Security:
Keeping Your Information and Computer Safe

Several common threats can impact both the performance and reliability of your computer and Internet connection. These viruses, spyware, malware, file sharing, scams, and spam. If not properly addressed, these issues will lead to many problems, some of which are listed below:

It is mandatory to have the following at all times:

  1. An up to date Virus Scanner
  2. An up to date Spyware Scanner
  3. WindowsUpdate configured to do automatic updates
  4. A Firewall
  5. Good Safety Practices while online and during your daily activities

Microsoft also has excellent resources about protecting yourself.

 

Viruses

Most viruses are spread through email, downloads, and diskettes - however, some viruses can attack your system without your knowledge, if you are not running an updated version of Windows, you lack a firewall or you lack up to a date virus protection.

It is a requirement that you purchase virus scanning software and run it on your computer. Without it you will get a virus with near 100% certainty. You must also keep it updated to protect you from new viruses.

To prevent viruses from infecting your system:

New viruses come out every day, so you must run a virus scanner that can be updated to find new viruses on a regular basis. Most leading virus scanning software (Norton, Mcafee, PC-Cillin, etc.) has the ability to do so, most reputable companies charge a yearly subscription fee.

Be sure that you only download files from websites that you trust, and never open email attachments - even from people you know - unless you are expecting an attachment from that person.

Some viruses take advantage of security flaws in Windows itself.  Microsoft creates updates for Windows to fix these flaws, but you must add them yourself.  To update your Windows to be the most secure, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and follow the steps shown there.

It is also critical to have a firewall. There are many hardware based firewall/router based devices on the market by manufacturers like Linksys and D-Link. They are typically below $50 and not only do they help to protect your computer, they also allow multiple computers to use your Internet connection simultaneously. The free firewall that is built into Windows XP is also better than most 3rd party firewall software on the market. The Windows XP firewall must be manually turned on.

 

Spyware and Malware

Spyware is a relatively new issue related to the Internet, and is similar in many ways to viruses - but technically spyware is not a virus. As a result, virus scanners and firewalls will not protect you. Viruses spread on their own, whereas Spyware is technically installed by the user (most often by accident).

There is an excellent video here provided by Microsoft that explains spyware.

If you have ever had an abundance of advertisements appear while you are working, or new "search bars", "date managers", or other software that does not perform any useful function - it is most likely Spyware.

Spyware is created by groups including advertisers, criminal gangs, pornographers and hackers. It is created for the purpose of putting advertisements on your screen, dialing expensive 1-900 calls from your modem, recording your activity ("spying") and sending that information back to them for financial gain.  Some spyware has also been known to send personal accounting, tax, and credit information. A threat more severe than spyware is often classified as Malware and it will do things like use your computer to send spam and scams or be used by a hacker to impersonate you so they can commit crimes in your name.

Some signs that a program may be spyware are anything with the word toolbar in it, gambling related, or anything that is from a less than reputable source. However, new spyware appears as often as new viruses do. The number one source of Spyware and Malware is file sharing software like Bittorrent and Limewire.

To avoid spyware and malware:

There are many utilities that claim to prevent pop-ups and remove spyware. Unfortunately, many of these products are spyware themselves - and only solve oneproblem to create another.

Our preferred solution is to use a reputable security program and most importantly use safe browsing habits online. Do not use file sharing programs and do not install any programs or software on your computer unless you know exactly who it is from.

If you see a window pop up while you are browsing that asks your permission to install something, be very careful before agreeing. Most of these windows are spyware, with a few exceptions (such as the link above: "Windows Update").

While browsing the internet, it is best to be cautious - do not agree to anything that you do not understand, and if someone is offering you a free software, know that there is often a catch to it.

File Sharing Software

There are many very popular file sharing (also known as Peer to Peer or P2P) programs on the Internet. These include Bittorrent, Limewire, and many others. At first glance these programs look like a great way to get free stuff! In reality they can be very dangerous. It is important that those who use these programs recognize the risks they assume by using this software. We do not recommend using File Sharing software and cannot provide support or assistance with it.

The risk we encounter the most, is one of bandwidth. File Sharing will consume your entire Internet connection no matter how fast your Internet is. It will make applications like web browsing slower and is not compatibl with VOIP. File Sharing will also use huge amounts of transfer which are beyond reasonable use residential service. If File Sharing is not setup correctly or used without caution you can can incur substantial additional charges on your Internet service. Other people on the Internet can consume all of your bandwidth and transfer even if you do not. At minimum users of File Sharing software should disable uploading. However this does not eliminate all risks.

Another risk with File Sharing is you may be accidentally opening your hard drive up to strangers. It is possible to accidentally configure your File Sharing software to share all your personal data to complete strangers.

Legal risk is another challenge with File Sharing. The vast majority of content on file sharing networks is copyrighted material that is illegal to share. Downloading files on Peer to Peer networks can result in legal action against you by the copyright holder.

Many files on File Sharing networks contain viruses, spyware, and malware. File Sharing is the underbelly of the Internet and full of hazards.

The biggest users of File Sharing are children. They do not understand the risks of such activity and it is important for parents to educate their children that they can put themselves and their family at risk.

Scams

There are many scammers and con artists out there these days. They use email, websites, mail, telephone, and even door to door as methods to scam people out of information and/or money. The rules that would apply to someone phoning you or coming to your door are exactly the same online.

Never trust that a message is from who it claims to be. Just like mail or call display, the from part of an email or website can be faked. If anyone contacts you in anyway online and asks you to go to a website and provide private information, assume it is a scam. Even if the web address looks legitimate, that is no guarantee. The only guarantee is for you to go directly to the website in question. The link in an email cannot be trusted.

If you get a phone call and they claim to be us or anyone who you do business with, hang up the call and call them back at a phone number that you know to be accurate. The phone book is a pretty trustworthy place to look for that number.

Spam

Once in a while a customer asks us why we do not block spam. The answer is we do. We block tens of thousands of spam messages every day. In fact the vast majority of traffic to our mail servers are spam messages which we eliminate before it reaches our users. We use many anti-spam systems including blacklisting, greylisting, virus scanning, rule based filtering, and heuristic filtering.

Users who report excessive spam often can reduce the problem by changing their habits online.

Never use the To or CC (Carbon Copy) field when sending messages to many people. Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field. Remind your friends to do the same. Using CC or To with a list of people only helps to spread your friends emails to more people and therefore increases the odds that spammers will get their hands on addresses.

Do not give out your email address. Lots of websites will try to ask you for your email address. Don't give it out unless you trust who you are giving it to and you have little choice.

Do not put your email address on any websites or message boards. Spammers will scan these websites and harvest your address.

Keep your system clean of spyware. You or one of your friends having spyware is the quickest way to get your address added to spammers lists.

Do not trust the Unsubscribe feature on many emails. Many of them are fake and are just used to ensure you are a real person so they can send more spam to you. Unsubscribe only works with reputable and honest companies. For most spammers it makes the problem worse.

Never, ever, visit any links in a spam email. This will most certainly tell the spammer that you got the message and that they can send you more spam. Many experianced Internet users boycott companies that use spam for unsolicited marketing no matter how tempting their product or offering may be.

If you must give out your email address online, you can use a seperate or "throw-away" address for that company or person. You can have unlimited email addresses on our service. This way if the address is lost/compromised to spammers it was not your important or "main" email address.