E-Mail Hoax Beware Of E-mails Threatening Internet Access Suspension Ask The Help Desk What's "Twitter?" Sites Of The Month Great Sites To Check Out In October Short Tutorial Setting Up a Signature for Your E-Mails |
Hello NCKCN internet members It's October and the colors of the leaves aren't the only things changing - so are the scams used by cyber criminals. Take note of the new e-mails showing up in inboxes that claim your Internet access will be suspended. This issue also covers the increasingly popular Twitter service for sharing brief updates with family and friends, and tells you how to set up a personalized signature for your e-mails. In Great Sites, you'll find inspiration for all kinds of autumn activities including making healthy meals, planning a beach vacation, winterizing your home, and enjoying concerts by your favorite artists. The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click here. To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading! - The NCKCN Team |
E-Mail Hoax - Beware Of E-mails Threatening Internet Access Suspension
Cyber criminals are currently using the threat of Internet access suspension to trick unsuspecting users into opening a malicious attachment. One version of the e-mail is supposedly sent from the "ICS Monitoring Team" of the "Internet Service Provider Consorcium" - organizations that do not exist. Its message claims that this consorcium (note the misspelling) conducts network wiretapping and is aware of illegal Internet activities committed by the user. Examples of these alleged activities include the pirating of software, movies, and music.
Take a look at one of these fraudulent e-mails below: The user is told via this example to open the attached .zip file to see a report of their online activities in the past six months. This file actually contains a Trojan virus designed to communicate with remote hackers. If the file is opened, it will infect the user's PC. The cyber criminals are banking on the fact that some people do, in fact, engage in some form of illegal downloading and will be worried enough about losing Internet service to open the attachment. If you receive an e-mail similar to this regarding suspension of your Internet access, delete it and do not open the attachment. In addition, always keep your Internet security program updated, which offers anti-virus protection. To learn more about how and where to legally download music, including tools for parents and educators, visit the Recording Artists Association of America site at: http://www.riaa.com
Ask The Help Desk - What's "Twitter?"
Question: I've been hearing the term "Twitter" mentioned a lot these days. What is it exactly and how does it work?
Answer: Launched in July 2006, Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site that allows users to post short updates to the question, "What are you doing?" Updates, known as tweets, are limited to 140 characters in length. They can be posted through any of three methods: web form, text message, or instant message. The service is designed as a way for friends, family, and co-workers (called followers) to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The New York Times says that Twitter is "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the Internet." As of July 2008, over two million Twitter accounts were registered. Find out complete details, including how to join, at http://twitter.com Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o to see a video titled "Twitter in Plain English."
Sites Of The Month - Great Sites To Check Out In October
Are Your Bank Accounts Safe?
http://fdic.gov/edie/index.html - Troubling news from the financial sector has many Americans concerned about the safety of their bank deposits. This site was recently developed to help people check whether or not their accounts are fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It features EDIE the Estimator, which can calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts. It also offers step-by-step tutorials illustrating strategies for families, a couple, and a business owner. "Good for You" Recipes http://recipes.sparkpeople.com - Spark your imagination for dinner tonight with a visit to this SparkPeople site. It offers more than 97,000 healthy and delicious recipes from appetizers to desserts, all submitted from its community of members. Search by course, ethnicity, occasion, or dietary needs to find just the right one - like Shrimp & Corn Chowder or No Bake Graham Cracker Cheesycake. Want to analyze your recipes? Use the recipe calculator to calculate the nutritional information. Browse the Best Beaches http://travelchannel.com/Travel_Ideas/Best_Beaches - Are you dreaming of a beach vacation? Let the experts at the Travel Channel guide you to the best beaches in the world. They've grouped them by type of vacation (family or romance) as well as season of the year and region. So put on your flip flops and stroll through this long stretch of beaches that are guaranteed to provide fun in the sun. How to Winterize Your Home http://doityourself.com/stry/prepareforwinter1 - Before you know it, those winter winds will be blowing. Is your home ready? What needs to be done to prepare? This site provides a review of important tasks including furnace and fireplace inspections, adding insulation, and cleaning gutters. Get to work now and you can look forward to a more comfortable home with reduced energy costs. Hear the Buzz on Concerts http://beethere.net - BeeThere makes it possible to track your favorite artists and their tour dates in 800 cities in the U.S. and Canada using your iTunes collection as a starting point. The site searches club websites, member postings, and the open Web to get current information on upcoming music events. Create your own watch list and be notified in time to buy concert tickets.
Short Tutorial - Setting Up a Signature for Your E-Mails
A signature is a block of text placed at the bottom of your outgoing e-mails to "sign off" and close the messages. The primary purpose of a signature is to let people know who you are and how to contact you. Many people also take this opportunity to convey a bit of their personality through the use of a favorite quotation or a particular font.
What you include in your signature is up to you, and you may want to create a couple of signatures - such as one for business and one for personal use. To set up a signature, follow the steps below for your e-mail program. Setting Up a Signature for Your E-Mails When Using ... - E-mail Program: Outlook Express 6 - Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition
- E-mail Program: Windows Mail - Computer Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
- E-mail Program: Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0 - Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition and Windows Vista Home Premium
- E-mail Program: Macintosh Mail.app - Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4
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Thanks for your business! Thank You The Staff at NCKCN NCKCN - North Central Kansas Community Network 109 North Mill Beloit, KS 67420 785-738-2218
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