Conficker: Ticking Time Bomb on Your PC?

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If you watched “60 Minutes” last night, or if you pay attention to online security sites, then you are aware of the latest “super virus” known as Conficker. It also goes by the names Downadup or Kido and has infected at least 10 million systems, and maybe up to 350 million, worldwide.

The scary thing about Conficker is that it is currently laying dormant on affected systems. In effect, it is awaiting further instructions from its creator. These further instructions could be to try and steal personal and financial information, or blast out spam causing further infections and network outages.

The virus is set to check with its creator on April 1st for further instructions, so now is a good time to make sure your system(s) aren’t infected. What steps should you take?

1. Make sure you have up-to-date antivirus software installed and running. Symantec, Kaspersky and others are reportedly catching Conficker infections right now.
2. Make sure you have the latest updates for Microsoft Windows downloaded and installed. Do this by visiting http://www.windowsupdate.com/. Microsoft has released a patch that deals with Conficker.
3. Run a virus scan. Better safe than sorry, right?
4. Don't visit unknown sites or suspicious links, even if sent to you by a friend.
5. Check with our friends at 'threatpost.com' for additional information and news.

By following these simple steps you can potentially save yourself a lot of pain and heart ache. Certainly, feel free to contact our experts here at Wasatch Software if you have any questions or need assistance about any IT security issues. Thanks and have a great day!

Wasatch Software Receives 2009 Kaspersky ‘Rising Star’ Award

It was my pleasure to accept the 2009 Rising Star award at the Kaspersky Lab America’s Partner Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico last month. The ‘Rising Star’ award honors a Kaspersky partner who has displayed exceptional sales and growth over the past year, and was presented by Eugene Kaspersky (CEO, Kaspersky Lab) and Steve Orenberg (President of the Americas, Kaspersky Lab). Wasatch Software was among 4 partners in the United States who received awards.

Kaspersky themselves can also be considered ‘Rising Stars’ in the world of antivirus software and computer security. Over the past few years, they have gained plenty of market share in the United States to coincide with their already strong international customer base. This is largely due to the strength of their product when it comes to virus detection, virus neutralization, ease of administration, and license costs. All of this is certainly drawing attention from players in the I.T. industry, as well as competitors. Following is a breakdown of antivirus market share worldwide as presented at Kaspersky’s recent conference:

Company, Market Share (%)
Symantec, 40%
McAfee, 17%
Trend Micro, 6%
Kaspersky, 4 %
Others, 33%

Of course, Wasatch Software partners with all of the organizations listed above. However, in most cases we find ourselves recommending Kaspersky to our clients based on the best fit for their needs. Certainly let me know if you have any comments, or if we can be of assistance in regards to your perimeter or endpoint security needs.

Utah VAR Making Waves with Microsoft

In having lunch with our Microsoft rep yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Wasatch Software generates more revenue for Microsoft than any other partner in Utah, excluding LARs (Large Account Resellers). He also mentioned that we’re near the top of the list in the Western region, and are making waves nationally as we offer Microsoft volume licensing from coast to coast. I expected they’d send us a plaque or something for this, but it is yet to arrive (tongue in cheek).

We’ve also been gaining great traction with other partners including HP, Symantec, and Kaspersky. If we aren’t already a top revenue generating partner in our state for these vendors as well, we probably will be soon. Here’s hoping that this little fish becomes enough of a thorn in the side over time to those big fish that they want us out of their way!

Computer (In)Security

Yesterday, the owner of another business in our building rushed into our office and reminded me just how important computer security is. His IBM ThinkPad had been virtually paralyzed by a malicious trojan. He stated that he had been surfing the Internet the night before when something popped up and said he had a virus. This pop-up instructed him that he must download something to fix it right away. Naturally, he obeyed as he certainly didn’t want his system to be infected.

Unfortunately, the pop-up was simply an Internet ad meant to scare people into downloading a malicious program. This particular ad led to a download, and the software downloaded was cleverly disguised as antivirus software, even though it was actually the virus that was paralyzing his system. Once on his system, the program told him the only way to fix the issue was to pay a license fee. This is typical of the latest generation of malware (known as crimeware) which is designed to make the creator money by either stealing information or tricking you. Thankfully, our fellow tenant came to us before paying the license fee. We were able to remove the virus and get his system running smoothly again without any loss of data.

What can you do to prevent a situation like this and maintain your computer security?

First and foremost, get good antivirus software. We use Kaspersky Total Space Security on our network here at Wasatch Software. It’s light on system resources, yet effective. Of course, there are a number of other good solutions from companies like Symantec or Trend Micro.

Next, be a skeptic. No antivirus program is perfect, and certainly not user-proof. Therefore you must use good judgment. If you aren’t sure if you should do something, contact an I.T. professional or someone you know who is computer savvy.

Last but not least, backup your data. If your system does get infected beyond repair, at least you can get things back to normal in a reasonable period of time. Backup Exec System Recovery is a great tool for this. If you’re using Windows XP or Windows Vista, be sure to create regular restore points so you can ‘turn back time’ on your system settings.

Have you experienced any similar situations? How did you resolve them?

Wasatch Software's Utah Jazz Event

Wow! I must say that everyone here at Wasatch Software is very pleased with how well our event with the Utah Jazz went. Over 170 people joined us for a VIP experience before the game. The event was held on Nov. 7th, 2008 as the Utah Jazz took on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Our customers had the opportunity to network with each of our vendors that sponsored the event, followed by VIP dinner, presentations, prizes, and of course, a Utah Jazz basketball game. First off, I want to thank each of our partners who sponsored the event. You can check them out by clicking on the links below:

• Microsoft, represented by Dan See and Gary Schoonover
• HP (Hewlett Packard); represented by Scott Carr
• Symantec, represented by Mahlon Findtner
• Kaspersky, represented by Hugh McLaughlin
• Red Condor, represented, by Dave Brown
• BorderWare, represented by Carrie Roberts and Donna Lowe
• Tech Data, represented by Allen Cayen and Christina Ferris

Each of these vendors was well represented, and I had the pleasure of joining most of them for a special presentation at center court prior to tip-off:

A number of our customers also participated in the 'fan tunnel' and greeted members of the opposing team as they ran onto the court prior to tip-off. I was happy to present a number of solutions during my presentation, including Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 and HP's Blade Servers. Following my presentation, Hugh McLaughlin with Kaspersky Lab introduced the audience to their network security product, and Dave Brown with Red Condor covered his company's e-mail security product.

Of course, the night would not be complete without some great Utah Jazz Basketball. By coincidence, we were able to see coach Jerry Sloan's 1000'th career victory. Thanks again to all of our vendors and customers for their participation. Special kudos go to our staff here at Wasatch Software, including Danielle VanHorssen, Jake Boden, and Trevor Brandol for their help with the event.

Spencer Ferguson
President
Wasatch Software, Inc.

Download your Kaspersky Free Trial today!

If you haven't tried Kaspersky yet, now is the time! Many of our Symantec and Trend Micro users have begun getting their antivirus and security protection from Kaspersky with great results:

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As your Kaspersky Software Reseller, Wasatch Software is more than happy to answer any questions you might have!

Kaspersky, Trend Micro Increase Anti-virus Market Share

It was my pleasure to provide some input about security and anti-virus software to Kevin McLaughlin of CRN. Here's an excerpt from his article titled "Channel Best-Sellers: Winning Security Players ":

Security vendors that manage to strike the right balance between functionality
and performance are fast becoming favorites in the channel, signaling an end to
the days of security "bloatware."

Tokyo-based Trend Micro and Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab shared the top spot in the Security Suites category of this year's CMP Channel Channel Best Sellers survey, with each seeing a 4.4 point jump in dollar volume share compared to last year. McAfee placed second with 0.7 points of growth, while Symantec and CA both experienced significant losses during the period...

...Spencer Ferguson, president of Wasatch Software, Salt Lake City, said what sets Kaspersky apart in the channel is the vendor's willingness to work with partners on an individual basis.

"We've worked with security vendors that have started working with us only to have it fall through later, but that hasn't been the case with Kaspersky," said Ferguson.

You can read the entire article here:

http://www.crn.com/security/204200883?pgno=4

As Wasatch Software is a reseller of all of the security and anti-virus software products that were mentioned, I can certainly understand why the numbers are increasing for Kaspersky and Trend Mico, and decreasing for Symantec and Computer Associates. What do you think about the climate of security software vendors?

Wasatch Software- 5 Year Anniversary Thank You!

Wow! It has already been 5 years since Wasatch Software was founded. I just wanted to thank everyone who attended our 5 year anniversary ribbon cutting ceremony on July 30, 2007. The event was a great success due to the efforts of many people. A special 'thank you' goes out to many, including the following who contributed greatly to the event's success:

• Mayor Russ Wall, City of Taylorsville
  


• President Alan Anderson, ChamberWest



• President Craig Dearing, West Jordan Chamber of Commerce



• Rebecca Dearing, West Jordan Chamber of Commerce



• Valerie Christensen, West Jordan Chamber of Commerce



• Donna Lowe, Kaspersky Labs (donation of give-away items)



• Jennifer Leek (photography, etc.)



• Sam's Club (donation of cake)

All attendees received give aways that included free Kaspersky Internet Security software and more. A drawing was held with great prized that included Windows Vista, Norton Internet Security, a Belkin Mouse, and other great prizes. Here's to 5 more great years!

Sincerely,

Spencer Ferguson
President
Wasatch Software, Inc.

Kaspersky Antivirus

Wasatch Software is pleased to add Kaspersky Antivirus solutions to our extensive list of security products. Kaspersky offers protection from spyware, viruses, intruders, spam and more!

Whether you are in need of coverage for your workstations and file servers (Business Space Security) or need additional coverage for your mail servers and Internet gateway (Total Space Security), Kaspersky has an answer. If you're not sure exactly which suite is right for you don't hesitate to contact one of our experienced sales reps today!