



Thought Cryptowall was gone for good? Think again. The ransomware pest is back and more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile, Corel users might have an issue on their hands. Find out why on this week's edition of IT Rewind!





IT Rewind Ep 21



IT Rewind Featured Stories:

Did our short segment leave you wanting more? Check out the original articles of stories we covered!



Help Net Security, @helpnetsecurity, Zeljka Zorz, @ZeljkaZorz





InfoWorld, @infoworld, Lucian Constantin, @lconstantin



Vulnerable Programs

- CorelDRAW X7

- Corel Photo-Paint X7

- Corel PaintShop Pro X7

- CorelCAD 2014, Corel Painter 2015

- Corel PDF Fusion

- Corel VideoStudio PRO X7

- Corel FastFlick

MSP Blog, @FollowContinuum, Adam Barker, @abarks99

The Partner Spotlight:

Scott Spiro, CEO at Computer Solutions Group, Inc. Discusses IT Labor Market & the Challenge for MSPs

For the most part, the only TV spots the IT industry gets are reports on the latest security breaches. Viewers immediately envision a faceless being hiding behind a black drawstring hoodie and desktop with a bunch of 1s and 0s. While safeguarding client data is crucial, it's just one part of the job description. Rarely, does network television feature other MSP pain points, like labor demand that exceeds your business's labor budget and a shortage of skilled IT technicians or engineers.

Last weekend, our own Partner, Scott Spiro, CEO at Computer Solutions Group, Inc., spoke up for MSP business owners everywhere in a CBS News segment covering IT labor market shortcomings that exist even in an economy on the upswing.



252,000 jobs were generated in December alone last year.

The unemployment rate has dropped from 5.8% to 5.6%.

We have nothing to worry about, right?... Read more »





Continuum's Must-Read Blog Post This Week



Continuum's Help Desk would be nothing without the technicians that ensure your clients receive the support they need when they need it, so that you can scale your business. Their wide variety of certifications and talents are the brains behind the operation, while their bright and diverse personalities are the heart. They allow you and your in-house technicians to focus on the bigger, more productive projects, while they take care of everything else. But don't take it from me, let our technicians walk you through what its like to be a member! Read more »

What Else Is New in the IT Channel?

Now that you've seen our top picks for this week, here are some more stories that made the headlines. Have a suggestion for a story that we should cover next week? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting @FollowContinuum or @BenDBarker!





Google takes down attack:

Google Nixes Widespread Malvertising Attack

CIO, @CIOonline, Jeremy Kirk, @Jeremy_Kirk

BlackBerry buyout?:

Samsung Rumored to Be Eyeing a $7.5B BlackBerry Acquisition

eWeek, @eWEEKNews, Todd R. Weiss, @TechManTalking



Protecting personal data:

Protecting Personal Data in the Consumer Product Industry

Help Net Security, @helpnetsecurity

Transcription

HEY FRIENDS WELCOME BACK TO THE BOSTON STUDIO FOR ANOTHER ACTION-PACKED EDITION OF IT REWIND!

WE’RE ONLY ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH JANUARY, SO THERE’S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT STICKING WITH YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. IF YOU HAVE ANY RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO IT OR BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES, LET US KNOW HEAR THEM BY TWEETING AT US WITH THE #ITRES15 OR BY LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW.

WELL, AFTER TWO MONTHS OF SILENCE, THE INFAMOUS CRYPTOWALL IS ONCE AGAIN REARING ITS UGLY HEAD. A NEW VERSION OF THE DEVASTATING RANSOMWARE BEGAN COMPROMISING USERS LATE LAST WEEK AND HAS BEEN JUST AS DESTRUCTIVE AS ITS PREDECESSORS. THE MALWARE HAS BEEN ENCRYPTING FILES AND DEMANDING MONEY FOR THE KEY. PRICE TAGS FOR ENCRYPTION KEYS REPORTEDLY START AT $500 DOLLARS AND ONLY GET STEEPER IF THE AMOUNT ISN’T PAID PROMPTLY. CRYPTOWALL’S FAVORITE ENTRY POINTS ARE SPAM EMAIL ATTACHMENTS, BROWSER DOWNLOADS, OR DOWNLOADS BY OTHER TYPES OF MALWARE.

IF YOU OR ONE OF YOUR CLIENTS IS USING A COREL PROGRAM, YOU MIGHT BE AT RISK. MULTIPLE COREL MEDIA EDITING PROGRAMS REPORTEDLY CONTAIN DYNAMIC LINK LIBRARY, OR DLL, HIJACKING VULNERABILITIES THAT ALLOW ATTACKERS TO EXECUTE MALICIOUS CODE. THE DLL FILES ARE USED TO INSTALL MALWARE ONTO THE AFFECTED COMPUTERS. A LIST OF THE VULNERABLE COREL PRODUCTS ARE LISTED BELOW, SO TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS AREN’T USING ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS, AND IF YOU ARE, TAKE THE NECESSARY RECOVERY MEASURES IMMEDIATELY.

THIS WEEK WE’RE DEBUTING A NEW SEGMENT ON IT REWIND CALLED “ THE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT,” IN THIS SEGMENT WE’LL SHOW SOME LOVE TO OUR AMAZING PARTNERS FOR WHATEVER IT IS THEY MAY BE DOING IN ANY GIVE WEEK. THIS WEEK, SCOTT SPIRO OF COMPUTER SOLUTIONS GROUP WAS FEATURED IN A STORY ON CBS NEWS. SPIRO DISCUSSED THE IT LABOR SHORTCOMINGS THAT STILL EXIST IN A RECOVERING ECONOMY. TO SEE SPIRO’S SEGMENT, CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW.

THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF IT REWIND. BE SURE TO FIND US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND VINE AT FOLLOWCONTINUUM, AS WELL AS ON FACEBOOK, LINKENDIN, GOOGLE PLUS AND YOUTUBE.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!