City Cable Internet Newsletter

Municipal Utilities

SECURITY INFORMATION

 

 

Dear Customer,

 

It is more important now than ever to secure your computer system against unwanted intruders.  Virus’, worms, trojan’s, spyware and adware are growing by leaps and bounds.  There is no perfect security system, but, the more difficult you make it for an intruder, the more likely they will be to find an easier target.  Just as not leaving the keys in your car, locking the door and parking in a well lit area deters thieves from your car; patching security holes, putting up a firewall, and running antivirus software deters on-line intruders.   Please take a moment to follow these easy steps to help keep your computer safe and running properly.  All steps can be done without costing a cent. If you need assistance with any of the steps below, please call technical support at 1-888-394-4772.

 

  1. Critical Updates:  Ensure your system has all available Microsoft critical updates installed by visiting the Microsoft update site at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com .  You may have to visit the site multiple times to obtain all of them.  They will help protect your system against many worms and malicious web sites while on-line.

 

  1. Anti-Virus:  Keep a new Anti-virus program installed on your computer and keep it updated often.  It is recommended to set the program to update itself while on-line and periodically check to see that it is really updating.  Perform regular scans of your system.  Keep in mind that some virus’ and worm’s know how to disable or damage some popular anti-virus software programs.  If a virus is found and you have Windows XP or Windows ME, you will have to disable System Restore prior to removing the virus.  If you do not already have an up-to-date antivirus program, you may want to try AVG, a free program from Grisoft.  http://free.avg.com .  If you already have an antivirus program and want to switch to AVG or another program, be sure to fully uninstall your old program and restart your computer prior to installing a new one.  Also be sure to immediately update the program once installed.

 

  1. Firewall:  If you have Windows XP, make sure the built-in Windows firewall is enabled for both your Local Area Connection (LAN) and for your Broadband Connection.  If you do not have Windows XP, you can purchase one of many commercially available software firewalls or download one from the Internet.  One popular free program is Zone Alarm from Zone Labs ™ http://www.zonealarm.com   Be sure to read the documentation completely prior to using a software firewall you install as incorrect configuration can easily prevent you from connecting to the Internet properly.

 

  1. Spyware:  Keep spyware/adware under control.  Spyware and Adware are software programs that websites and other software usually trick you into installing or get installed through a security hole in your browser (Internet Explorer) and deliver pop-up ads to you very frequently, redirect your web page requests to another site, change your start page, gather statistical information about your browsing habits to send back to the spyware company, and many other nasty things.  They also cause your system to become much slower and unstable.  There are some commercial products available to help remove the spyware/adware as well as some free ones.  Be cautious, as some so-called spyware removal programs actually are spyware themselves and only remove competing products and adware not associated with their company.  Ad-aware, a free program from Lavasoft ™ http://www.lavasoft.com , and Spybot Search and Destroy a free program from Safer-Networking ™ http://www.safer-networking.org  (Notice the site is .ORG) both will help you remove the unwanted spyware/adware from your system and can work together if you like.  Be SURE to immediately update both programs after you install them and update them prior to each use.

 

 

Microsoft has a dedicated area of their website to help Windows users secure their systems.  Please visit their page http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx for help and information.

 

 

Regarding E-mail Attachments…

 

If you are not expecting an attachment from someone, it is recommended not to open it.  Even if it appears to come from someone you know, it may not really be coming from that person.  Many virus’ and worm’s harvest e-mail addresses from an infected system to use as the “from” and “to” lines of the e-mail counting on the fact that some of the addresses contained within an individual e-mail belong to people that know each other.  This is just one of the ways virus’ and worm’s try to convince their victim of the authenticity of the e-mail by placing a known address or by masquerading as a trusted company (like your ISP or Microsoft, etc).

 

 

Notice and Disclaimer:

 

Municipal Utilities and City Cable does not produce or support any of the software identified in this document and is not responsible for the results of its use or misuse.

 

Accounts that are found infected with a virus, worm, trojan horse or other malicious or abusive software may be temporarily disconnected with or without prior notice to protect other Internet users and in some cases ensure the stability of the network.  When possible and practical notification is made to the account holder prior to disconnection, however, it is not guaranteed.  To help ensure notification prior to disconnection, please check your e-mail with mycitycable frequently and have at least one valid telephone number on-file with the business office 686-8020.

 

 

Regards,

 

City Cable Internet – http://www.mycitycable.com

% Municipal Utilities & City Cable

3000 N. Westwood Blvd

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-686-8020

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