Q: I was recently placed in the CenturyLink Consumer Internet Protection Program for the second time due to reports of malicious traffic coming from my home network. In both cases, I used McAfee Antivirus, Malwarebytes, and eventually Microsoft’s Malware Removal Tool on all of my connected PCs to identify and fix this issue. In each instance, no malware was found. After a lengthy conversation with the CenturyLink help desk in an attempt to identify what was driving these malicious traffic reports, they could only tell me that some device on my network had a bot virus and strongly recommended that I get help from “IT” . for them to remove it.
Is it possible that I could still have an infected device, regardless of all the preventative steps I just listed? And if so, how can I know which is the culprit? Or could it be Microsoft’s connection test that is causing this problem?
— scott hannah
A: I reached out to Lumen, which used to be CenturyLink, and got some answers, though I suspect the company’s responses won’t completely reassure customers who don’t know why the program restricts their Internet access.
First of all, yes, it is possible that despite running the software you cite, you could still have something tripping Lumen’s consumer internet protection program. For starters, it’s not just viruses or other malware that can trigger CIPP restrictions. Having content on your computer that violates digital copyright laws can also do it. If you have downloaded such content, quite possibly without knowing that it is copyrighted, that can also be a trigger.
While Lumen promises that it doesn’t scan subscribers’ computers, I asked how CIPP detects malware or other triggering content.
“We rely on notification from trusted third parties that our customers’ computers are performing malicious acts on the Internet,” a company spokesperson said.
Examples of malicious activity include attempting to scan and infect other computers on the web, sending spam from their computers, participating in botnet denial-of-service attacks, and other malicious activities. So while Lumen may not be monitoring his computer’s Internet connection, apparently others are.
And yes, it’s also possible that, despite your security software, another computer on your network may have triggering content, or that your computer or another computer on the network has been hacked and used to participate in one or more of the trigger activities. .
Finally, yes, Lumen says it’s “possible but not likely” that the Microsoft 365 network connectivity test, or other network scans, could trigger CIPP restrictions.
Then, what are you going to do? The Lumen spokesperson suggests calling 800-244-1111.
Like I said, it’s not really encouraging.
Q: In a recent columnyou didn’t mention what I think is the easiest way to move photos from phone (Android or iPhone) to computer (Windows or Apple).
The reader mentioned the use of Dropbox. Dropbox does automatic photo uploads (when enabled), so images go to a folder in Dropbox labeled “camera uploads.” No wire needed. Could not been more easy.
— norm samuelson
A: Yes, it’s certainly easy if you don’t want to be picky about what you’re uploading. And by the way, other cloud services, like Microsoft OneDrive, also support automatic uploading of photos from your phone to the cloud and, if you like, to your computer.
Q: In a recent column, you mentioned transferring files from phone to laptop by connecting with a USB cable. He should probably clarify that a “data capable” USB cable is required. Although technicians are aware of this, cable vendors are often unclear on cable specifications and often unlabeled, which can lead to frustration.
— dirk nansen
A: Good point. Yes, there are USB cables that only carry power and cannot be used to transfer data. Those are the ones that usually come with your cell phone and that you use to charge it. They are usually thinner than USB data cables, which can also be used to power devices. Power-only cables also use only two wires in the cable compared to four in a data cable, but since many power cables use the same four-pin port connectors, you can still misidentify the type of USB cable. What is it.
The good news is that there is no harm in using the wrong cable. You just won’t be able to connect to the phone for data transfers. That’s your cue to grab another cable.