Qlocker security threat targets random businesses

Ransomware attacks are nothing new, but they have been growing rapidly in recent years. One estimate puts the annual cost of such security breaches at $11trillion, with an attack every 11seconds of every day. Now there is a new player on the scene in the form of the Qlocker security threat, and it is something every SME needs to be aware of.

image showing cyber attack such as Qlocker security threat where files have been locked by malware

What is the Qlocker security threat?

The Qlocker security threat exploits a weakness in QNAP network attached storage (NAS) systems, which are permanently linked to the net. This is a popular system used by many SMEs to facilitate backups in case of system failure or ransomware attacks, yet this defence is being used against the system.

The attack does not use malware as such but exploits the software to password protect the 7zip files used for backup. To get the password to unlock the files, the victim must pay a ransom. This is pitched at an affordable 0.01bitcoin, around £263, to encourage companies to pay. By hitting a huge number of companies, this relatively small amount soon adds up for the attackers.

Why is my company at risk from the Qlocker security threat?

Unlike many ransomware attach, which target specific organisations, such as the NHS or major companies, demanding a large sum, the Qlocker security threat is much more widespread. Their software scans the net for QNAP devices and automatically exploits the weakness. They neither know or care, who you are or what you do, which means that every company, large or small is vulnerable if they use QNAP NAS.

Unfortunately, your system will not be protected by most antivirus or malware products. The Qlocker security threat simply exploits existing vulnerabilities in the system to execute the password protection scam on your files.

Talk to us about Cyber Security Training for your staff members.

What should I do if I am attacked?

If you experience the Qlocker security threat, you should keep your system running. It is tempting to shut down and reboot, but this will only make things worse. QNAP’s advice is:

* immediately disable myQNAPcloud

* change the default web admin port from port 8080 to another port

* terminate any active ‘7z’ processes

Alternatively, you can contact AGT Computers and we will walk you through your immediate steps and work with you to get you up and running as soon as possible.

Avoiding the Qlocker security threat

QNAP are working to combat the Qlocker security threat and has issued a number of updates to its software. To avoid falling victim, it is important to keep your system updated with the latest versions of Multimedia Console, Media Streaming Add-on and Hybrid Backup Sync. Once again, AGT computers are on hand to help you with this and ensure that your system is as safe as possible from the Qlocker security threat.

Ongoing system security

After a year and a half of unprecedented challenges, the last thing your business needs is to take a hit from ransomware or malware. That’s why AGT offers a full suite of cyber security services, from managed cyber security, including complete cyber security training for your team, to disaster recovery and business continuity services in the event of an attack.

Our experts are available around the clock, all year round, to keep your company computers safe and keep your business data secure. To find out more about how AGT can enhance your security and help protect you against ransomware attacks like Qlocker, get in touch today or fill out our contact form. With first-class computer support in Manchester, Preston and the Fylde, you can beat the cybercriminals and protect your company both now and in the future.

 

Computer support investment worth £1.2bn at Met Office

Computer support has always been key to predicting the weather. It enables meteorologists to process data using complex models of the atmosphere, in order to forecast storms, flooding and droughts, both in the short term and over longer periods. From next year, the Met Office will have more computing power than ever, when a brand new £1.2bn supercomputer comes online.

Bank of processors for a supercomputer

What is a supercomputer?

Supercomputers are huge machines with mind-boggling processing power. While your average desktop machine will have two or perhaps four processing cores, the new Met Office machine will have 1.5million. This will enable it to process 60petaflops of data every second – that is 60 quadrillion or 60 with fifteen zeros after it. To put that in context, counting to a quadrillion would take you over 200million years.

The new Met Office supercomputer will be made up of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Cray supercomputers and will utilise cloud computing from Microsoft Azure. It will be one of the top 25 supercomputers in the world and will be six times faster than the current system. What’s more, it will be upgraded in around five years to be three times faster again.

Why do we need so much computer support?

Weather forecasting computers work by creating a simulation of the atmosphere. New data is fed into this simulation to see how it reacts, and so predict how the real atmosphere might react. The current UK weather supercomputer (which cost a bargain £97m) processes 200billion pieces of data a day from satellites, global weather stations and even ocean buoys, and at six times faster, the new system will significantly increase this processing power. The more data you put in, the more accurate the forecast you get out.

Why spend so much on weather forecasting?

Accurate weather forecasting means much more than just wearing the right coat or planning a barbecue at the weekend. Forecasts allow the authorities to prepare for extreme weather events, such as floods or droughts that risk wildfires. They also help the energy companies to prepare for increased demand during cold spells. In the longer term, accurate weather forecasts allow us to monitor climate change and proactively protect ourselves from the effects.

Is it worth £1.2bn?

The new supercomputer may be the biggest single investment ever by the Met Office, but it is well worth it. With extreme weather events becoming more commonplace, it is more important than ever to have accurate weather forecasts as far into the future as possible. One government estimate says that for every £1 spent on the new supercomputer, the economy will benefit by around £19 – so it’s pretty good value for money, even with such a huge price tag.

Helping the climate

As well as predicting the climate, the new supercomputer will support it too, as it will be powered entirely by renewable energy. Part of its work will be to support the UK in its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. As Professor Penny Endersby, Met Office Chief Executive explains: “This investment will ultimately provide the information needed to build a more resilient world in a changing climate and help support the transition to a low carbon economy across the UK. It will help the UK to continue to lead the field in weather and climate science.”

Computer support in Manchester and Preston

Of course, you don’t need to have 60petabytes of processing power to enjoy top class computer support for your business. AGT Computer Services are here to support the computer systems that support your business, with responsive, reliable service from our expert team available around the clock. We might not be able to tell you if it’s going to rain, but we can always help you with the cloud.

Semiconductor shortage – the chips are down

A close-up of a circuit board showing semiconductors or computer chips

There is a semiconductor shortage right now, and it is affecting all of us.

Semiconductors, or computer chips as they are more widely known, are part of almost every element of our lives these days. Not only do they appear in our computers, smart phones and laptops, they are also fundamental to all kinds of other devices, from cars to toasters to washing machines. As technology becomes more sophisticated, with the internet of things, and more cars become electric, the number of chips required will only increase.

All eggs in one basket

Given the prevalence of computer chips in modern equipment and machinery, it is staggering to find that more than half of the world supply comes from just one company, TSMC, in Taiwan. With a further 20% made by Samsung in South Korea, the two companies together account for three-quarters of the world’s microchip production, or around 750bn chips per year.

A global shortage

The inflexibility of this set-up has been brought to a head by the global pandemic, with significant swings in global demand causing real problems in the supply chain. In the motor industry, a big drop in sales at the start of 2020 meant many car manufacturers cancelled their chip orders. When the market bounced back unexpectedly quickly later that year, many of these firms were left high and dry, without the crucial chips they needed to meet the sudden surge in demand. One estimate puts lost sales at $60bn, with many car firms having to mothball production plants for lack of chips.

Not just cars

At the other end of the scale, the pandemic has brought an unprecedented demand for consumer electronics. The change in lifestyle has seen a huge rise in sales of everything from Play Stations and XBoxes to entertain the locked-down masses, to PCs and laptops for homeworkers. With companies like Apple far bigger customers than the motor manufacturers, they are inevitably jumping the new queue, making the semiconductor shortage even worse.

Why can’t we just make more chips?

It isn’t as easy as just increasing production. A new chip manufacturing plant is a high-tech environment and can cost as much as $20bn to build. Creating the cleanrooms required also makes it a lengthy process. But that doesn’t mean that other countries aren’t trying. Europe has set an ambitious target for 20% of its chips to be manufactured in the EU by 2030 and President Biden has said that he is “directing senior officials in my administration to work with industry leaders to identify solutions to the semiconductor shortage”.  Unfortunately, neither of these plans will help the immediate semiconductor shortage worldwide.

Geopolitical tensions

As if the limited manufacturing issues weren’t bad enough, the fact that 55% of world production is based in the disputed territory of Taiwan makes matters much worse. The simmering tensions between the US and China, and between China and Taiwan, make the global semiconductor market a stressful and secretive business. It is all far too complicated to go into here, but you can learn more about it by listening to the BBC Business Daily programme on BBC Sounds.

How long will the semiconductor shortage last?

Most estimates for the scale of the semiconductor shortage range from at least a few months up to the rest of this year and beyond. A recent fire at one of the big chip manufacturing plants has put many of these estimates back even further, and with continuing uncertainty over second and third waves of Covid across the world, no one can be really sure when the semiconductor shortage will finally resolve itself.

This makes it all the more important to maintain the equipment you have in the best possible condition by using expert computer support in Manchester, Preston and Blackpool from AGT. With uncertainty about where your next machines are coming from, your current IT system is more important to you than ever before. Contact our friendly team today to see how AGT can help your company to make its IT systems last longer.

When the chips are down, you can count on AGT!

 

Alternatives to Fibre Optic Broadband

Top Broadband Alternatives to Fibre Optic

Unfortunately, many people enjoying a life of happy pastoral living in rural Britain suffer from a lack of quality broadband. While some live in total “not spots,” many more experience inadequate service. This can be frustrating, especially for business owners who rely on Internet access to stay connected to customers. There are broadband alternatives in rural UK, however. Here are a few ways to get you out of Internet Purgatory.

ADSL Broadband Alternatives

The easiest option would be ADSL broadband. ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line which is simply accessing the Internet through an existing telephone line. ADSL lines generally delivers enough broadband for home use or even for small businesses. You can check to see if your line can receive broadband by visiting the BT Broadband Availability Checker and entering your telephone number. If you don’t have a land line you can enter your postcode or address to determine whether broadband is an option in your area.

broadband alternatives

Bonded ADSL Broadband

For businesses that have outgrown the single ADSL connection, Bonded ADSL Broadband is a good next step for staying connected. It provides a less expensive alternative to leased lines and MPLS connections found in high-performance networks. Broadband is delivered using multiple ADSL lines that combine to form a single connection to deliver faster download and upload speeds.

securedownload (2)

Mobile Phone Broadband / 3G / 4G

For some people getting a BT phone line may not even be an option. They may also find that an ADSL line is too slow and erratic. Mobile broadband then becomes an attractive alternative, providing you get a good mobile phone signal. Using what is basically a router that plugs into a USB port, 3G speeds may deliver comparable speeds to ADSL and 4G will likely outperform it all together. While this will be a more expensive option it may be possible to find a deal for unlimited or high usage. Ofcom’s mobile broadband coverage checker allows you to see if this is an option in your area.

satellite

 Satellite Broadband

Another alternative for those living in rural areas is satellite broadband. A satellite dish is required to allow two-way access to the home. While traditionally this type of broadband delivery was painfully slow (and expensive), there have been great improvements in speed in recent years. A clear line of sight is required for optimal reception, however, and what is considered optimal for satellite broadband still falls short of the speeds many people have come to expect. Inclement weather can also negatively impact service and cause delays or latencies.

securedownload (3)

Wireless Delivery via Radio Masts

Access to broadband can also be achieved wirelessly through a radio mast. A smart antenna is required which needs to be set up outside the home or business and in sight of the mast. A wireless router is used inside the property, similar to the way you would route broadband through a land line.

leased

Leased Lines

Leased lines are a good option for businesses operating in remote areas with unreliable broadband access. Companies in Blackpool, Lytham and Lancashire have the option of using these private circuit lines to make sure they have uninterrupted access. Businesses operating in Cumbria’s Lake District can use these data lines to stay in touch with offices further south.

Microsoft Office 365 Migration & Support Blackpool and Preston

Office-365-New

Microsoft Office 365 Migration

If your company needs to make a Microsoft Office 365 migration, but you don’t employ in-house IT support, this need not be an obstacle for you. If you are operating your business in Blackpool, Lytham, Preston or Lancashire and you need to perform an Office 365 Migration to Microsoft Servers, AGT Computer Services offers solutions to make this transition seamless. We can also help you set up and maintain Office 365 Exchange Online so that you can stay connected to your employees and your customers and maintain complete control of calendars, mailboxes and contact managers.

Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium

Office 365 is available in several different packages, but the Business Premium Plan provides the overall best value. With this plan your company will receive the full installation of Microsoft Office applications for up to five PCs or Macs. This includes Excel, Word, Powerpoint, OneNote and Publisher, as well as one terabyte of file sharing and storage space. Full installation is also available for up to five phones and tablets. Some of the outstanding features that come standard with the Business Premium Plan include business class email, calendars and online audio and video conferencing capabilities with Skype and instant messaging. Access to the Yammer platform allows employees to connect and collaborate no matter which business applications they use. You’ll always have access to the latest versions of Office applications across all devices and the Business Premium Plan supports up to 300 users. Syncing files is a cinch and multiple users can edit documents in real time. Office 365 is easy to set up and use. In fact, it’s all the IT you need and the yearly cost is only £93.60 plus VAT.

email-migration-service

Office 365 Exchange Online

Once migration to the new Microsoft Exchange server has been achieved, your business is ready to set up Microsoft Exchange Online. This e-mail based server allows for collaborative communication between multiple users throughout your company. As an authorized Microsoft reseller, AGT can assist your business with this transition. When your business needs to migrate to the Cloud in Blackpool or Lytham, Preston or Lancashire, AGT Computer Services can perform that task for £30.00 per year plus VAT. For a charge of £95.00 per mailbox, our Exchange Online migration offers solutions to protect your company’s information. Security experts provide 24 hour monitoring to protect data. Malware and antivirus protection and anti-spam filtering offers protection to your mailboxes, and you can rest easy knowing your sensitive data is secure on multiple servers so that data can be recovered fully in the event of an emergency. With 99.9% uptime, your e-mail will never be down and communication will be constant between you, your employees and your customers. The admin center is intuitive and allows you to stay in control, which eliminates the need for in-house IT support.

Start Your Migration Today

If you operate in Blackpool, Lytham, Preston, Lancashire or the surrounding area, AGT Computer Services offers reliability and protection for your Office 365 applications and Exchange Online. As an authorised Microsoft reseller, we deliver personalised, customisable IT solutions and support for your Office applications. Big or small, we provide plans that fit your company’s size and budget and allow you to stay connected while being protected.

exchange-online

Server 2003 Migration Time – End of Life in 6 Months!

It’s Time to Migrate away from Server 2003!

Today is the Start of the 6 month countdown to the end of support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

The Extended Support End Date is 14th July 2015,

Once this has passed microsoft will stop releasing security, performance and vital updates for the server.

Specialists predict that a staggering 65% of business have yet to create a migration plan.

Now is the perfect time to start planning your server 2003 migration! It takes time to check 3rd party software compatibilty and requirements and with a 6 month dealine looming, We can asses, design, plan and fully migrate you away from Server 2003.

Please Get in touch for a free quote on 01253 808472.

Windows Server 2012 Microsoft Cloud Storage Office 365

 

CryptoLocker malware demands Bitcoin for payment, including examples – AGT Computer services Ltd malware and virus removal blackpool and lytham st annes

CryptoLocker – A new destructive malware / ransomeware threat that calls itself CryptoLocker.

The CryptoLocker is infecting machines via spam email attachments and Botnets. Once your machine is infected it will encrypt all files within your machine and spread to network shares, encrypting all your company’s documents and files – rendering them unusable.

Spam emails have always been existent however, they’re now incorporating this new high level threat.

Do not open email attachments from unknown senders. Culprit emails are appearing to come from genuine senders, examples of such emails are:

 

  • Sky
  • Dun & BradStreet (titled Complaint and your domain eg.. “DNB Complaint MyBusiness.co.uk)
  • Wells Fargo
  • Wells Fargo Advisors
  • HSBC Bank
  • webteam@virginmedia.com
  • BT
  • Fedex
  • Land Registry
  • Key Bank
  • Companies House
  • HMRC
  • TNT
  • Accounts Payable TNT
  • TNT Courier Service
  • run.payroll.invoice@adp.com
  • Santander

 

Please delete any suspicious emails immediately, do not open or view the attachments.

 

The malware has spread rapidly over the last 12 hours and in some cases, the malware has bypassed antivirus packages.

we have had reports services such as SkyDrive and Dropbox are also effected.

 

Hotel Wireless Case Study – Grand TwentyTwo

AGT Computer Services provides The Grand Twenty Two Hotel, Lytham with the latest network and hotel wireless equipment.

Company Name: The Grand Twenty Two

Company Size: 25 Staff, Two Hotels, 100 Rooms.

Industry: Hotel, Events, Catering, Cafe and Spa.

Company Website: http://www.the-grand.co.uk/

Grand TwentyTwo Hotel Wireless Installation

 

Problem/Objective for Hotel Wireless

The Grand Twenty Two is an expansion on their current hotel. requests for a full hotel wireless system throughout the hotel so staff and customers would be able to connect via laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Solution

  • DrayTech Fibre Optic Router
  • NetGear ProSafe 20-Access Points Wireless Controller
  • NetGear ProSafe 24 Port Gigabit Switch
  • NetGear DualBand Access Points
  • 800m 21u Data Cabinet
  • 4 Patch Panels
  • AGT Man Hours!

Result

A Full secure wireless system throughout four floors, kitchen and lounging area. It was the Grand Hotels commitment to providing guests with a first class WIFI experience using the highest specification Wireless  and Wired networking solution.

Pre Configuration of the Grand TwentyTwo Hotel Wireless Installation

Cabling for the Grand TwentyTwo Hotel Wireless, CCTV, Door Locks and Fire Alarms

The Grand TwentyTwo Hotel Wireless Case Study

 

Fibre Optic Broadband Hits St Annes, Poulton, Cleveleys and Fleetwood

Fibre Optic Broadband

BT and other competitors are taking orders for Fibre optic broadband in the Fylde Area.

BT have been upgrading the Exchanges in rapid time and on schedule. Some orders for our clients have already been carried out last week! The cost of the upgrade is a massive £2.5 billion from BT which aims to cover two-thirds of the all UK homes and Business by 2015.

 

Oh Lancashire is wonderful! Now with Fibre Optic Broadband

The first areas to start accepting orders are St Annes, Poulton, Cleveleys and Fleetwood. So call your supplier now and Demand Fibre Optic!

Next up will be Lytham St Annes and Great Eccleston by the end of September This Year!

By the end of 2013 the center of Blackpool and Kirkham

By the end of 2014 North Shore, South Shore, Marton, Freckleton, Hambleton, Knott End and Pilling

and finally by the end of 2015 Weeton (Sorry Guys!)

Click the Map

BT Broadband Map

 

 

How Fast, is fast?

Some say fibre optic broadband is so fast that when you turn your light out, you can be in bed before it gets dark!

To give you an idea on how fast fibre optic broadband is, see the table below.

Fibre Optic Download Speed Comparison Chart

 

Can you get it?

To see if you are eligible for the upgrade, try BTs home page http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/broadband/infinity

or call BT Direct on 0800 800150  /  0330 123 4150

 

The Difference between FTTC and FTTP

FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) this is the faster option out of the two, it’s a full fibre based product from the exchange to your home with speeds from 100mb download and 30mb upload. Unfortunately for us in st annes and lytham we will only be getting, FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet). This is fibre from your exchange up to the green cabinets in the streets. (the BT Chaps sitting on little stools are always at them!) Then from the green cabinets, a black copper wire from the telephone poles into your home. I am not complaining though! Honest! the FTTC speeds are up to 80mb download and 20mb upload. Hurray!

 

Thanks For Reading, All the Best.

 

 

 

 

Namesco ISP phones engaged due to mass password change

Attempting to phone Namesco for a customer, only to find the lines are constantly engaged due to a new, forced, mass password change. Lines have been hammered since 21November (see http://www.names.co.uk/network_status.html), and we had to find out this information from the site by Googling ”namesco server status“. When you try and call their support line (0845  363 3630), all you hear is an engaged tone. On some accounts, the message “Please update the password for the following user(s) at your earliest convenience. This will allow us to store it using the latest, most secure method of cryptographic hashing, which is part of an important security upgrade. Failure to complete this process may result in the user(s) being automatically locked in future.”

We have been using Namesco for several years; their servers are reliable, and help has always been on hand when we needed. However, we feel that their re-seller control panel is outdated, and renewal prices for domains are extortionately high! (Namesco – .co.uk 2 years £19.99,  Heart internet – .co.uk 2 years £5.98). Thing is, Namesco fool you in by charging £5.98 for a new .co.uk domain, but when it comes to renewal time, the price goes up to twenty quid plus VAT! (prices correct December 2012 – see here). If you want to transfer the domain away from namesco, a £10 + VAT charge is payable (all the other players will do this for free).

Along with their security breach in January, we feel this is the last straw, and will be looking elsewhere for reseller hosting.

Having said that, let’s leave Namesco in a good light – we have always found their DNS propagation to be very fast, the DNS control panel to be one of the simplest to understand, and the customer service to be outstanding.