LACS
Computer Forum: Aug 9, 2005
Information
on some items discussed:
1.
MS Patches - Normally Microsoft releases
critical (security) patches for Windows on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
In order to get them open Internet Explorer, left click on Tools, left
click on Windows Update, left click on Express (for the Critical Updates).
This month there are 8 such updates for Windows XP.
2.
On-Line Virus Checks - Several suppliers
offer free on-line virus scanning:
BitDefender
F-Secure
Kaspersky
McAfee
(freescan)
Panda
(ActiveScan)
Symantec
(Norton)
Trend
Micro (Housecall)
It has
been reported that some sites which offer free virus scanning install malware/spyware
on your system. It is prudent to limit your on-line virus scanning
to name brand providers.
3.
Backup - Drive Imaging - Today one of
the easiest ways to backup your PC is to make an image of the hard drive
on a set of CDs, DVDs, or an external hard drive. If you look for
sales, you can assemble an external hard drive for under $100.00.
Of
the disk imaging programs designed for the home user, Acronis' True Image
8.0 was given the highest rating by SmartComputing in their June 2005 issue,
(click here); a representative
from SmartComputing was the speaker at this month's General Meeting.
For additional information on True Image, (click
here). As of this writing the lowest street price for the downloadable
version is about $30.00 at NewEgg.
4.
Spam - It has reported that 87 per cent
of the world's e-mail is spam, (reference).
How
do I stop spam? Following is adapted from a Comcast
FAQ:
1. Keep your PC's anti-virus software up-to-date and install a firewall.
Unprotected high-speed Internet connections are vulnerable to infection
by viruses that are programmed to open gateways, also known as proxies,
to relay spam. By not keeping your PC secure, you may unwittingly be a
courier for spam.
2. Give your primary e-mail address to friends and family only. Give a
different e-mail to others on the Internet. Although this second address
will likely receive unwanted e-mails, it is more disposable and can allow
you to better control the e-mails you receive.
3. Do not post your primary e-mail address in newsgroups, bulletin boards
or chat rooms. Spammers use software programs, often referred to as spiders
or bots, to search for and harvest e-mail addresses on public forums. To
prevent this, use a secondary e-mail address or alter the primary address
so that it is not deliverable in that format. For example, if your e-mail
address is test_account@comcast.net, you could post it as test_account@NO.SPAM.comcast.net
or "test _ account at comcast dot net".
4. Do not post your primary e-mail address on a Web site. Spiders also
scan Web sites for e-mail addresses. You can alter your e-mail address
to help protect it but remember that e-mail harvesting software can read
HTML code, so be sure to remove the "mailto:" tag.
5. Do not reply to unsolicited e-mails. If the e-mail does not appear to
be from a trustworthy or legitimate source, delete it without replying.
A federal anti-spam law called The Can Spam Act, went into effect January
1, 2004, requiring a functioning "opt out" link or a legitimate "reply
to unsubscribe" e-mail address. Some unscrupulous spammers have ignored
this law and continue to trick recipients into unwittingly responding to
a fake "opt out" link, which actually verifies their e-mail address as
a valid one. Therefore, it is still strongly recommended that recipients
of unsolicited e-mail carefully consider whether an "opt out" or "reply
to unsubscribe" seems legitimate and act accordingly.
6. Consider using an alternate e-mail address when signing up for services,
filling out forms or taking surveys on the Internet. Read the privacy policy
of these sites. Keep in mind, if the service is "free" they often need
to generate revenue in some manner and advertising is often used to do
this.
7. When signing up for a mailing list, read the terms and policies. Signing
up should result in wanted or solicited e-mail, but the list provider should
disclose whether signing up will result in the sale or trade of your e-mail
address to other parties.
8. Let friends and family know that you do not wish to have them share
your e-mail address.
9. Make sure your e-mail address is difficult to guess. Don't use a common
name or common words. It is not uncommon for spammers to use software programs
to generate random user names based on common names and words in the dictionary.
In addition, common e-mail addresses may have been used previously and
my still be on old mailing lists.
10. Check "sent mail" folders for suspicious messages. Take responsibility
for your PC by checking your "sent mail" folder regularly to ensure that
all sent mail is really being sent by you and not by a spammer using an
open gateway (proxy) on your computer.
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