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E-Mail Virus |
Hello
SpringNet1 Internet Subscribers!
To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading! - The SpringNet1 Internet Team
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E-Mail Virus
- The Atak Mass-Mailing Worm Adds A New Twist
The recent
discovery of the "Atak" e-mail worm has some anti-virus companies on the
alert regarding the release of similar deviant malware. The Atak worm,
although not considered a high risk mass-mailing worm at this time, does put
a new wrinkle into the virus/worm detection business of anti-virus software
companies.
Most developers of e-mail worms incorporate layers of "armoring" or
encryption within their worms' code. The intent is to make it very
complicated for anti-virus software companies to write detection and repair
software programs for computers which have been infected. The Atak worm goes
beyond the typical armoring techniques. It actively attempts to detect
whether anti-virus software is scanning for its presence within an infected
machine. In fact, if the Atak worm determines that it is being analyzed by
anti-virus software, it stops running and automatically shuts itself down.
In other words, it attempts to go into a "stealth mode."
Thankfully, all of the major anti-virus software companies quickly
discovered and developed remedies for the Atak worm. However, anti-virus
software is only as good as its most recent updated version. If you have not
purchased an anti-virus software program, we highly recommend that you do so
right away -- especially if your computer is Windows-based. Secondly,
computer users must be vigilant about downloading the most recent anti-virus
scanning updates. New variants of e-mail viruses and worms are discovered
daily. Regular anti-virus software updates (never go more than a week
without an update) are imperative for the protection of your computer and
its contents.
Springnet1’s SPAM & Security Services
- Check It Out
As you have
probably noticed, Spam has been reduced significantly over the past month;
this is due to our ongoing effort to control the e-mail flowing into our
system. This also includes viruses attached to e-mail messages. We can not
catch them all but we do remove most known Spam & viruses from e-mail before
it ever gets into your e-mail box. These services are free to our customers.
We also offer PC security services that you might find interesting.
Springnet1 has rolled out its new Security Agent. This software runs on your
PC and protects it from Internet attacks as well as viruses and trojans,
Springnet1 will make sure that the software is up to date and protecting
your system. For $3.95 per month you can stop worrying about all of these
security threats and just enjoy the Internet experience. Contact Anthony
Hopp ahopp@springnet1.com with any
questions about this exciting new service.
Ask The Help Desk - What
Is Desktop Wallpaper?
Question: A
friend of mine said something about his desktop wallpaper. What is he
talking about?
Answer: Desktop wallpaper is the image that appears on your computer
screen behind all of your icons and windows. Every computer comes with some
choices built in, but most any picture will work. Desktop wallpaper can be
created by using scanned pictures, downloading images from your digital
camera, or even using pictures you download from the Web.
Desktop wallpaper is not the same thing as a screensaver. A screensaver
activates after a computer is left idle for a period of time. It covers the
entire desktop (including icons and menu bars) with movable images or other
screen effects. The moving images prevent any stationary images located on
your desktop display (like icons or menu bars) from appearing on the screen
too long and thus causing "burn-in." Burn-in can be a problem on CRT and
plasma monitor displays. You know your screen has burn-in when you can still
see the menu bar or icons when your computer screen is black.
Great Sites To Check Out This Month
Origins Of
Common Expressions
http://idiomsite.com/ - An idiom is a
manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a particular
language or region. We use them all the time but most of us don't know their
origins. Some common idiom expressions include "living high on the hog,"
"put a sock in it," "under the weather," "skin of your teeth," "mum's the
word," and "sleep tight." Find out the origins of these and many more idioms
at this enlightening site. So "go the extra mile," pour yourself a "cup of
Joe" and have a "field day" browsing this website "'til the cows come home."
Please Pass Me The Pickles
http://ilovepickles.org - Pickling is
one of the oldest forms of food preservation. It was first discovered
thousands of years ago by the Mesopotamians. North Americans now consume
over 2.5 billion pounds of pickles each year! Are you looking for some
creative ways to add "pickling" to your next salad, appetizer, bread,
entree, or even dessert? (Sauerkraut chocolate cake anyone?) This site,
developed by a trade association for the pickled vegetable industry (called
Pickle Packers International, Inc.), includes recipes, fun activities for
kids, and, of course, some pickle trivia that should come in pretty handy at
your next dinner party.
Name Your Baby
http://BabyNameGuide.com/ -
August has historically been the most popular month of the year for babies
to be born. If you or a friend or family member are expecting soon, this
could be a valuable site to check out. BabyNameGuide.com is a great resource
when it comes to naming children. If you are looking to go with the masses
when it comes to name selection, "Jacob" has been the most popular name for
boys since 1999. (Michael held the top spot from 1964 - 1998.) "Emily" has
been the most popular girl's name since 1996 replacing "Jessica" which held
the top position the previous seven years. How about your own name? Did it
make the top 100 list?
Play Fun Dr. Seuss Games
http://seussville.com/ - Here's a fun
game site for the younger kids in your family. (You can play the games too
when the kids are out of the room and you get your turn on the computer!)
Click on the "Playground" link of the site for access to five easy
click-and-play games with a Dr. Seuss theme. (You'll need the Flash program
installed onto your computer to play the games.) Also, the "Biography"
section of this site provides an interesting look into the eventful life and
imaginative mind of Theodor Geisel -- Dr. Seuss.
Major League Baseball Races Are Heating Up
http://mlb.com - August is a great time of the
year to watch the boys of summer play some ball as the pennant races really
begin to heat up. Major League Baseball's official website provides
up-to-the-minute scores and stats, links to every team's official club site,
schedules, stadium seating charts and online ticket sales, autographed
auctions, photo galleries, and a fun section for kids.
Short Tutorial - Saving
Web Images As Your Desktop Wallpaper
Have you seen
a Web image you really like? Did you know there's a really nifty way you can
save it as your desktop wallpaper? For PC Internet Explorer users, simply
right-click on the image and choose "Set As Background." If you are on a PC
and using Netscape for your browser, right-click on the image and choose
"Set As Wallpaper." The background of your computer screen will now be the
new saved image.
If you get tired of using this image, right-click on the desktop and choose
"Properties." With the "Desktop" tab selected, choose the wallpaper you want
from the list that appears. Click "Apply" and then click "OK."
If you want your Web-based wallpaper back again, right-click on the desktop,
choose "Properties," and then click on the "Desktop" tab. There will be a
list of pictures for you to choose from under a picture of the monitor with
the current background selection. Now choose "Internet Explorer Wallpaper"
or "Netscape 7.1 Wallpaper" from the list. You'll note that these selections
won't appear until you set a Web graphic as your wallpaper. Windows stores
just one image under this selection, so if you choose a new wallpaper image
from the Web, Windows deletes the previous one. Make sure your selected
image is big enough and proportioned correctly. If it isn't, it will look
blurry or distorted.
If you are using a Macintosh running OS X, right-click or option-click on
the image and select "Download Image To Disk." Then, under the Apple menu,
drop down to and select "System Preferences..." Click on the Desktop icon
and then, where it says "Collection," click on "Desktop." The picture you
downloaded to disk should be there. Click on it to select it and then close
the window.
Note: Many online images have copyrights associated with them, so you'll
need to first get permission from those site owners to copy an image from
their site. Not to worry ... there are many free images available online.
We hope you
found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted
on the happenings at our shop. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive
these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
Neal E. Miller
President
Springnet1, Inc.
(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)
©2004
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.