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Hackers
for Hire & Renewing Your Security
A
Hacker Among You? | Happy
Ending | 24/7
Customer Service
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Isn't
technology just wonderful? Every new advance
in technology promises faster,
easier, reliable and more enjoyable results
than what we had before. There are cell
phones available now that do just about
everything but make your dinner and clean
your house, copy machines that now have
computer brains and offer so many promising
features (when they work), tiny robots
made from scrap phone and PC parts that
can help locate victims in a disaster
zone, application devices that can be
connected to your kids' cell phones and
alerts you to where they are and even
if they are speeding while behind the
wheel. We have computer software and
games that you can work out to, compete
with, and that can take you to never-never
land. What more could we want?
As a society we have
become so dependent on technology that
sometimes it becomes a
little scary if you think about it. Take
the topic of internet security. Now let me
just say that I am not by any means an expert
in technology and of all the wonderful products
that come from it. However, I continue to
graduate from the "school of life" and
thought I could take this opportunity to
share some "lessons learned" with
you; you don't even have to charge your credit
card! But before I tell you my lessoned learned,
I want to share with you a news report I
recently heard.
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Is
There a Hacker Amoung You?
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Just
last week on the morning news I heard
a story about "Hackers for Hire",
also called "Piratecrackers", "Yourhackers" and "Slickhackerz".
Even though hackers are not a new thing,
the reporter was giving an update on a popular
avenue of obtaining your passwords.
Apparently
for a fee of $100, they can obtain almost
any email password.
These
hackers use "social engineering" instead
of technology to hack into a victim's
email account. So here's how it works.
In order for the hackers to get started,
they need some information from the
person hiring them. One of the pieces
of information was the name of a
close friend or family member.
The hacker
in turn would send the unsuspecting
victim a greeting card that appears
to come from someone they know. As
the person opens up the email, they
are then directed to a link to retrieve
their greeting card. After they click
on the link, instead of the card
opening up, it directs them to
yet another
site that will look like the sign
on page for Google or whatever
service
the victim uses for email. This is
a phony site created by the hackers.
It gives you the illusion that this
is so others won't see your personal
greeting card. Of course you can't
wait to see your special greeting,
so you eagerly peck away at the keys
and enter your information. BAM!
You've just been had! The hacker
now has your password, and will
pass
it
on to
whomever
has
requested
it. The final piece of advice
at the end of this report was "NEVER,
EVER enter your password when
directed from one site to yet another." Remember,
if you are already signed into
your email, you shouldn't have
to sign
in again.
Now for my lesson learned. Last
week my computer prompted me
that it was time
to renew my yearly internet security.
In the past, I have purchased the
hard copy and installed it myself.
Well, after
a few days of getting that lovely
reminder to renew, I decided
that I didn't have
the extra time in my week to make
yet another errand stop, so I
proceeded to
renew my subscription online. The
last one I purchased (in person
from a local
office supply store) was $39.99
and was good for up to 3 PC's.
This
included
laptops. Great! Perfect!
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Side
Note: What does
"
24/7
Customer Service" Really
Mean?
It means you have to
call between the hours of 8-5
their time, and be put on hold
during your entire lunch hour
only to have to hang up and
go back to work having never
spoken to a customer service
representative for days on
end. It means you have to try
and conduct your business online.
Well, good luck with that.
There was no "contact" or "send
an email" to this company
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and I might add it is a very
well known product. |
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This
is what I needed, and it has worked great.
So, thinking I am renewing the same package,
I proceeded with the online renewing. Wow, how
simple! How quick! It was great! After it was
all completed, my computer did in fact show me
that renewal was successful and that I had 365
plus my remaining days left. Worry free for another
year.
The
next day, my daughter informs me that she
received yet another prompt on her laptop
that said "11 days left" on the subscription.
What? How could that be? I renewed yesterday.
Does it take days for the other's to "kick
in?" Well, after several failed attempts
to contact the makers of this particular security
software (they advertise that they are available
24/7), I called the place of original purchase
to ask if they could advise me on my next steps.
The very helpful gentlemen proceeded to tell
me that they had had complaints before from
people stating that when you renew online,
it isn't necessarily for the same number of
PC's; just 1 PC. "Really? So you mean
to tell me that I just paid the same amount
online for 3 PC's and am only getting 1 PC
covered; and now I will have to purchase yet
another one for my daughter's laptop?" As
I looked at the print out receipt, it did indeed
say it was for 1 PC - stated only after transaction
was complete in the smallest print imaginable!
The sales associate was very apologetic, and
suggested that the company might give a refund,
but in past experiences, he said they generally
don't.
There
was no way around it. I was going
to have to purchase yet another internet
security
software system and download on the laptop
if my daughter was to ever use her laptop
again. Frustration and disappointment began
to set in. I decided I didn't need the frustration
and grief. I drove to the local office supply
store and purchased internet security for
1 PC (for the same price as for 3 I might
add!). I took the product home and proceeded
to install the new subscription on my daughter's
laptop. Well, as you know, before you install
another security device, you must first uninstall
whatever security is left on the PC/laptop
and start fresh. In the process of uninstalling,
I get a prompt that asks me if I'm sure I
want to uninstall with 376 days left to go.
(continued)
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It's always a good idea to
purchase
the hard copy of your internet
security.
Not only for the reasons I encountered,
but if your computer were to crash,
you would have the hard copy available
to download again.
- Always
double check how many PC's/laptops
the software covers.
- Pay
special attention to the "24/7" Customer
Service statement. The box I purchased
didn't tell you much more, so I would
suggest doing some research, or ask
the sales associate where you plan
to make your purchase.
- Pay
special attention to all prompts
while you are uninstalling/installing
any software. Luckily for me, I
always
do.
- Always
take the name of the sales associate
who assisted you with any
products. I have learned that
sometimes, if you have to make a
call back to
the store, it's always nice to
be able to speak with the same person;
saves
them time, and saves you from
further frustration.
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Is
there a Hacker Among You?
Continued
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What?
376 days left? Are you kidding me? In the
texting world OMG! Apparently, after a
day, the subscription decided to "kick
in" on my daughter's lap top, and
now here I am stuck with another purchased
product that, as the stores will tell you,
once you break the seal on the box it is
non-refundable. Don't you just
love technology!?!
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You'll
be happy to know that I did
call the
store where I purchased
the "extra" copy
of internet security
and they said they would
refund my money.
But before I hung up, I wrote down
the sales associate's name,
just in case. |
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