Technology has become so intertwined in our lives that it is hard to imagine life without it.   It makes our lives simpler in many ways yet the complexity challenges even the most well informed.  The news is full of technology stories that can be confusing, misleading and down right scary at times.   Today there is news of more hacker activity and I want to pass along what you need to know in simplest terms.

Equifax Data Breach   

The security breach of Equifax happened between May and July of 2017.   We are several months since this happened.   There is a lot of information available on this, so I am not going to repeat everything here.   However, there is one important piece of information and recommendation that is important to examine.   Many websites are recommending that you go to another website to check to see if you were affected by the data breach.   Testing has shown that the website is giving false results as it wants people to signup for the free credit monitoring.   Everything "free" comes with a price.   The hidden part of this is that by signing up for the free credit monitoring, you also agree not to be part of any class action lawsuit that is sure to follow in the near future.   I might also add that there is no reason to trust Equifax at this point in time, nor some free service they are trying to give away.   

Good information on this here:  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-do

CCleaner Hacked 

A very popular tool for cleaning PC's is software called CCleaner.   I personally use it as one of many in my toolkit for cleaning computers of malware and other nasty things.   Today it was learned that the latest versions of the software between 5.33.6162 and 5.34 were infected with  a multi-stage malware payload.   Luckily this was discovered quickly and it appears to only affect 32 bit versions of the software, not the more common 64 bit versions.   

More details on the hack here:  https://www.howtogeek.com/326742/ccleaner-was-hacked-what-you-need-to-know/

The point here is to be aware that any software installed on your computer could potentially contain malware.  Even legitimate software can be compromised.   The best things to do are:

1. Backing up of your data regularly and keep it in multiple locations  (Be sure your backup does not remain connected to your computer)
2. Regular malware scans and cleanup - this is different than just a simple virus scan
3. Have a computer tech that knows your system before disaster happens.

You do not need to be a pro yourself but you will need a pro at some point in time.   Technology is simply too complex these days and we are all vulnerable.  My advice is to plan ahead, just as you would look for a doctor before you need one, you should do the same for a technology pro.