Downs Consulting Services

04/01/2022

"It's not clear if any hackers took advantage of the flaw, but the potential consequences were serious. An intruder could have looked at past activity in the home or disabled the camera ahead of a burglary."

Wyze knew for three years tha its original security camera had a flaw that let hackers access your video..

03/29/2022

"Based on the required actions by federal agencies in response to the threats identified in the [Binding Operational Directive], we interpret the BOD to be a finding from the Department of Homeland Security that Kaspersky-branded products pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. Further, by requiring federal agencies to remove Kaspersky-branded products we find that the Department of Homeland Security has determined that its products are capable of posing an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and its people."

As do China Mobile and China Telecom, according to the commission.

03/27/2022

"... update to Chrome version 99.0.4844.84 as soon as possible."

Details are few, but it sounds like one bad bug

03/26/2022

"How to avoid chatbot scams:
Ignore texts from strangers. Strangers on the internet can pretend to be anyone. Question motives behind both solicited and unsolicited messages. If you receive a text from someone you don't know, simply don't reply. It's the safest route. If you engage with a scammer, even briefly, they will mark your number as active and you could receive even more shady texts in the future.
Block numbers that appear to come from scammers. Unsolicited texts that look like they come from a chatbot or that ask you to click on suspicious links are probably not safe. Block these numbers to prevent scammers from contacting you through them again.
Never give your personal information to strangers. Never share your credit card or banking information, your full name, home address, or social security number with someone you never met in person. Remember that any photo you upload on social media can be stolen and used by a scammer."
https://www.wisn.com/article/bbb-warns-of-wrong-number-phishing-texts-dont-reply/39539514 #

The goal is for the recipient to reply that the sender has the wrong number.

03/16/2022

"Some of these scam emails have a link. Rather than clicking the link, which you should never do, you should never pick up the phone and call the sender company and verify they’re sending you that info. If you call that number you’re going to reach a criminal who is waiting for you to call them back."

The email scam circulating again claims you have already paid for virus protection on your computer.

03/14/2022

Please Review Downs Consulting Services!
As a small business, we depend on support from customers like you.

03/14/2022

https://canvasrebel.com/meet-randy-downs-computer-repair-seo-web-content-and-responsive-websites-design/

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randy Downs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below. Alright, Randy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand...

02/20/2022

Randy Downs dba Downs Consulting Services is a verified Veteran-owned small business (VOSB)
in the Veteran business database at VetBiz portal: vetbiz.gov.
https://www.downsconsultingservices.com/company/

Company - Downs Consulting

02/12/2022

"Apple says there is a report this security flaw might have been actively exploited already, meaning it is imperative all affected systems update as soon as possible. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or use Safari on your Mac, your devices count in that list. Luckily, that update is here, in the form of iOS 15.3.1, iPadOS 15.3.1, and macOS 12.2.1."

Safari isn't quite safe to use for iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

11/28/2021

Randy Downs dba Downs Consulting Services is a verified Veteran-owned small business (VOSB)
in the Veteran business database at VetBiz portal: vetbiz.gov.

07/07/2021

https://www.downsconsultingservices.com/company/

Company - Downs Consulting

07/07/2021

"Microsoft (MSFT) warned that hackers that exploit the vulnerability could install programs, view and delete data or even create new user accounts with full user rights. That gives hackers enough command and control of your PC to do some serious damage."

Microsoft is urging Windows users to immediately install an update after security researchers found a serious vulnerability in the operating system.