News and Updates

This category contains information about events that may affect your service such as maintenance or outages. It also contains announcements on new products releases and enhancements.

IMAP issues in Outlook 2013 and Office 365

It has come to our attention that many Outlook 2013 and Office 365 users are having issues within synchronizing IMAP folders recently. This appears to be happening across all hosts due to a recent update that Microsoft has pushed out to all of its users.

What causes the issue?

This issue is caused by installing one of the following updates that have been pushed out by Microsoft on 11/12/13:

KB2837618 or KB2837643

If you have not already done so, please avoid this update for a bit until Microsoft corrects the issue. If you cannot avoid the update, we will provide you with further steps regarding a temporary fix for the issue.

What does this issue affect?

This issue with Microsoft Outlook 2013 and Office 365 will cause IMAP folders to not successfully synchronize, therefore inhibit your ability to receive new mail to your inbox.  Restarting Outlook temporarily fixes the issue.

How do I fix this issue?

There are a few ways to resolve the issue:

Option 1) Uninstall the recent updates (KB2837618 or KB2837643)

One option is to remove the recent update that has been pushed out by Microsoft to Outlook 2013 and Office 365 users. To do so, complete the following steps:

  1. Open your Start menu and click visit your Control Panel.
  2. Click Programs and Features
  3. Click View Installed Updates
  4. Locate either the KB2837618 or KB2837643 updates and remove them.

Option 2) Disable the “Show only subscribed folders” option in Outlook

There have been reports that the problem can also be resolved by removing the setting that states to show only subscribed folders in Outlook. To do so, complete the following steps:

  1. Under the “Folder” tab, right of the “Favorites” tab, click “IMAP Folders”
  2. Outlook should open a dialog box with IMAP folders.
  3. There is a checkbox that says, “When displaying hierarchy in Outlook, show only the subscribed folders.” Uncheck that box.
  4. Force sending/receiving within Outlook and everything should synchronize up properly.

Option 3) Changing the root folder path

Visit your Account Settings, then Advanced for the mail account that you are having trouble with. This can be located at one of the following:

  1. Go to Change Account>More Settings>Advanced Tab
  2. File>Account Settings>Account settings>Change…>More Settings…>Advanced
  3. In the Folders option, look for “Root folder path” and enter “Inbox”.
  4. Save your settings and force a Send/Receive

 

2013-11-25T17:30:46-06:00November 25, 2013|Documentation, FAQ, News and Updates|Comments Off on IMAP issues in Outlook 2013 and Office 365

Cryptolocker Virus

We wanted to help make people aware of this very dangerous virus.   It destroys your documents and will affect not just the infected computer, but also mapped network drives as well.  We have seen a few of our customers get infected with this and have had to restore from backup each time.  There is no way to recover the files encrypted by this virus.   Below is a document published by US-CERT, the United States Computer Readiness Team.  It outlines how this virus is distributed, what it does, and how to prevent infection.

 

NCCIC / US-CERT

National Cyber Awareness System:

11/05/2013 10:58 AM EST
Original release date: November 05, 2013 | Last revised: November 13, 2013

Systems Affected

Microsoft Windows systems running Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, and XP operating systems

Overview

US-CERT is aware of a malware campaign that surfaced in 2013 and is associated with an increasing number of ransomware infections. CryptoLocker is a new variant of ransomware that restricts access to infected computers and demands the victim provide a payment to the attackers in order to decrypt and recover their files. As of this time, the primary means of infection appears to be phishing emails containing malicious attachments.

Description

CryptoLocker appears to have been spreading through fake emails designed to mimic the look of legitimate businesses and through phony FedEx and UPS tracking notices.  In addition, there have been reports that some victims saw the malware appear following after a previous infection from one of several botnets frequently leveraged in the cyber-criminal underground.

Impact

The malware has the ability to find and encrypt files located within shared network drives, USB drives, external hard drives, network file shares and even some cloud storage drives.  If one computer on a network becomes infected, mapped network drives could also become infected. CryptoLocker then connects to the attackers’ command and control (C2) server to deposit the asymmetric private encryption key out of the victim’s reach.

Victim files are encrypted using asymmetric encryption. Asymmetric encryption uses two different keys for encrypting and decrypting messages. Asymmetric encryption is a more secure form of encryption as only one party is aware of the private key, while both sides know the public key.

While victims are told they have three days to pay the attacker through a third-party payment method (MoneyPak, Bitcoin), some victims have claimed online that they paid the attackers and did not receive the promised decryption key.  US-CERT and DHS encourage users and administrators experiencing a ransomware infection NOT to respond to extortion attempts by attempting payment and instead to report the incident to the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Solution

Prevention

US-CERT recommends users and administrators take the following preventative measures to protect their computer networks from a CryptoLocker infection:

  • Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages or submit any information to webpages in links
  • Use caution when opening email attachments. Refer to the Security Tip Using Caution with Email Attachments for more information on safely handling email attachments
  • Maintain up-to-date anti-virus software
  • Perform regular backups of all systems to limit the impact of data and/or system loss
  • Apply changes to your Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems and Firewalls to detect any known malicious activity
  • Secure open-share drives by only allowing connections from authorized users
  • Keep your operating system and software up-to-date with the latest patches
  • Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams
  • Refer to the Security Tip Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks

Mitigation

US-CERT suggests the following possible mitigation steps that users and administrators can implement, if you believe your computer has been infected with CryptoLocker malware:

  • Immediately disconnect the infected system from the wireless or wired network. This may prevent the malware from further encrypting any more files on the network
  • Users who are infected should change all passwords AFTER removing the malware from their system
  • Users who are infected with the malware should consult with a reputable security expert to assist in removing the malware, or users can retrieve encrypted files by the following methods:
    • Restore from backup,
    • Restore from a shadow copy or
    • Perform a system restore.

References

Revision History

  • Initial
  • November 13, 2013: Update to Systems Affected (inclusion of Windows 8)
2013-11-14T00:12:03-06:00November 14, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on Cryptolocker Virus

iFoye Updated

We’ve done a major update to our iFoye remote access tool.  Version 4.6 utilized Java so that we could support cross platform (Windows, Linux, AND Mac).  However, due to some recent security issues with Java, some people were reluctant to have it on their computer.  To better support those people and to speed up the process when getting connected to a technician, our new iFoye version utilizes stand-alone client downloads.  There are two available downloads: 1) A small, online version which just gets the components the software needs to run and 2) a larger, offline version, which downloads everything our software needs to run on your computer.   We also still have the Java plugin version available which runs just like the older 4.6 version.

The new version of iFoye also offers many enhancements and fixes including better Windows 8  support.  Honestly, most of the changes are on the technican side, so you as the customer receiving help won’t see much change, but these changes will help us help you faster and more efficiently than ever!   We look forward to working with you using this new tool, so if you have computer issues, don’t hesitate to call us at 256-547-6817!

 

2013-10-28T19:55:06-05:00October 28, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on iFoye Updated

WordPress Upgrades

A new version of WordPress was just released (version 3.7).   We are in the process of pushing out the updates to all of our managed WordPress sites.  If you have a WordPress site, we recommend checking the functionality to insure the update has not broken anything.   Below are the main changes to this version:

 

  • Updates while you sleep: With WordPress 3.7, you don’t have to lift a finger to apply maintenance and security updates. Most sites are now able to automatically apply these updates in the background. The update process also has been made even more reliable and secure, with dozens of new checks and safeguards.
  • Stronger password recommendations: Your password is your site’s first line of defense. It’s best to create passwords that are complex, long, and unique. To that end, our password meter has been updated in WordPress 3.7 to recognize common mistakes that can weaken your password: dates, names, keyboard patterns (123456789), and even pop culture references.
  • Better global support: Localized versions of WordPress will receive faster and more complete translations. WordPress 3.7 adds support for automatically installing the right language files and keeping them up to date, a boon for the many millions who use WordPress in a language other than English.

 

Of course, the “updates while you sleep” have been getting handled by Network Solutions, Inc. on our managed sites, but now the software is doing it for us.  We will still be applying updates to plugins and themes and, of course, pushing out the major WordPress updates which will not be automatic.
Update – Octover 30, 2013 – WordPress 3.7.1 was just released as a maintenance release fixing some bugs with the 3.7 rollout.  Here are the main updates:

  • Images with captions no longer appear broken in the visual editor.
  • Avoid fatal errors with certain plugins that were incorrectly calling some WordPress functions too early.
  • Fix hierarchical sorting in get_pages(), exclusions in wp_list_categories(), and in_category() when called with empty values.
  • Fix a warning that may occur in certain setups while performing a search, and a few other notices.
2013-10-30T13:47:25-05:00October 28, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on WordPress Upgrades

Network Solutions, LLC. Service Outage (not us)

October 22, 2013 12:15pm – We are getting numerous calls from customers of Network Solutions, LLC.  Apparently, they are experiencing a large outage that is affecting many customer web sites and services.  Their main homepage is also unavailable, so many people looking for answers are coming across our page and contacting us.  Please note that although we are an internet provider, Network Solutions, LLC is an entirely different company and we have no control over their systems.   We will, however, try to provide updates here as we get them.  If you would like to try to call them, their number is 1-800-333-7680.

We see that they are posting updates via their Facebook account at http://www.facebook.com/networksolutions.  As of this writing, there is a post about email issues yesterday, but no mention of the large outage.

They are also posting updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/netsolcares.  According to their latest status: “Service Alert: We are aware that some Customers are experiencing issues with websites. Our Team is working on the issue. Please stand by.”

Update 1:35pm:  Their Twitter account has been updated to say “We’ve experienced an incident on Network Solutions DNS, and we’re in the process of restoring services. Thx 4 your patience.”

Update 5:00pm:  They have not posted any new updates on Twitter or Facebook, but the http://www.networksolutions.com page is now online, so we assume they are making some progress.  We will consider this issue resolved unless we hear something further.

2013-10-22T22:20:38-05:00October 22, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on Network Solutions, LLC. Service Outage (not us)

Network Outage

At 7:31am CDT, we experienced a network outage which affected multiple upstream providers.  We contacted our providers who resolved the issue at 9:01am.   We have not been told what the issue was, but we will providing updates here as we find out more information.

This outage affected most websites and email services.  However, everything should be restored now.    If you are still having issues, please contact us at support@internetpro.net or cal 256-547-6817.

 

Update: 10:22am – Apparently the cause of the issue is “undetermined” according to AT&T.   We wish we could provide more information and have a better plan to head off future problems of this sort, but without being able to get more information from our providers, this is impossible.  We do apologize for the inconvenience.

 

 

 

2013-09-24T15:24:06-05:00September 24, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on Network Outage

WordPress Sites Updated

We applied the WordPress 3.6.1 update to all of our managed WordPress sites today.  We recommend that users check over their WordPress sites thoroughly to make sure everything is still working as it is supposed to.  This update was a maintenance and security update which fixed 13 bugs.

It addresses three issues fixed by the WordPress security team:

  • Block unsafe PHP unserialization that could occur in limited situations and setups, which can lead to remote code execution. Reported by Tom Van Goethem.
  • Prevent a user with an Author role, using a specially crafted request, from being able to create a post “written by” another user. Reported by Anakorn Kyavatanakij.
  • Fix insufficient input validation that could result in redirecting or leading a user to another website. Reported by Dave Cummo, a Northrup Grumman subcontractor for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, the update adjusted security restrictions around file uploads to mitigate the potential for cross-site scripting.
If you have any questions, please contact us at support@internetpro.net or by calling 256-547-6817.

2013-09-19T21:01:39-05:00September 19, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on WordPress Sites Updated

Mail Server Blacklisted

Our email server was put on a couple of blacklists this morning because of a compromised email account being used to send out spam.  We have disabled the offending account and have requested that our server be delisted from the appropriate blacklists.  Usually, it takes around 1-2 hours for all of the servers using these lists to refresh their listings.  Between now (8:00 am) and the next couple of hours, it is possible that our customers may see some messages rejected because of this listing.  In most cases, the sender will receive a “failure notice” quickly after the email is sent.  If one of these is received, we recommend waiting an hour or two and attempting to send the message again.

We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.   If you have any questions, please contact us at support@internetpro.net or call 256-547-6817.

 

Update Sept. 19, 2013 – This happened again, and we expect to be off all of the major blacklists by 5:00pm on Sept 19.

 

2013-09-19T20:41:12-05:00September 5, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on Mail Server Blacklisted

NetSol Cloud Sync Client Updated

NetSol Cloud Client 1.4

 *Get the new client HERE.

occ14_contextmenuAll important information is now available in the context menu.

Previous versions of the NetSol Cloud client were quite sparse in terms of feedback. You would have to wait for a complete sync to finish in order to receive your results, and to understand what the client actually did, you would have to resort to running with the --logwindow option. No more! The new version features feedback about the current sync progress and already processed items in the context menu. If this is not enough, you can choose Details... from the Recent Changes. This will pop up a dialog that will give you the complete details about all uploaded, downloaded, deleted and moved files and directories. On top, the information will be available as it the sync happens, but only as a result afterwards like before. There is also feedback on the upload progress both in the context menu and in the account details. When there are problems with the sync like running out of quota, the system tray icon will now change to indicate a problem.

 

 

Settings

 

occ_14_monoicon

occ_14_defaulticonIcons going native

It’s hardly believable, but so far the Client went without a settings dialog. Under the hood, we had features piling up such as switching to native/monochrome icons, but they were only available as command line switches. Now they are all pretty check boxes. On top, there are now options to disable pop ups resulting from syncs, as well as auto-starting the Client on all o systems on a per-user basis. Auto start is now only default if an account has been successfully configured.

 

Refactoring for Features

 

occ14_accountsettings

Detailed quota and button leading to the Ignored Files Editor.

 

This release features the most changes in terms of lines of code since the beginning of the Client development. Code has been refactored to enable new functionality, such as bandwidth control, aforementioned quota visualization, or to allow for Custom Ignore patterns. Not only can you add new file patterns that will be ignored by the client, but you can also define them as discardable. For instance locally created meta-files such as .DS_Store (Mac) or Thumbs.db (Windows) would not be deleted which the folder was removed remotely, rendering the client incapable of removing the directory. Ignored files marked as discardable will now be removed without warning, making the sync experience a lot smoother.

 

occ14_networksettings

New in 1.4: Setting up bandwidth limits.

 

Another, still ongoing effort is the introduction of a smarter scheduler that ensures that sync runs will only be performed whenever there are changes on the server. Before, we could only detect local changes. In order to achieve this, we leverage the E-Tag, a Unique ID provided by the NetSol Cloud WebDAV server. This should result in significantly reduced CPU load and networking traffic. No more sync runs every 30 seconds. Instead, the root E-Tags on the server are being checked, and a sync run is only started if they changed. Also, we have lowered the thread priority for the actual sync run to provide a smoother experience.

 

 

We think you will really like the new features and the better performance of the new clients.  You can go to the Desktop Sync Clients Page to download the new versions.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at support@internetpro.net or call 256-547-6817.

 

 

2013-09-04T16:15:42-05:00September 4, 2013|NetSol Cloud, News and Updates|Comments Off on NetSol Cloud Sync Client Updated

Legacy Webmail Issue

This morning we had an issue which affected our Legacy Webmail Interface for a short time.  The issue did NOT affect our newer, more modern web interface located at https://webmail.internetpro.net nor did it affect any client email programs.  The issue arose from a problem with our system which attempts to block hackers from guessing user passwords.  Our system locks out IP addresses from which numerous bad password attempts are made and keeps the IP blocked for up to an hour.  Unfortunately, that system malfunctioned and blocked ALL users.   The issue has since been cleared up.

Network Solutions, Inc. does also recommend using our NEWER, better web interface at https://webmail.internetpro.net which also allows you to store contacts (with pictures), features drag-and-drop folder support, a better WYSIWYG interface, and many other enhancements.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 256-547-6817 or email support@internetpro.net.

 

 

2013-08-27T17:55:57-05:00August 27, 2013|News and Updates|Comments Off on Legacy Webmail Issue
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