windows – PSafe Blog

WhatsApp Ending Support for Windows Phone 7 Devices

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 18:00:04 +0000

Chatting giant WhatsApp recently announced the end of Windows Phone 7 support. At the time, they also mentioned ending support for other devices in an official document as well. If your phone isn’t one of the ones affected by this change (see the list below), chances are it could still stand to feel like new again. WhatsApp makes it easy to amass large amounts of files. These files are likely taking up way too much space on your phone, which will cause your phone to slow down. Use dfndr security’s WhatsApp Cleaner to start removing old, unwanted files from the app:

To use WhatsApp Cleaner, click the link above or else open the dfndr security app. Then, go to “Tools” and then select the “Clean WhatsApp” feature. Decide which files you actually want to keep, but resist the temptation to keep the rest of them. You can choose to remove old photos, videos, GIFs, or audio files. Click “Delete Selected Files” to remove the individual files that you no longer wish to have on your device. Every file chosen for inclusion will be deleted from your phone. It will definitely give you more room on your phone — and improve your phone’s performance, too.

Why WhatsApp Ended Windows Phone 7 Support
It’s been 7 years since WhatsApp began. In that time, the company looked at their work as a whole, determining where they wanted to concentrate their focus in the years to come. The official statement, as released by WhatsApp on the WhatsApp blog, shared that they would cease support for the following phones at the end of 2016.

BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10
Nokia S40
Nokia Symbian S60
Android 2.1 and Android 2.2
Windows Phone 7

Some of those items listed above have changed. WhatsApp did include an official update to extend support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40, and Nokia Symbian S60 until June 30, 2017.

Here’s what WhatsApp had to say about the decision: “When we started WhatsApp in 2009, people’s use of mobile devices looked very different from today. The Apple App Store was only a few months old. About 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia. Mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple, and Microsoft — which account for 99.5 percent of sales today — were on less than 25 percent of mobile devices sold at the time.”

Now, WhatsApp will put their energies towards the technology that people are actually using in large numbers. WhatsApp recommends a phone upgrade ahead of the deadline for WhatsApp users who want to continue with uninterrupted service.

Windows Malware Found in Over 100 Android Apps

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 20:00:05 +0000

Recently, security firm Palo Alto Networks discovered Windows malware in about 132 Android apps from the Google Play store. The security firm believes that the various developers of the apps were victims of a malicious attack, and that they did not know malware had infected their platform and their apps. The infected apps have since been removed from the Play store. This incident is an important reminder that you should regularly scan your various devices for malware. Use Security Scan now to scan your device:

As this case showed, the developers weren’t intentionally malicious or suspicious-looking. That means that any seemingly safe app — i.e. normal language, downloads, reviews, and graphics — could be secretly hiding malware. After you download a new app on your smartphone, you should always run a quick virus scan on your Android. The Security Scan feature will make sure that the app is not malicious by nature or secretly infected with malware.

What Type of Malware Was Found?

The malware on the apps included malicious code in the form of HTML files. Although this malware is technically harmless on Android’s operating system (as it was designed for Windows and was downloaded from websites that no longer exist), this still points to an alarming future trend. Palo Alto Networks revealed that developers’ apps could become carriers for malware, meaning the malware could be designed to infect devices that come into contact with your phone.

The Windows malware was designed to alter the firewall settings on your computer, change files, and replicate and spread, among other functions. Once hidden in various apps in the Play store, the malware went undetected for a long time. That’s why it’s important to frequently check your devices for malware, even if your phone or apps aren’t behaving abnormally. They could still be infected with suspect code or spyware that’s not easy to detect.

Make Sure Apps Are Protected and Secure

To further protect the privacy of your apps, you should lock your most sensitive apps with Applock. This will allow you to lock apps like your Facebook app, contacts, text messages, banking apps, email, and more with a password. Even if a hacker or malicious individual gains access to your device, they won’t be able to access the apps that you lock. This will protect hackers from using your personal information against you. Click here to protect your apps with a special password:

Microsoft Says Windows 10 Helps Stop Ransomware Spread

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:00:11 +0000

In some ways, the Internet feels like the Wild West. We don’t have enough ways to protect ourselves online, meaning that new scams and malware pop up every second. Nothing is more indicative of this idea than ransomware, which is a type of malware that holds your data or system hostage until you pay a hacker money for its release. Ransomware isn’t a thing of the Internet’s past either: in 2016, ransomware attacks increased significantly.

In response to this, Microsoft says that Windows 10 can help prevent ransomware. However, this isn’t enough to truly protect yourself from ransomware and other types of malware. You should regularly scan your devices for malware by using Full Virus Scan. This DFNDR feature will ensure that your devices are always protected, so that your personal information is never in jeopardy. Click above to scan your device and SD card for viruses

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a kind of malware that downloads onto your device without your knowledge. The ransomware attacks your system by holding your data hostage in some way. For example, it may threaten to release your data publicly until you pay a ransom fee. In other circumstances, ransomware encrypts the user’s files, making them unreadable until the user pays the ransom. Ransom fees typically range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. They affect anyone from individual users to large corporations.

How Windows 10 Can Protect You From Ransomware

Windows 10 promises to help stop the spread of malware using its Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) system. Microsoft suggests that if they stop the infection early, it can prevent the large-scale spread of ransomware. The company says that if attacks take place, they have the tools to stop the spread.

Unlike other types of protection, ATP works after a breach has already happened, figuring out how to stop the attacks from happening again. This method contrasts with other types of software generally focused on stopping attacks before they start. This software stops the spread of a ransomware infection. In this case, Microsoft will find “patient zero,” or the first device infected with the disease. If they can pinpoint this computer, then they will be better able to stop the infection from traveling from this computer to other places.

Your Guide to Disabling Autocorrect on Nearly Every Device

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:19:18 +0000

Autocorrect: sometimes it can be a lifesaver, but other times it can be a serious inconvenience. If you’re someone who would rather get rid of autocorrect all together, here is how you can turn it off across multiple devices.

iPhone
If you’re tired of autocorrect on your iPhone changing things for you, it’s very easy to turn off.

Go into Settings on your iPhone or your iPad.
Select “General,” which is a part of the third grouping (below Do Not Disturb).
Scroll down to find Keyboard, which is below the “Date & Time” option.
Press the slider to right of “Auto-Correction.”

Android Devices
If you have the Google Keyboard, which the majority of Android devices do, this is a very quick fix.

Navigate to your Android device’s Settings menu.
Select “Language & input,” which is near the “Accounts” menu item.
Find the “Google Keyboard” entry and select it.
Towards the bottom of the screen, select “Text correction.”

Windows 10
Windows has gotten into the autocorrect game with the addition of the feature in Windows 10. As with the other devices/operating systems above, however, it can easily be disabled.

Press the Windows key and the letter I at the same time to open the Settings app.
Click on Devices, and then on the left hand side of the screen, click “Typing.”
On the right, click the slider below “Autocorrect misspelled words.”

Apple Computers
Apple’s auto correct isn’t only for its iDevices — it is enabled on their laptops and desktops as well. To turn off the feature…

Within the Apple Menu, go to System Preferences.
Select “Keyboard.”
Click the Text tab, and then uncheck “Correct spelling automatically.”

The Five Most Common Junk Files on Your Computer

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 21:49:19 +0000

Junk files are pesky extra files that your computer creates while you’re using various programs. That might not be a problem if your computer later deleted those files after you finished using them. But that’s not the case. Instead, if you don’t clear them, junk files accumulate on your computer, slowing your computer down. Here, we’ll answer some of your common questions about junk files so you can be rid of them once and for all.

What Are Junk Files?

Performing nearly any function on your computer creates a temporary file. The problem is that while temporary files do contain useful data at the time they’re created, they aren’t relevant for long. Even though they’re irrelevant, however, your computer still doesn’t delete them. That’s when temporary files become junk files.

What Are the Five Most Common Junk Files?

Microsoft Word temporary files.
Temporary Internet files stored during browsing that are reloaded when you visit a website more than once.
Temporary system files for powering on or shutting down your computer.
Temporary program data that is filed onto your computer during installation or program operation.
Improperly removed programs and their related material.

Why do I Need to Get Rid of Junk Files?

Junk files usually aren’t actively hurting anything on your computer, but they are a problem because they are taking up space and memory. Uncleaned junk files can take up, for example, a gigabyte or more of your computer space. If you don’t have sufficient memory, then you can’t actively add new programs. Additionally, if your memory is overly full, then your computer will slow down.

How do I Get Rid of Junk Files?

To get rid of junk files, you need to install a disk cleaner on your computer. The program you choose should run regularly, and you should be able to clear out all of your unnecessary junk files with just one click.