People sell their computers all the time. Unfortunately for the buyers, this is often done improperly, leaving the buyer with a junk computer that isn’t working properly… sometimes even containing malware! For the seller, such improper preparation is a danger as well, as the buyer may be able to access sensitive data left unknowingly on the machine. Proper security is important to both parties. (As the seller, you may not be terribly concerned about the buyer’s feelings, but keep in mind that the price you get when selling on sites like eBay can depend on how satisfied previous buyers were wit ..read more

For whatever reason, you have decided that you want to reinstall the system from scratch, restoring your machine to an “out-of-the-box” state. Regardless of the reason, this is not something to be undertaken lightly. The possibility of data loss looms any time you erase your primary hard drive. Further, if you do the job wrong, whatever problem you’re trying to solve may not even be solved. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to do the job right. Before I start, note that if you are trying to get the machine ready to sell, you should follow some slightly different directions. S ..read more

Okay, I’ll admit that Windows has a leg up on Mac OS X in one area: uninstalling software. On Windows this is easy (in theory) for anyone to do through the control panel. Mac OS X, however, does not provide any systemwide features for software removal. As a result, there are many myths and uncertainties as to how software should be removed from a Mac. First, let’s take a look at some of the myths. One thing that people commonly do is simply drag an application to the trash. Fortunately, that actually works in a lot of cases. However, in other cases, this is an abysmal failure, leaving sometime ..read more

You have deleted one or more files that you really shouldn’t have, and you don’t have a backup of that data, so you’re freaking out. Everyone’s been there at some point. If that is what has led you here, my advice to you is simple: stop reading right now! Yes, I’m totally serious. Shut down your computer immediately, and do not turn it on again until you have resolved the problem. Find a different computer, iPad, smartphone, anything with a web browser – go to your local public library if necessary – and read the rest of this article. If you keep using the computer, you reduce the ch ..read more

The internet has been awash with all manner scams for a long time. The variety boggles the imagination, ranging from Nigerian princes wanting to pay strangers exorbitant sums for help moving some money, to Facebook posts asking if it’s really you in this photo, to “one weird trick” for just about anything you might want to do. Although not exactly new, one of these scams has seen an upswing in recent months: the fake tech support scam. The typical tech support scam presents itself to the user while browsing the web, in the form of a pop-up message saying that a virus or “suspic ..read more

Controversy about MacKeeper has been around almost as long as MacKeeper has existed. It is one of the most aggressively-marketed products in the Mac world, and there are numerous accusations that it isn’t useful or even that it is fraudulent. At the same time, you will find a number of positive reviews out there. How do you know what’s true? In this article, I will make the case that MacKeeper, and the company behind it (ZeoBIT/Kromtech), are not to be trusted. First, a little history. MacKeeper first caught my attention in 2011, when ZeoBIT set up a fake ClamXav site. (The real ClamXav site ..read more

Apple IDs are a popular target for hackers. This is not only because Apple devices have become so popular, but also because Apple IDs typically provide purchasing power. With an Apple ID, a hacker can purchase music and movies in the iTunes Store or apps in the iOS App Store or Mac App Store on someone else’s dime. Typical symptoms of an Apple ID hack are a sudden inability to log in or strange purchases showing up in your purchase history or on your iOS device. So what do you do if you believe your Apple ID has been hacked? Effects and Causes Before discussing how to undo the hack ..read more

Last year, the Transmission torrent app was hacked not just once, but twice, to install the KeRanger ransomware and, later, the Keydnap backdoor. Now, the same thing has happened to the popular DVD-ripping HandBrake app, which is installing a new variant of the Proton malware. Read the full story on Malwarebytes Labs ..read more

Snake, also known as Turla and Uroburos, is backdoor malware that has been around and infecting Windows systems since at least 2008. It is thought to be Russian governmental malware and on Windows is highly-sophisticated. It was even seen infecting Linux systems in 2014. Now, it appears to have been ported to Mac. Read the full story on Malwarebytes Labs ..read more

This morning, Adam Thomas, a Malwarebytes researcher, found a variant of the OSX.Dok dropper that behaves altogether differently and installs a completely different payload. Read the full story on Malwarebytes Labs ..read more