a bite, your identity, banking information and much more can be revealed and stolen.
Credit Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Some phishing attempts are incredibly obvious, others are super elaborate. Like with most types of malware, cybercriminals have become extremely well-versed in phishing and anyone can fall for it. To help you recognize and avoid it, we’ll take you through a couple of phishing types and give you tips on what to do if faced with them.
Phishing techniques
E-mail phishing
This is actually the most common type of phishing. A cybercriminal creates an e-mail containing stuff like attractive offers, legitimate-looking attachments or links and makes it appear as though it’s coming from a trusted source.
Credit Justin Morgan on Unsplash
For example, it looks like it’s coming from your bank or your favorite retailer. The logo looks legit and the structure of the e-mail seems familiar, so you might get tricked into clicking on whatever clickable content is in it.
Unfortunately this exposes your device to malware that hands your data off to the hacker, who can decide what to do with it further.
SMS and social media phishing
Like the above example, you could be approached with lucrative offers or links via text messages or social media messages. Typically, the messages seem relevant to the user as they will be made to look like they’re related to apps or services you’re using.
Voice phishing
Voice phishing attacks are schemes that appear as though they’re coming from a credible number. Normally, you’ll get a call about something related to credit cards or taxes to get you into a state of worry, leading you to disclose personal information on the phone.
Spear phishing, whaling and BEC
Spear phishing normally targets specific individuals within a company who are likely to have access to sensitive data. Spear phishers spend time collecting information they can use to reach out to the individual looking as trustworthy as possible. They’ll typically lead with something relevant, for example mentioning an upcoming company event, and make a seemingly legitimate request.
Whaling is a more elaborate form of spear phishing, which targets people in even stronger positions such as executives or high-value individuals. The ultimate goal is to get them to transfer financial or other sensitive information that can be used to compromise the entire business.
Credit Azamat E on Unsplash
BEC, or Business e-mail compromise, is a specific spear phishing technique carried out via e-mail. While there are many ways this is done, most commonly you’ll see instances where the phisher poses as a CEO or similar executive, or as a lower-level employee in specific positions (e.g. sales managers or financial controllers).
In the first situation, the impersonator reaches out to employees requesting them to transfer certain files or pay invoices. In the second situation, the phisher takes control of the employee’s e-mail account and sends false instructions to other employees in order to obtain data and information from them.
What can you do?
There are many ways you can be aware and spot a phishing attempt. Here are some tips:
Always check the sender’s address in your e-mails, even when they seem to come from a familiar source.
In any instance where payment information is requested, be very, very careful.
If you are receiving attachments you never asked for and definitely didn’t expect, better not click on them.
Beware of content that transmits a sense of urgency (sales deals, urgent updates to login credentials, etc.).
Bad spelling and grammar are usually a telltale sign of phishing.
Links that look shortened (e.g. Bit.ly) or just suspicious in general - if you have a bad feeling, do not click on them.
If you are receiving threats, you probably shouldn’t be clicking on anything in that message.
Always examine first-time senders in detail.
Block suspicious e-mail addresses, numbers and social media accounts.
If you are receiving a coupon for free stuff… You aren’t.
If you’re being asked to update your payment details by a service you use, such as Netflix, chances are it’s an impersonator.
Those are some of the ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks. However, sometimes phishers disguise themselves a little too well or a misclick happens and there you go - you’ve been exposed to malware.
Credit FLYD on Unsplash
This won’t happen if you invest in powerful protection software from the get-go, though. A good antivirus program like Bitdefender will keep you safe from becoming a victim of phishing scams. In fact, it will protect you from malicious attacks overall.
Be it your household or your business you’re concerned about, there are a bunch of different packages and options available, providing different kinds of cybersecurity services. That’s the only way you can ever really be sure you aren’t at risk of a digital attack.
Summary
Have you ever been targeted by phishers and didn’t know that’s what it was until you read this article? Many can relate. Protect yourself before it’s too late!
There has been recently discovered in the field of malware targeting Android devices. Affecting more than 10 million users of Android phones, the malware GriftHorse is doing its attacks via phishing and premium services scams. A lot of applications have been discovered that are hosts for this malware and many of them are inside the Google store and available for download.
According to Zimperium zLabs, this malware that was recently detected has been doing its scams and attacks even in November of 2020 and has thus far accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in its scam.
On the surface it looks very harmless, asking for typical permissions like internet access, calls, and other related needed functions, and then it waits. After few months the real attack happens when users get charged with premium service they never subscribed to in the first place.
List of Infected Applications that Carry GriftHorse Trojan
Zimperium zLabs listed out some of the apps with this malware. Users are advised to avoid installing them.
Amazing Video Editor
Bag X-Ray 100% Scanner
Bus – Metrolis 2021
Call Recoder Pro
Call Blocker-Spam Call Blocker
Cinema Hall: Free HD Movies
Coupons & Gifts: InstaShop
GPS Phone Tracker – Family Locator
Fingerprint Changer
Fitness Point
Free Calls WorldWide
Geospot: GPS Location Tracker
GPS Phone Tracker – Family Locator
Handy Translator Pro
Horoscope : Fortune
iCare – Find Location
iConnected Tracker
Instant Speech Translation
Lifeel – scan and test
My Chat Translator
My Locator Plus
Plant Camera Identifier
Racers Car Driver
Safe Lock
Screen Mirroring TV Cast
Slime Simulator
Smart Spot Locator
These are only some of the many infected apps available on the internet.
Zimperium zLabs also warned that GriftHorse Trojan exists in over 70 countries worldwide. The infected app quickly changes the language and displays content depending on the user’s IP address.
The new Windows 10 update has brought some fixes, improvements, and little things to personalize our computer more. One of these personalization updates we have received is that we can now finally change the color of our START menu and taskbar and it is easy as 1,2,3.
In order to change and personalize your START menu and/or title bars all you have to do is click on your windows icon to bring the start menu up and then click on settings.
Once you are in setting windows go to personalization settings.
When the personalization setting opens go-to color tab on left and scroll down until you find 2 checkboxes under "show accent color on the following surfaces:"
check ones you wish to apply the effect to and you are done. Now your START menu and/or title bars are using the color scheme of your choice.
Connecting to Microsoft’s Windows Update servers does not always go smoothly since you could run into a number of errors. One of these errors is the error code 0x8024402c. You can see this error code when you check for Windows Updates. This kind of Windows Update error occurs when the proxy or the firewall settings are incorrectly configured. As a result, the client’s connection to the Windows Update servers fails.
There are two things you can do to resolve error code 0x8024402c. First, you can try to fix the Proxy Settings. Second, you can set up Automatically Detect the connection settings. In addition, you can also try to perform System Restore as it could also help in fixing the problem. Performing System Restore might help you in fixing the error code 0x8024402C. Refer to the steps below to use System Restore.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
If performing System Restore didn’t help in fixing the problem, then try the two given options below.
Option 1 – Try fixing the Proxy Settings
In the Cortana search box, search for Internet Explorer and then click on the related search result.
After that, tap the Win + T keys on your keyboard and click on Internet Options.
Next, navigate to the Connections tab and click on LAN Settings.
Then click on the Advanced button and delete all the entries in the list generated in the Exceptions section. And if the Advanced button is disabled because the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option is disabled then you are good to go. Now proceed to the next step.
Tap the Win + X keys or right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin) or you could also search for “cmd” in the Cortana search box and right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
If a User Account Control appears, click on Yes to proceed. After that, type each one of the commands listed below, and don’t forget to hit Enter after you type each one of them.
netsh winhttp reset proxy
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
Now restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not by checking for Windows Updates again.
Option 2 – Try setting up Automatically Detect the connection settings
Type in “internet options” in the Cortana search box and then click on the related search result.
After that, navigate to the Connections tab.
Next, click on the LAN Settings button located under the Local Area Network (LAN) settings section.
Then uncheck the “Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections)” option under the Proxy Server section and click OK.
Now restart your computer to apply the changes made successfully.
If Error Code 0xc00000e9 appears on your screen, there is no cause to panic yet as there are different ways to fix this. Here, I will list down different methods to get your computer back on track:
Check peripheral connections
Check your SATA cables
Check your hard drive
Check your BIOS settings
Quick Fix 1. Check Peripheral Connections
Turn off your computer.
After the computer has been shut down, take off all the peripherals or the USB cables that are connected to your USB ports. This includes even the keyboard and the mouse. We just need to have only the monitor plugged in for this one.
Turn on your computer and see if it starts as it normally does.
If it does, try connecting back your external devices or peripherals one by one until you find the one that causes the error.
Once you trace the device that’s causing the error, you will have to change its USB cable and update its driver to support your operating system.
Quick Fix 2. Check your SATA cables
It is possible that what causes a barrier between your operating system and your hard drive from communicating is the SATA cable used. For example, if you’re using an older SATA with a SATA III port, there might not be adequate support for the transfer of data from one another. Or, the problem might be a loose SATA cable which would still require you to buy a new one to replace your loose or damaged cable. To check if your SATA cables are causing the error, simply follow these steps:
Turn off your computer.
Carefully open its case.
Check the hard drive and the SATA port where it’s connected.
Try to use a newer cable and connect it to your SATA port. (If you used a SATA II cable, you can see if a SATA III cable is more compatible.)
Replace your SATA cable with a newer one if Step 4 proves to be successful.
Quick Fix 3. Check your hard drive.
Try to use a different hard drive and see if error code 0xc00000e9 still appears.
If it works out just fine, then the problem might be physical damage to your hard drive and would need to be repaired depending on the case. Just simply take it to a technician and let him know about the issue.
Quick Fix 4. Check your BIOS settings
Restart your computer.
Once your computer starts, press and hold the ESC, F2, F12, or DEL key to go to BIOS settings.
You will then be redirected to the BIOS Setup Utility screen. From here, go to Boot options.
In the Boot Options, see if your first boot device is your hard drive. If it isn’t, press the arrow key to select the hard drive and move it to the top of the boot device list.
Save the settings.
Reboot your computer.
Note: If all the methods above do not work, the problem might be on your drivers and you might need to update them. You can update your driver in two ways: Manual driver update and Automatic driver update. You can find procedures online in updating your drivers.
Error 12031 indicates that the connection with the server has been reset or is not properly connected.
In other words, it signifies that the File Transfer Protocol which is the standard network protocol that is used to transfer files from one host to another over the internet is either reset or not working properly.
For example, if you are using a wireless adapter, then you may experience this error code when the adapter loses its association with the access point.
The error code is often displayed in the following format:
"ERROR_INTERNET_CONNECTION_RESET"
"Cannot Connect to the FTP Server"
Solution
Error Causes
Though the error 12031 is largely caused by poor internet connection and failure to obtain files from the FTP server, however, sometimes the error may be caused by invalid registry entries and outdated drivers. Furthermore, it may also be a Firewall issue.
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve this issue on your system, we have listed down the best and easy DIY solutions. These solutions are simple to perform and do not require any kind of technical expertise or knowledge. Just follow the steps and you will be able to resolve it in a couple of minutes.
Solution 1: Disable Firewall
If you are unable to connect to the server and you encounter the error code 12031 on your system, then to resolve this issue, disable the Firewall on your PC.
Solution 2: Reset IE (Internet Explorer) Settings
This error is typically experienced by IE7 users. If you can’t access some websites in Internet Explorer and you come across a 12031 error code, then try resetting your IE settings.
To do this, open Internet Explorer, click on tools, and then click on Internet Options. Now go to the advanced tab and select Use Passive FTP. After checking the box, exit and then try accessing those sites that were not accessible before.
If after modifying IE settings you are able to access the sites without any error message display, then this means the error is resolved. Nonetheless, if the error still persists, then the error could be generated due to invalid registry entries.
Solution3: Download and Run Restoro
To remove invalid registry entries from your system and resolve the 12031 error immediately, it is advisable to download and run Restoro. This is a new, cutting-edge, and multi-functional PC repair tool integrated with multiple utilities like a powerful registry cleaner, an antivirus, and a system optimizer.
The registry cleaning utility scans your PC for all registry errors. It wipes out unnecessary files, bad and invalid registry entries, repairs damaged files, and restores the registry thereby resolving the 12031 error on your PC.
This error tool has a user-friendly interface and simple navigations. It is easy to use and compatible with all Windows versions.
In addition to this, you can also use it to scan for malicious software and remove malware. It also functions as a system optimizer and boosts your computer’s speed dramatically.
Click here to download Restoro on your PC and resolve error 12031 right away!
In case you don’t know, Microsoft Edge, the new default browser of Windows 10, is equipped with the essential tools that are needed to help web developers in testing their websites in the Edge browser. However, it is not without its flaws as there are instances when you could also encounter some errors when using DevTools. One of these errors is the “An error occurred while starting the profiling session” error. You can see this error message in the DevTools Memory Panel, worry not for this post will help you resolve it.
A memory panel is one that primarily measures your memory resource usage and compares heap snapshots in different states of code execution. The Memory panel also provides profiling of three different types, such:
Head Snapshot
Record Allocation timeline
Record Allocation profiles
Using a memory panel, you can find issues that affect the page performance in the most common scenarios like bloats and memory leaks.
There are two steps you need to carry out to fix this error that’s associated with the Memory Panel of Microsoft Edge (Chromium) DevTools. First, you need to access the Microsoft (R) Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector Service. Second, you need to restart this service. For detailed steps, follow the instructions provided below.
Step 1: Access the Microsoft (R) Diagnostic Standard Collector Service
To access the Microsoft (R) Diagnostic Standard Collector Service, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK.
This will open the Services Manager. Here, look for the Microsoft (R) Diagnostic Service from the Services panel that opens on the right-hand side.
Step 2: Now restart the Microsoft (R) Diagnostic Hub Standard Collector Service
After accessing the Microsoft (R) Diagnostic Standard Collector Service, right-click on it and select the Restart option.
Once it’s done, exit the Microsoft Edge Developer Tools as well as the tab.
Next, open a new tab and navigate to your page and tap the F12 key.
This post will guide you in fixing the (1058) ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED error you can encounter when trying to launch various games. Usually, this error pops up during startup and prevents you from running the game. In fact, this error has become quite a headache for many users. Some of the games it affects are Smite, Paladins, Far Cry, and many more.
In most cases, this error is caused by missing or corrupted game files. It could also be caused by the anti-cheat utility you might have installed along with your games. Whichever the cause is, you can try to check out the possible fixes given below to resolve the (1058) ERROR_SERVICE_DISABLED error.
Option 1 – Verify the Integrity of the Game files
This is the first option you can try no matter what kind of issues you are having with Steam games.
Double click on the game’s icon located on your Desktop and then go to the Library tab in the Steam window.
From there, look for GTA V from the list of games installed in your library.
Next, right-click on its entry and select Properties.
After that, navigate to the Local Files tab and click the “Verify Integrity of Game Files” button.
Now, wait for the tool to complete checking the game’s integrity. You should see that some of the files may have been downloaded.
Reopen the game and see if it now runs properly without crashing.
Option 2 – Apply some tweaks in the Service’s startup settings
As pointed out earlier, the error can also occur due to the anti-cheat tools that were installed alongside the game. These tools are usually used by games to check if you are running something which might give you an unfair advantage over other players. These anti-cheat tools include but are not limited to BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat, and PunkBuster. The error might occur if the service’s startup settings are not correctly configured which is why you can apply some tweaks in order to resolve the problem.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
From the list of Services, look for any of the services mentioned above such as BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat Service, or PunkBuster Service. Then right-click on the service and select Properties from the context menu.
After that, check if the service is started by checking the Service status. If it is started, click on the Stop button to stop the service and if it is already stopped, leave it as it is, at least for now.
Next, make sure that the Startup type menu in the Service’s properties is set to Automatic before you go on.
Now confirm any dialog boxes that may appear as you set the Startup type and then click on the Start button located in the middle before you exit Properties.
Note: You might get the following error message when you click on the Start button:
“Windows could not start the service on Local Computer. Error 1079: The account specified for this service differs from the account specified for other services running in the same process.”
If you got the error message above, then here’s how you can fix it:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Next, type “services.msc” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open Services.
From the list of Services, look for any of the services mentioned above such as BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat Service, or PunkBuster Service. Then right-click on the service and select Properties from the context menu.
Now go to the Log On tab and click on the “Browse…” button.
After that, type in your account’s name under the “Enter the object name to select” box and click on Check Names then wait for the name to be recognized.
Then click OK once you’re done and type in the password in the Password field when you are prompted to do so. This should resolve the issue.
Option 3 – Try reinstalling the Anti-cheat program
If the first two options did not work out, you can try reinstalling the anti-cheat program.
Open Steam from your Desktop or by searching for it in the Start menu.
After opening the Steam client, go to the Library tab in the Steam window and then look for the Rust entry from the list.
Next, right-click on the game’s icon in the library and select Properties.
Now go to the Local Files tab under Properties and click the Browse Local Files button.
From there, look for BattlEye, EasyAntiCheat, or PunkBuster folder depending on the game, and then double click on it to open the folder.
Then right-click on EasyAntiCheat_setup.exe or the BattlEye installed file in the folder or PunkBuster and select the Run as administrator option.
Exit the Steam client by clicking Steam > Exit from the menu located at the top.
If you have a USB that has stopped working and does not show any signs of life do not throw it away just jet.
Hello and welcome to another great tutorial on errortools.com, today we will explore how to bring back to life dead USB memories.
Detect a Corrupted Drive:
If your computer is still able to detect your USB drive, you might want to know if it’s been corrupted. Select the Properties of the drive folder and check the device status. If it says This device is working properly this USB drive is worth saving. There’s no need to worry if you can’t see the USB drive folder.
Erase the USB Drive with Diskpart Tool
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + X top open start menu and choose Command prompt (admin)
Type diskpart and press ENTER
Type in list disk and press ENTER
Locate your USB drive by size and type in select disk#, where # is the number of removable disks.
Reallocate the USB Drive Volume
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + R to open the run dialog and type in diskmgmt.msc
Select the USB drive and Right-click on it and select create simple volume. It will lead to a new simple volume wizard window.
Once you click next, you can specify the volume size for the pen drive. Select the maximum volume, which is shown as a default unit in MB.
As soon as you see the next step, select assign drive letter which will help you view your pen drive once again.
Format the partition in the next step. This may be just an extra step because you have already wiped the data clean. But it is always better to be sure.
Click Finish to complete the new simple volume wizard which will now be allocated to the USB drive.
After you reallocate the unallocated USB drive space, you will be able to view the USB drive storage once again.
This is a typical system error that occurs during Windows setup. To be precise, this error may pop on your computer screen during the text mode portion of Windows setup.
The setup hangs and stops responding and the error message is displayed in either one of the following formats:
‘The file I386Ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded. The error code is 7.’or ‘The file I386L_intl.nlf could not be loaded. The error code is 7.’
Solution
Error Causes
Error 7 may be triggered due to several reasons but the 2 most common causes for this error code are:
Incorrect settings of the BIOS
Faulty RAM modules
Registry corruption
Further Information and Manual Repair
To resolve this error on your system, here are some easy and effective DIY methods that you can try.
Method 1 - Change Back the BIOS to its Default Settings
If the underlying cause of error code 7 is related to incorrect BIOS settings, then it is recommended to restore default settings to resolve.
You can reset your computer’s BIOS (basic input and output system) settings to factory defaults by selecting the restore defaults option within BIOS or by removing CMOS ( Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor) battery from your unplugged computer for about five minutes.
The battery removal method requires opening the computer case, so only attempt it if you are unable to access BIOS.
To reset BIOS follow these steps, reboot your PC and then press the key assigned to loading BIOS during your computer boot splash screen.
The key assigned to load and access BIOS varies from manufacturer to manufacturer but usually, it's F1, F2, or F12. Once you enter the BIOS, select the ‘Restore Defaults’ option listed in the menu. I
t may be a keyboard shortcut or be under the Advanced settings menu. Confirm settings and then exit BIOS. Hopefully, this will resolve Error 7.
Method 2 - Remove the Faulty RAM
When error code 7 is triggered by faulty RAM modules, then to resolve it simply remove the memory modules that are installed in the computer.
If the error code is displayed again after you remove the memory module, remove a different memory module. This procedure requires you to reboot your PC several times to identify the specific memory module that is not working properly.
Method 3 - Repair the Corrupted Registry
Error code 7 is sometimes also linked with registry issues. If the reason for the error occurrence is a damaged or corrupted registry, then simply download Restoro.
This is a powerful PC Fixer embedded with a registry cleaner. It is easy to operate and user-friendly. The registry cleaner detects and removes all errors in seconds. It cleans the registry and repairs the damages in no time.
Click here to download Restoro.
0x0000007c error inside Windows 11 is a printer error that is manifested when Windows users are trying to connect to a shared network remote printer. Error is displayed by the message:
Windows cannot connect to the printer. Operation failed with error 0x0000007c.
If you are experiencing this type of annoyance, fear now we are providing you with several solutions to this problem.
Update Windows 11
Open the Start menu, click on the settings app
Select Windows update tab
Click on Check for updates
Click on Advanced options
Inside select Optional updates
If there are optional updates click on Download & Install
Run the printer troubleshooter
Press ⊞ WINDOWS + I to open settings
Click on Troubleshoot navigation on the system tab
Select Other trouble-shooters
Click on the Run for printer troubleshooter
If the error is found click on Apply this fix
Restart the Print Spooler Service
Right-click on the Start button
Click on RUN
Type in services.msc and press OK
Right-click on Printer Spooler service and select Restart
Clear the Print Spooler
Open services like in the previous step
Right-click Print Spooler and select STOP
Open File explorer
Navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\x64\3 (64-bit Platform)
C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\W32X86\3 (32-bit Platform)
Delete everything inside folders
Go back to services, right-click on Print Spooler and select RESTART
Reinstall Driver for printer
Right-click on Start and select device manager
Double click on the Print queues category
Right-click on the printer and select Uninstall device
Click on Uninstall on prompt
Right-click on the Print queues category and select Scan for hardware Changes
According to Zimperium zLabs, this malware that was recently detected has been doing its scams and attacks even in November of 2020 and has thus far accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in its scam.
On the surface it looks very harmless, asking for typical permissions like internet access, calls, and other related needed functions, and then it waits. After few months the real attack happens when users get charged with premium service they never subscribed to in the first place.
Once you are in setting windows go to personalization settings.
When the personalization setting opens go-to color tab on left and scroll down until you find 2 checkboxes under "show accent color on the following surfaces:"
check ones you wish to apply the effect to and you are done. Now your START menu and/or title bars are using the color scheme of your choice. 
Update Windows 11