Popular Windows optimization utility CCleaner has a serious problem right now as a recent blog post by their VP of Products, Paul Yung reveals that hackers have compromised recent versions of CCleaner, installing a backdoor utility into the application that would allow hackers to remotely access systems with CCleaner installed.

The security issue which was discovered on September 12, affected the 32-bit version of CCleaner version 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud version 1.07.3191. Hackers were able to illegally modify the application before it was released and was able to introduce the malicious code. The malicious code not only granted attackers remote access to [...]

The Next Generation

When Eero launched last year, it helped drive a revolutionary shift in the WiFi router market. Unlike the traditional WiFi router which was complicated to configure and manage for the average user, Eero wanted to create something that was easy to setup, easy to manage and could provide reliable whole home WiFi coverage no matter the size of the home. For the most part, Eero achieved its goal.

Now that it’s a bit more than year later, Eero has revealed the 2nd Generation Eero. Rather than a major redesign, the 2nd Generation Eero focuses on improving on the first generation product while simultaneously launching lower powered wall mounted [...]

One of the easiest yet least known ways to drastically improve any PC’s ability to defend itself against malware such as adware or spyware is to simply redirect malicious websites using the hosts file.

What is a hosts file and how does editing it block malware?

Before we begin, let’s first talk about what a host file is. When a PC accesses the internet, it uses a DNS server to resolve domain names to IP addresses. Your PC then follows the IP addresses to the servers that will serve you a webpage or provide you with another service.

For example, when you type in Google.com, your PC will ask a DNS server what the IP address of Google.com is. The [...]

Spyware, adware, ransomware, rootkits, worms, viruses, trojans, keyloggers, hijackers and more. These days, there are literally millions of ways your computer could get infected by some sort of malware and generally speaking, dealing with this stuff is a massive pain in butt. Many of these malwares not only attempt to look legitimate, but they also embed themselves by modifying registry keys and other system settings to ensure that once they’re in a system, they don’t leave.

Luckily, there are some great people who have developed some effective tools to remove that malware so you don’t have to figure out how to do it manually. Here are some of the best [...]

TP-Link Enters the Mesh Wi-Fi Game

With the explosion of mobile and IoT, Wi-Fi demands in the home have increased exponentially in the past few years causing many people to realize just how bad home Wi-Fi is. As a solution to home Wi-Fi issues, mesh Wi-Fi has exploded in popularity over the past year prompting almost every networking company to scramble to release some sort of mesh Wi-Fi offering.

Coming a bit late into the game is TP-Link, which recently launched the Deco M5 that we’ll be reviewing today. Like many of the mesh Wi-Fi systems on the market, the TP-Link Deco M5 is designed with performance, range and ease of use in mind however, what TP-Link has also [...]

Developers of popular transcoding tool, Handbrake, issued an urgent message on Saturday warning its users that one of its download servers have been compromised. The original installation file has been replaced with one that may be laced with a malware.

The notice is directed towards users who have downloaded Handbrake on Mac between May 2 and May 6. If you fall within the specified group, then there’s a 50% chance of having a malware installed on your Mac. The developers urge its users to verify the installation file’s checksum, a number generated to ensure the integrity of the file, before running it. For those who have already installed the program, [...]

There’re no two ways about it: all PCs slow down without proper maintenance. Before you decide to recycle your machine, try following this simple guide to see if you can squeeze out an extra bit of performance.

 

1. Run Windows Update

Windows tries its best to let you know when new updates with crucial bug fixes and stability improvements get released. However, sometimes the updates don’t automatically apply. If you’re experiencing a slow system, it may be that you need to update your system. This is especially important for newly purchased machines.

 

2. Identify Rogue Programs With Task Manager

The Windows [...]

Razer recently sent out a warning to its users in regards to fake e-mails containing malware disguised as a fake sponsorship email from Razer.

The fake e-mail offers an invalid sponsorship from Razer. Upon clicking the link provided in the e-mail, the link will redirect its victim to a malware application.

One tell-tale sign of a fake e-mail is that it comes from a Gmail account instead of an official Razer e-mail account. The e-mail is also riddled with grammatical and spelling errors.

Razer stresses that it does not send out sponsorship deals via e-mail. Streamers who are interested in applying for Razer’s sponsorship program can sign up at [...]

As computer hardware reviewers, we do a lot of OS installs and having a reliable place to download the Windows Operating System ISOs is critical. Unfortunately, for some reason Microsoft doesn’t offer a quick and easy way to do so.

While Microsoft’s does offer a method to download an installer which can help you create an ISO, it’s a hassle compared to getting a direct link to the ISO file then putting the ISO file onto a bootable USB drive. Another way of course is to go through some sort of Bittorrent site; however, with the questionable legality of doing so along with the risk of downloading a virus/trojan/some other malware along with the [...]

Is your internet down today? You’re not alone. A massive DDOS attack against DNS provider, Dyn, has taken down a number of the world’s largest websites including Reddit, Twitter, Spotify, Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and more.

 

What is a DNS?

How did this happen? Well in order to understand how this happened, one must first understand how a DNS works. When any device is hooked onto the internet, it gets an IP address which is a number such as 172.0.0.1. This number identifies your computer to the world, but if you’re say Netflix and you want people to find you as netflix.com rather than 52.26.74.145, you need someone to translate [...]