Bring that Start menu back in Windows 8

So, how did I get a Start Menu in Windows 8?

Fantastically, I discovered http://classicshell.net!   

The primary detractor from comfortably using Windows 8 has been Microsoft's huge shift away from all previous versions of Windows.  The Start button has been such a staple for as long as I've been using PC's, and I was unwilling to give it up!  Thankfully, the folks over at ClassicShell have put together a nice "open source" package that brings you control over your Microsoft Windows 8.  There are so many advanced options to control with Classic Shell, you can customize this to your specifications.  And, since it is open source software, it is free, and it is trusted.

So go ahead, give it a try!  It beats having to create your own Shutdown or Restart scripts to get the PC to respond appropriately.  And, another cool part is that if you are running multiple monitors, pressing the Start button on your keyboard will launch the Start menu on the monitor currently in use.  The Start menu in the past was only available on the main display.  But now, you can launch the Start menu from any monitor.

There are so many more options available.  Classic Shell is a "must have" for PCKen!

Give it a try!  http://classicshell.net

SPAM is extremely complicated

SPAM is becoming more and more advanced.  No longer is it just a person sending mass mailings from their computer to everybody on their contact list.  Now, it is a hacker accessing your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn account, and sending SPAM to everyone on your contact list.

I'm currently working on a case where a Facebook account was compromised, and now people on that contact list are receiving emails.  The subject line of the email is the recipient's first name, and the body of the email contain's "Hey" and then the first name of the recipient, and then a hyperlink to a compromised website.

In this particular case, the hyperlink will take you to a website hosted in Latvia, then redirects you to a website hosted in Edmond, Oklahoma, advertising weight loss without exercising.  That website contains a video featuring Dr. Oz.

Now for some more interesting "cover your tracks" maneuvering.  The computer that sent the SPAM originated in Lithuania using a third party AOL client.  The email said it was from an AOL email account with the name of the Facebook person, but the reply to address is a Yahoo email address.

So, to summarize, this Dr. Oz video has traveled from Lithuania to Latvia to Oklahoma to Kentucky.

SPAM is getting more and more advanced.

Make sure you guard your accounts.