Those affected may find it quite spooky, either parts of or their entire system is no longer accessible. Instead, they are presented with notifications that can give you goosebumps: A police department is supposed to have found illegal material on their machines. Their copy of Windows is illegal and they need to purchase a license or they have violated copyright laws. Other messages may be more "honest" and will tell mortified users their PCs have been taken over and that their files have been encrypted. They are now required to pay a ransom because they fell victim to ransomware.
I recently visited a nice couple that lives on the tranquil outskirts of an average city. These friendly people are always laid-back and so they were this evening until it got my cell phone out and put it on the table. "Would you please put your cell phone away or turn it off? It's so close to the crib." As a well-mannered guest with a liking for worried parents, I naturally switched it off. But did I really endanger their child? I had to look into the matter!
Whenever we surf the web, we leave traces that not only help Google but also every site we visit learn a lot about us. Whether it's cookies, IP address analysis, the referrer URL (the site we visited before) or the powerful Google Analytics, we're constantly being watched. Anyone who disagrees is forced to resort to measures that may require lots of technical expertise. The Tor network is the easy solution. Read on to learn about its advantages and risks.
A program to remotely control PCs would be the exact definition but, in practice, "a savior in times of need" may be the better description. TeamViewer connects two (or more) PCs. This means you are able to remotely control another computer from afar to provide assistance. Are you having issues with your PC and know someone who might help but doesn't live around the block? That would be a typical use case for this program. Key advantage: The helper can view exactly what you see on your monitor and even take control of your machine. Video conferencing or file transfers are also possible between connected PCs.
Many are searching for their big love online. My friend Dave* (name was changed at his request) is one of them and has already registered with four different dating services. He keeps me posted on his dating experiences there and I have begun to seriously doubt the validity and integrity of these portals. With slogans such as "Guaranteed contacts" and the premise that members will fall in love at second intervals, I believe there's only one guarantee - there will be considerable costs.
