Link to NCKCN.COM

E-Mail Scam
Watch For iTunes Gift Certificate Scam

New!! - Cunningham Telephone And Cable Online Bill Pay

This Month's FAQ
What Is Typosquatting And Why Is It A Threat?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In July

Short Tutorial
Setting Up Your E-mail Program To Not Leave Messages On The Server


Hello NCKCN internet members

In this July issue, we try to help you enjoy sunny summer days while avoiding the "storm clouds" of online threats. First, we warn about a fake e-mail that claims to be from the iTunes Store with a $50 iTunes Gift Certificate; it's a scam designed to lure you into opening a malicious attachment. You'll also learn about another online threat called typosquatting, as well as how to set up your e-mail program to not leave messages on the server—a way to conserve storage space. The learning continues in the Great Sites section, where we share resources related to summer vacations, summer meal planning, and much more.

The goal of each of our 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.

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 Scam – Watch For iTunes Gift Certificate Scam

Don't fall for the fake e-mail currently circulating that says you've been given a $50 iTunes Gift Certificate. It asks recipients to open the attached file to access a certificate code that purportedly can be used to buy music and other items from the iTunes Store. The e-mail is not from the iTunes Store, as it claims, but rather from a notorious scam machine known as the Pushdo/Cutwail spambot.

Scam Sample Download Graphics to View


Those who open the attachment will not find a certificate code. Instead, by clicking on it, the recipient may inadvertently launch a malicious application that can install a Trojan horse virus on his or her computer. Once installed, this Trojan can then modify the Windows registry, potentially give hackers access to the infected computer by connecting to a remote server, and download and install even more malware components.

Keep in mind that e-mail notifications of genuine iTunes Gift Certificates will typically include the name of the sender along with a personal message, and will not hide the certificate code in a separate e-mail attachment. So pay close attention to any e-mails you receive that appear to be from the iTunes Store. And as always, think twice before opening any e-mail attachment.

Back to Top

New!! - Cunningham Telephone And Cable Online Bill Pay

As a Cunningham customer, you now have the option to pay your Cunningham bill online. By choosing to use online bill pay, the process of paying your bill each month is made faster and simpler. No more checks to write. No more searching for a stamp. No more heading for the mailbox.

You can pay your Cunningham bill online whenever and wherever it's convenient for you. All it takes is just a few clicks, via the debit or credit card you select. Besides doing away with the clutter of paper bills, online bill pay gives you the convenience of viewing up to 12 months of past bills. You'll save money on paper checks and postage, and you'll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing your payments are made on time.

To access online bill pay visit our website at www.cunninghamtelephoneandcable.com, click on the "online bill pay" button on top of page and start the registration process. This is a free service and we're making it easy to sign up and get started. Please call your local office for more details, questions, comments or concerns.

Back to Top

This Month's FAQ – What Is Typosquatting And Why Is It A Threat?

Question: I heard that typosquatting is an online threat. What exactly is typosquatting and what do I need to know about it?

Download Graphics to View Answer: Typosquatting has emerged as a significant threat to Internet users. The term refers to the development of malicious websites with addresses (URLs) that are very similar to those of real websites. These addresses are based on common typing errors like .cm instead of .com; the .cm domain has recently been identified as the riskiest domain in the world because of this practice. Typosquatting also takes advantage of adding an "s" to form a plural word in an address or using common misspellings. If you are lead to one of these malicious sites, such as one that pretends to be a financial institution with which you do business, it could collect your login information for identity theft.

In order to protect yourself from typosquatting, be careful when typing Internet addresses, verify the address before entering login information or downloading files, and use bookmarks in your Web browser so that you do not need to type addresses for websites that you visit regularly.

Back to Top

Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In July

Tourism Tidbits
www.funtouristattractions.com – Planning your next trip, or looking for somewhere new to travel to? This site is packed with details about tourist attractions in cities around the world. Just click on a city, pick an attraction, and find photos, videos, links to blog posts, maps, and contact information. Or try the Stumble Travel feature, which brings up random videos of attractions you might not have looked for on your own, like the Mud Volcano (where you can take a mud bath!) in Cartagena, Columbia.

Cool Vacation Slideshows
tripwow.tripadvisor.com – Here's a way to take sharing vacation pics to a whole new level. Just upload a few photos, and the site creates a very cool trip slideshow (with music!) for you to show your family and friends. It even includes a map of your travels and allows you to customize titles and captions. The site is free, fast, and easy. Once a slideshow is created, you can easily share it on Facebook, Twitter, or another social media site.

Healthy Home Cooking
www.mealsmatter.com  – The Meals Matter website helps you prepare healthy meals at home. This free site offers a variety of tools, including a grocery list, meal planner, nutrition planner, and cookbook. You can also take calcium and food personality quizzes to help you get on track. Visit the Nutrition & Healthy Living section to read up on nutrition and healthy living topics, or check out the Recipes & Meal Ideas section for quick meals and meal suggestions. How does Almond Chicken Dijon sound for dinner tonight?

Help With Finances
www.mymoney.gov – Financial management can be complicated, but there are good resources out there. This site is dedicated to financial literacy and education for all Americans. You will find tips on starting a new business, how to buy health insurance, how to prepare for retirement, and much more, including the new rules regarding credit cards and overdraft fees. Calculators, worksheets, and checklists make it easy to get your financial life in order.

Want To Volunteer?
www.serve.gov – A situation like this year's Gulf oil spill reminds us that there are people in need of help—not just in disaster situations, but in everyday life. Whether you want to assist animals, youth, or the environment, this site can help you find ways to use your passion and knowledge to benefit others in your community. Just use the easy interface to search for opportunities. You can also post information if your organization needs volunteers.

Back to Top

Short Tutorial – Setting Up Your E-mail Program To Not Leave Messages On The Server

Have you ever received a notification that your mailbox is full because you have used your allotted amount of storage space? If so, we recommend that you check your settings to make sure that your e-mail program is set up to not leave messages on the server. To do so, simply follow the steps below.

Setting up Your E-mail Program to Not Leave Messages on the Server Using ...
E-mail Program:
Outlook Express 6
Computer Operating System: Windows XP
  1. With Outlook Express open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar and then select "Accounts..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Internet Accounts window opens, highlight your e-mail name and select the "Properties" button.

  3. When the e-mail specific Properties window opens, select the "Advanced" tab.

  4. Under the "Delivery" section, uncheck the box next to "Leave a copy of messages on server."

  5. Click on the "Apply" button and then the "OK" button to save your changes and close the e-mail specific Properties window.

  6. The Internet Accounts window should reappear. Click on the "Close" button to close the window.
Setting up Your E-mail Program to Not Leave Messages on the Server Using ...
E-mail Program:
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X
  1. With Thunderbird open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar and then select "Account Settings..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Account Settings window opens, click on the "+" sign next to your e-mail name (arrow on the Mac version) and a list will appear below. Select "Server Settings" from this list.

  3. Under the "Server Settings" section, uncheck the box next to "Leave messages on server."

  4. Click on the "OK" button to save your changes and close the Account Settings window.
Setting up Your E-mail Program to Not Leave Messages on the Server Using ...
E-mail Program:
Windows Mail
Computer Operating System: Windows Vista
  1. With Windows Mail open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar and then select "Accounts..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Internet Accounts window opens, highlight your e-mail name and select the "Properties" button.

  3. When the e-mail specific Properties window opens, select the "Advanced" tab.

  4. Under the "Delivery" section, uncheck the box next to "Leave a copy of messages on server."

  5. Click on the "Apply" button and then the "OK" button to save your changes and close the e-mail specific Properties window.

  6. The Internet Accounts window should reappear. Click on the "Close" button to close the window.
Setting up Your E-mail Program to Not Leave Messages on the Server Using ...
E-mail Program:
Windows Live Mail
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
  1. With Windows Live Mail open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar and then select "Accounts..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Accounts window opens, highlight your e-mail name and select the "Properties" button.

  3. When the e-mail specific Properties window opens, select the "Advanced" tab.

  4. Under the "Delivery" section, uncheck the box next to "Leave a copy of messages on server."

  5. Click on the "Apply" button and then the "OK" button to save your changes and close the e-mail specific Properties window.

  6. The Accounts window should reappear. Click on the "Close" button to close the window.
Setting up Your E-mail Program to Not Leave Messages on the Server Using ...
E-mail Program:
Mail.app 3.6
Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5
  1. With Mail.app open, click your cursor arrow on "Mail" from the menu bar and then select "Preferences" from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Preferences window opens, click on the "Accounts" button.

  3. From the Accounts window, select your account in the pane to the left by clicking on its name.

  4. Click on the "Advanced" tab.

  5. Make sure that the box is checked next to "Remove copy from server after retrieving a message:" and select a time interval from the button below that line. Select "Right away" to remove mail from the server as it downloads to your computer.

  6. Close the window by clicking on the red dot in the upper left corner.

Back to Top

We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins, click here.

Thanks for your business!

Thank You

The Staff at NCKCN




Partnered with Cunningham Cable


NCKCN - North Central Kansas Community Network
109 North Mill
Beloit, KS 67420

785-738-2218


©2010 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.