Computer expert warns Canadians: Watch out for 'Superfish'
A Whitehorse computer expert is warning Canadians about a computer vulnerability — and he's mentioning one computer brand by name.
Martin Lehner is a security expert at Orange Technology in Whitehorse. He says users of Lenovo computers should get their computers checked for pre-installed software.
Lehner says many Lenovo computers have software called, "Superfish", which is installed at the factory.
The software is designed to wedge sponsored advertising into web sites, but in doing so opens a door to hackers.
"There are a lot of users here in Yukon," Lehner says. "This is something people should be aware of."
Lehner says online banking, retail sites and other protected sites, such as social media, can be compromised thanks to the software.
"Every few months there's something new," he says. "This seems to be something you can uninstall, but we have to give it some time to see if it will rectify the issue."
Lehner's company doesn't sell the Lenovo brand, but he's willing to look at the computers for free. "It serves no one’s interest to have highly vulnerable systems out there," he says.
In the United-States, a class-action lawsuit is seeking compensation from Lenovo, which has pledged to change its ways and no longer install the software on its computers.
The use of the software, sometimes called adware or malware, is found on Lenovo computers sold between September and December 2014.
