ANDRIOD VIRUSES: HOW YOUR DEVICE CAN BE INFECTED & PROTECTION AGAINST THEM

Android Viruses isn't a topic which many people discuss in my locality but there has really been complaints which some people I had met were not even able to describe. Picking up their devices I discovered they had been attacked by one form of virus or the other, that’s why I had to bring in this topic.

A Brief Description of Android Viruses

Just like every other virus that can attack your computer systems, Android viruses are malicious apps, programs, files or even codes that can mess up your device and perhaps in most cases do things in your device without your consent, like stealing your data and/or destroying it.

They surely can do more harm to more devices despite the huge amount of effort Google puts into building Android OS. Many of us believe our Android devices are invulnerable but the OS is Open source (Android Open Source Project -AOSP), this alone completely changes that fact.

Android Virus Types

They are mainly Malwares and Trojans right now, they’re made up of files & codes, yes you heard me right “CODES”! Viruses are now written in strong encrypted codes and injected to run in your device, we take a sneak peak at Trojans & Malwares.

Malwares

Malwares can completely hijack installed apps with your data or even the entire device. This virus that use the WebView component on Android versions older than 4.4 (KitKat) are silent and transparent, it won’t notify you before taking actions. 

Malwares make use of certificates to gain access to your device, Android certs which give administrative rights are basically of 3 types

1. Hard-coded Adobe certificate

2. The 3LM certificate with the certificate chain, malwares can use the device management extensions to silently install new apps, change system settings and take control of the device.

3.  The third is hard-coded certificate is used by Google Wallet

Attackers abuse and can use any of the above certs to bypass whatever stops malwares from attacking your device.

Android Trojans

Okay, this one is pretty smart than the rest. If a trojan infects your device, it can relax there without you even noticing, it’s the most sophisticated virus you can think of.

Here’s a paragraph from Wikipedia of what Trojan can do.

“In August 2010, Kaspersky Lab reported a trojan designated Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a. 

This was the first malicious program classified as a Trojan SMS that affects smartphones running on Google’s Android operating system, and which had already infected a number of mobile devices, sending SMS messages to premium rate numbers without the owner’s knowledge or consent, and accumulating huge bills”

See what installing it looks like below…

Another dreadful feature of a Trojan is that it can’t be deleted once it’s installed. This is because Trojan enjoys extended privileges, but is not listed as an application with Device Administrator privileges.

Trojans can go as Far as collecting sensitive data from your device and these may include: your MAC address, telephone number, account balance, local time and of course it will tell the cybercriminals whether it had successfully gained Administrator privileges of your device.

Now there were still apps submitted to Google and Kaspersky team for Analysis, they returned feedbacks after scanning– trojans make use of a program called “Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a.”

I believe more crafty ways are still been built to encrypt Trojans with codes that cannot be understandable by anti-malware experts. The fight against this virus continues.

How Your Android Devices can Be Infected

Your device can be infected through any means of communication with a 3rd-party device, app, files, or bytes it received.

In most cases those free apps you install from 3rd party stores other than the original Google PlayStore can contain malicious codes.

You may even get your device infected through mails/messages attachments, or shared apps from another devices.

Tips on how to protect your device

Fortunately, in most cases of reported issues of Android malware & trojan attacks, solutions were quickly created to fight it. Here’s what you can do in case your smartphone or tablet is already infected:

1. Install an ANTI-VIRUS

Installing an antivirus can’t be overemphasized. Although this does not guarantee your device is 100 secure, it goes a long way to prevent an infection. You may pick from any of those below, they’re reliable.

– Kaspersky Internet Security

– AVAST Mobile Security & Antivirus

There are more which you can always find from recommendation by Play Store.

You’re expected to install only one AntiVirus! Installing more than one can actually harm your device sooner or later. Wondering why? Installing two different programs to perform the same jab can cause conflicts with undesirable effects like your device crashing or slowing down.

I’ll suggest you also install Bluebox Security Scanner, it can check whether a device is vulnerable to the fake ID attacks and whether your device allows installation of apps from untrusted sources among other things.

2. Monitor Your Installation Permissions & Accessibility

Before installing apps, you’re always presented with the permissions the app is asking for. This is an easy way to spot malicious programs.  When apps starts asking for permissions like your contacts, device app history, location, identity, SMS access, email access and other sensitive data, be sure it’s an app you trust downloaded preferably from Google Play.This includes

You can also choose to VERIFY APPS before you install them.

3. Encrypt your phone

With this settings activated, you should make yourself a numeric PIN or Password to decrypt your phone each time you Power it on. You do this by going to SETTINGS > SECURITY > scroll down and you’ll find the option.

Be sure you use a PIN/Password you can easily remember.

People feel Android virus attacks are few but it mustn't be ignored, otherwise you may loose not only your device, but also your accounts connected with it. Apps like PayPal, GoogleWallet, BitCoin can get hacked through viruses. I still can’t tell which viruses are more harmful,  but I’m pretty sure the tips in this post will help you stay safe from any of them.

All the best.

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HOW TO MUTE/SILENCE WHATSAPP GROUP NOTIFICATION SOUNDS/TONES

Some Whatsapp users often complain about disturbing group notification sounds or tones. This even caused people to leave their Whatsapp groups with the complain that the numerous sounds often drain their batteries quickly, which though may or may not be true.
I therefore decided to give the below tutorial which may be known or unknown to many.


1. On your Whatsapp Chat/conversation menu, go to Settings, then Notifications.



2. Select Notifications and scroll down to Group Notifications.



3. Tab on Notification Tones and Select Silent or None and ok it.



You are done.

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WINDOWS XP SUPPORT ENDED LAST YEAR, 2014

Microsoft first released Windows XP on October 25, 2001 and after over twelve years of supporting the operating system announced it is ending Windows XP support April 8, 2014 which means that they will no longer be providing any updates, patches, or further software security related support.

If you are still running Windows XP it will continue to work after this date, but if a security vulnerability is discovered after this date it will not be fixed by Microsoft. However, Microsoft has indicated it will continue to offer anti-malware support (MSE) for Windows XP until July 14, 2015 and other anti-virus manufacturers have also announced that they'll be extending their support of Windows XP for up to a year. While this will offer some protection for your computer it still will not protect against any new vulnerabilities not yet released or discovered.

Some people argue that since Windows XP is such an established operating system that it is not likely that any new security vulnerabilities will be discovered. However, most experts recommend upgrading to a later version of Windows, either Windows 7 or the latest version of Windows, Windows 8.

If your computer is over four years old or does not meet the system requirements of a new versions of Windows we suggest getting a new computer with a more up-to-date version of Windows. Alternatively if you want to keep the older computer and don't need Windows you may also consider switching to Linux distro.

Tip: Microsoft is offering a free data transfer program for users upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.

Tip: If your hesitation of going to a new version of Windows is because you have an older program that is designed for Windows XP, Windows XP Mode can help older programs run in new versions of Windows.

What if I still want to run and use Windows XP?

If you plan on continuing to use Microsoft Windows XP after April 8, 2014 following the below suggestions.

1. Don't use an administrator account - Use a limited account and not a adminaccount. If you use an account with not enough rights spyware, malware, and other exploits wont work or be much less likely to work.
2. Use an alternative browser - Don't use Internet Explorer and instead use an alternative browser such as Chrome or Firefox, which will continue to be updated and remain secure.
3. Keep your browser plugins and extensions updated - Plug-ins like Java and Flash are one of the most common methods of attacking a computer. Keep your browser and all of its plug-ins up-to-date. You can find the latest version of all your plug-ins through our system information tool. If you don't use a plug-in that is installed (e.g. Java, uninstall it from the computer.)
4. Keep the computer offline - If this is a work computer that doesn't need to be online keep it offline. Without having access to the Internet the computer cannot be attacked.
5. Follow all the steps on how to protect yourself while online.

Related questions

Can Windows XP still be installed and activated after April 8, 2014?

Yes. You'll still be able to run, install, and activate Windows XP after April 8, 2014.

What about Windows XP Embedded?

Windows XP Embedded support will remain until January 12, 2016.

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MICROSOFT KEY BOARD SHOTCUTS

Ctrl + 0	Adds or removes 6pts of spacing before a paragraph.
Ctrl + A	Select all contents of the page.
Ctrl + B	Bold highlighted selection.
Ctrl + C	Copy selected text.
Ctrl + D	Open the font preferences window.
Ctrl + E	Aligns the line or selected text to the center of the screen.
Ctrl + F	Open find box.
Ctrl + I	Italic highlighted selection.
Ctrl + J	Aligns the selected text or line to justify the screen.
Ctrl + K	Insert link.
Ctrl + L	Aligns the line or selected text to the left of the screen.
Ctrl + M	Indent the paragraph.
Ctrl + P	Open the print window.
Ctrl + R	Aligns the line or selected text to the right of the screen.
Ctrl + T	Create a hanging indent.
Ctrl + U	Underline highlighted selection.
Ctrl + V	Paste.
Ctrl + X	Cut selected text.
Ctrl + Y	Redo the last action performed.
Ctrl + Z	Undo last action.
Ctrl + Shift + L	Quickly create a bullet point.
Ctrl + Shift + F	Change the font.
Ctrl + Shift + >	Increase selected font +1pts up to 12pt and then increases font +2pts.
Ctrl + ]	Increase selected font +1pts.
Ctrl + Shift + <	Decrease selected font -1pts if 12pt or lower, if above 12 decreases font by +2pt.
Ctrl + [	Decrease selected font -1pts.
Ctrl + / + c	Insert a cent sign (¢).
Ctrl + ' +	Insert a character with an accent (grave) mark, where is the character you want. For example, if you wanted an accented è you would use Ctrl + ' + e as your shortcut key. To reverse the accent mark use the opposite accent mark, often on the tilde key.
Ctrl + Shift + *	View or hide non printing characters.
Ctrl +	Moves one word to the left.
Ctrl +	Moves one word to the right.
Ctrl +	Moves to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
Ctrl +	Moves to the end of the paragraph.
Ctrl + Del	Deletes word to right of cursor.
Ctrl + Backspace	Deletes word to left of cursor.
Ctrl + End	Moves the cursor to the end of the document.
Ctrl + Home	Moves the cursor to the beginning of the document.
Ctrl + Spacebar	Reset highlighted text to the default font.
Ctrl + 1	Single-space lines.
Ctrl + 2	Double-space lines.
Ctrl + 5	1.5-line spacing.
Ctrl + Alt + 1	Changes text to heading 1.
Ctrl + Alt + 2	Changes text to heading 2.
Ctrl + Alt + 3	Changes text to heading 3.
Alt + Ctrl + F2	Open new document.
Ctrl + F1	Open the Task Pane.
Ctrl + F2	Display the print preview.
Ctrl + Shift + >	Increases the highlighted text size by one.
Ctrl + Shift + <	Decreases the highlighted text size by one.
Ctrl + Shift + F6	Opens to another open Microsoft Word document.
Ctrl + Shift + F12	Prints the document.
F1	Open Help.
F4	Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+)
F5	Open the find, replace, and go to window in Microsoft Word.
F7	Spellcheck and grammar check selected text or document.
F12	Save as.
Shift + F3	Change the text in Microsoft Word from uppercase to lowercase or a capital letter at the beginning of every word.
Shift + F7	Runs a Thesaurus check on the word highlighted.
Shift + F12	Save.
Shift + Enter	Create a soft break instead of a new paragraph.
Shift + Insert	Paste.
Shift + Alt + D	Insert the current date.
Shift + Alt + T	Insert the current time.

In addition to the above shortcut keys users can also use their mouse as a method of quickly do something commonly performed. Below some are examples of mouse shortcuts.

Mouse shortcuts	Description
Click, hold, and drag	Selects text from where you click and hold to the point you drag and let go.
Double-click	If double-click a word, selects the complete word.
Double-click	Double-clicking on the left, center, or right of a blank line will make the alignment of the text left, center, or right aligned.
Double-click	Double-clicking anywhere after text on a line will set a tab stop.
Triple-click	Selects the line or paragraph of the text the mouse triple-clicked.
Ctrl + Mouse wheel	Zooms in and out of document.

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5 Essential free Software for Windows PC

5 Essential free Software for Windows PC

Imagine, you have a new high end PC with Windows installed. You switch on the PC in excitement only to ask yourself the question, what should I do now? Even the most high end hardware is useless without the right software. This article deals with such five essential software for your PC that do not put any dent on your pocket. For convenience purposes, each software is provided according to the category of its usage. So lets begin.

All the freeware mentioned support all versions of Windows including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

1.  Browsers: It is fair to say that for majority of PC users, surfing the internet is the only major use for their PC. So, it would have been unfair to begin this list with any other category. Although, Windows comes with Internet Explorer, it would not be totally wrong to say that IE is no more than an average web browser. So an alternative web browser is an absolute necessity. Coming to the point, there are two major contenders for inclusion in this category. So, I was unsure which one to choose. So I decided to include them both. (I have intentionally not numbered the browsers)

a. Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla is not totally wrong to say that the Firefox Web browser is the faster, more secure, and fully customizable way to browse the web. Firefox is one of the most complete browsers available. It is considered to be the first browser to shake Internet Explorer's dominance. One of the good things about Firefox is that it keeps up with the needs of time. Another cool thing about Firefox is that it has a perfect score in Acid 3 test. Firefox wins the race with other browsers in terms of available themes, plugins, and security. Overall, Firefox is a must have browser on your PC.

b.  Google Chrome: When Google does something, it is huge and the same is true for Google Chrome. Everything was looking settled in the browser market when Google all of a sudden came up with their new browser with the unique thought of building it almost from scratch. Google's Chrome is currently the fastest browser on the planet with tremendous JavaScript rendering capabilities. Like Firefox, Chrome has a perfect score in Acid 3. Themes and plugins also make Chrome a totally customizable browser. Overall, Chrome is fast, safe and customizable. If you have no problem with Google's products, Chrome is a must have browser on your PC.

2.  Media Player: If we check our hard drives, one thing which most of us will find on them is media. To play that media, we need a media player. So a media player is important for most PC users. One can say that Windows comes with Windows Media Player, so why is another media player needed? To them, I say that Windows Media Player does not have the ability to play all the media formats unless you install the necessary codecs. So, a media player which comes with almost all codecs installed is needed. There is one such media player available. It is VideoLAN's free offering, VLC Media Player.

 VLC  Media Player: VLC Media Player is an open source, multi-platform media player that comes with almost all of the codecs required to play all different types of media on your PC. So you do not have to worry about installing codecs to play your files. Moreover, the best part about VLC media player is that being open source, you can install it on almost any operating system. Moreover, VLC media player is portable so you can carry it in your flash drive. All this combined with stability, performance, ability to convert and cut videos make VLC Media Player an absolute essential software.

3.  Image Viewer: Well most of us like to take images, and most of us like to edit them as well. This leads to a large amount of images in different formats. The inbuilt image viewer in Windows is not all that bad but the problem arises when we try to open files of different formats. Imagine this situation, you have a great collection of images which are of different formats. Now you invite your friends to show those images. But you have one problem, Windows Image Viewer is not opening the images as they are of unsupported formats. What do you do? Well you install Irfan View with plugins.

Irfan View: Irfan View is developed by Irfan Skiljan, a student at the University of Vienna in 1996. Irfan View is one of the most popular image viewer worldwide. Irfan View gets downloaded over 1 million times each month. One of the major advantages of Irfan View is that it has a light interface, is fast in opening images and can open virtually every type of image image file possible. It can even open Flash files and also serves as a small media player as it can play movie files and mp3 files as well! And that is not all, Irfan View can be used to do minor image editing as well.

Some of its features are:
Slide show, batch conversion, Acquiring from a TWAIN source, Batch acquire or scan, adding text to photos, converting to greyscale, enhancing colours and even capturing screen shots. Honestly, that is not even 5 % of what Irfan View is capable of. All this at a tremendously small size make Irfan View a must have essential.

Irfan View Plugins can add further functionality to this already great software.

4.  Security: This could well be the most important category of this article. Security of a PC is the most important thing in the cyber world now. There was a time when this was not essential but those were the good old days. Now one cannot even think of browsing the web without having an anti virus or anti spyware installed. Big organizations and corporate companies spend millions for securing their network but you don't have to. There are some free tools which do the job equally well without costing you a penny. (To read a full article on securing your PC, visit How to Improve your Cyber Security.)

There were many alternatives to include in this category. So I decided to include the most popular one which is presumably AVG Free Edition.

AVG Free Edition: AVG is a popular antivirus with a slick interface having the ability to detect viruses and spywares. It receives updates frequently and is light on resources. Some of its key features are Automatic Update Functionality, Resident Shield, Email Scanner, free lifetime database updates for home users, Anti Spyware, Anti Virus, AVG toolbar and Search Scan. All these premium features are available free of cost in AVG making it a must have free anti virus/spyware for your PC.

 
5.  Office Suite: An office suite has become an absolute necessity these days. We use it to create text documents,presentations, making tables, graphs, recording data, managing schedules,creating spreadsheets and workbooks. A full fledged Office Suite like Microsoft Office will cost you no less than 500 USD (Rs. 25000). That is too high a price for any user. So what should one do? Well, use the Open Office Suite instead.

Open Office Suite: Open Office Suite is an open source, multi lingual, multi platform project developed by Sun Micro systems. Among all the Office Suites available, Open Office is considered to be the only worthy competitor to Microsoft Office. It is fast, available in many languages, works on all computers, stores all data in an international open standard format, read and write files from other common office packages and the best of all, is free of charge for any purpose(commercial or private). It can even edit PDF files.

These freeware will definitely help you to make your PC more usable. Although there are many more free software for Windows that are worthwhile, these 5 are an absolute must for a freeware dominated Windows PC.

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