Comporium eNewsletter eNewsletter

E-Mail Scam
Watch Out For Scams Tied To The Olympics

Ask Comporium

Ask The Help Desk
How To Keep E-mail Addresses From Automatically Filling Up Your Address Book

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In August

Short Tutorial
Adding Received E-mail Addresses To Your Address Book

Welcome, Comporium Internet Subscribers

August means it's back-to-school season and a great time for all of us to study something new. This issue starts with a cautionary lesson on e-mail scams tied to the Beijing Olympics. You'll also learn the "ins and outs" of e-mail - how to keep unwanted e-mail addresses from being automatically added to your address book, and how to quickly add the ones you do want. The learning continues in Great Sites. Discover the resources that help you check on malfunctioning websites, investigate video games, find a drive-in theater, enhance classroom experiences, and recover missing money.

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 Comporium Internet Team

E-Mail Scam - Watch Out For Scams Tied To The Olympics

Major news events often serve as a hook for e-mail scams, and this month's Beijing Olympics is no exception. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has received reports of phishing activity, some linked to Storm Worm, that uses Olympic-themed messages. This Trojan is spread via an e-mail claiming the Olympics will be delayed or canceled because of the May earthquake in China. The message contains a link to a malicious website which tricks visitors into clicking on what looks like an embedded flash video player. In reality, it leads to the download of the executable file "beijing.exe" that can infect the user's system with a Trojan.

US-CERT encourages users to take the following preventative measures to mitigate the security risks:

Install anti-virus software and keep its virus signature files up-to-date.
Do not follow unsolicited web links received in e-mail messages.

For more "computer security at home" tips, go to http://onguardonline.gov/index.html.

Also watch for other e-mail scams that are currently "playing games" with the Olympics. They include a fake notice that you've won a large sum of money in a lottery organized by the Chinese Olympic Committee for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and bogus websites offering tickets to events.

Back to Top

Ask Comporium

This month's question comes from Comporium Internet subscriber Ken M.

Question: What program do you recommend to get rid of spyware/adware, etc?

Answer: Comporium recommends Trend Micro's Internet Security suite. In fact, Comporium gives this package away for free to all High Speed Internet customers (up to three computers per customer). This product provides:

Antivirus security – Protects, detects and removes viruses from your computer
Spyware protection – Blocks and removes spyware and adware that hide deep inside your computer
Personal Firewall – Intercepts hackers and network viruses trying to attack your computer and home network
Anti-phishing filter – Protects you from online phishing scams designed to steal credit card and bank account numbers. Easy to configure and notifies you of the latest Website risks
Wireless network monitoring – Reveals strangers attempting to invade your home network
Home network control – Manages, configures and updates security for every PC on your network with an easy-to-use management console
Parental Controls – Limits and monitors your children's activities online.

To download, go to http://utility.comporium.net and click on "Trend Micro Internet Security".

Updating Your Operating System

Updates to your computer's operating system can be critical. We've listed different types of updates and how to get them.

Critical updates should always be installed as many of them are security related, and choosing not to may expose your computer to viruses.
Windows version updates only need to be installed if you need or prefer the feature they contain.
Driver updates can be downloaded if you are experiencing problems with a device or want additional functionality the new driver offers.

Microsoft Users

To visit the Windows Update site, click the start button and look for the Windows Updates icon. It may be pinned to the Start Menu, or it may be in Programs (or All Programs, on XP machines), or go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.

Automatic Updates: Windows XP has a feature that downloads and installs critical updates for your computer automatically whenever you are connected to the Internet. To activate this feature, go to the "Control Panel" and select "Automatic Updates". Select the option to enable automatic updates.

Macintosh Users

To update OS X 10.3 or later, go to the "Apple Menu" then "Software Update" (in OS X 10.3, you will need to then choose "Check Now").

For OS X 10.2.8 or earlier, go to the "Apple Menu", choose "System Preferences". From the "View Menu", choose "Software Update". Click the "Update Now" button. In the Software Update window, select the items you want to install and then click "Install". Enter an administrator account name and password. After the update is complete, restart the computer if a restart is required.

For Automatic Updates: Software Update preferences (in System Preferences on the Apple Menu) lets you schedule automatic checks for updates. It's set to automatically check every week by default. You can change the check interval from weekly to daily or monthly, or you can turn off scheduled checks if you want. Mac OS X 10.4 and later allows you to set Software Update to download important updates automatically. You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed. For more information on Macintosh updates you may refer to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338.

Back to Top

Ask The Help Desk - How To Keep E-mail Addresses From Automatically Filling Up Your Address Book

Question: Whenever I reply to an e-mail message, the e-mail address I replied to is added to my e-mail program's address book. My address book is filling up with lots of e-mail addresses that I really don't want in there. How can I prevent these e-mail addresses from automatically being added? My e-mail program is Outlook Express 6 and I'm using Windows XP Home Edition for my computer operating system.

Answer: There is a setting in Outlook Express 6 for Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Mail for Windows Vista Home Premium that will automatically add the name and e-mail address of a person to your address book or contacts list when you reply to that person's e-mail - provided that person is not already in your address book or contacts list. This feature can cause your address book or contacts list to fill up rather quickly. To change this setting so that contact information is only added to your address book at your discretion, follow these steps:

Open Outlook Express 6 or Windows Mail.
Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Options" from the resulting drop-down menu. The Options window will open.
Click on the "Send" tab. Uncheck the box next to "Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book" for Outlook Express 6 or the box next to "Automatically put people I reply to in my Contacts list" for Windows Mail.
Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to save the setting and close the Options window.

Note: See the "Short Tutorial" section below for shortcut steps on quickly adding received e-mail addresses to your address book.

Back to Top

Sites Of The Month - Great Sites To Check Out In August

Is It Just Me?
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com - This entirely self-descriptive website allows you to find out if you're unable to access other websites because of a malfunction in your system or theirs. Type in any URL and get instant feedback as to whether or not the site is actually "down." If so, there's nothing to do but wait it out. If not, it might be time to call your favorite computer geek.

Survey What They Play
http://www.whattheyplay.com - If you want to make sure your kids are playing appropriate video games, get to know this invaluable online resource. The site is loaded with information about thousands of video games, including reviews from experts and comments from readers. Find out which games are most popular and which ones are new. You can search for suitable games based on brand, genre, age, and rating, or even post your own comments.

Drive In For Big Fun
http://driveinmovie.com - Quick! Before summer ends, check out a drive-in movie! Use this website, "dedicated to the history, preservation and promotion of outdoor theatres," to help you find a drive-in (BIG screen) movie theater in your area. View photos and find contact information for drive-ins in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Don't forget to stop by the "Reminiscing at the Drive-in" page to read letters from those with fond drive-in memories.

School Support
http://adoptaclassroom.org - This back-to-school season, consider providing help to a struggling school. Pick a local classroom, or have the site pick one for you, and donate funds that can be used for supplies, educational games, and other materials. If you are a teacher, you can use the site to register your classroom for assistance. Or start a program in your school or community. With teachers spending an average of $1,200 per year of their own money for classroom materials, they can use all the help they can get.

Find Funds Fast
http://missingmoney.com - A search on this site could prove to be the rainbow that leads to your pot of gold. MissingMoney.com features a database of records showing unclaimed assets required to be turned over to states. Examples of assets that might be waiting for you include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, bank accounts, safe deposit box contents, uncashed checks, insurance policies, utility deposits, and unclaimed tax, retirement, or mortgage insurance refunds. The interface is easy to use and returns results within seconds.

Back to Top

Short Tutorial - Adding Received E-mail Addresses To Your Address Book

In this month's "Ask The Help Desk" section, we explained how to keep unwanted e-mail addresses from automatically filling up your address book. But how do you quickly add the addresses you do want to store? Simply follow the steps below for your e-mail software program, and your address book will stay relevant, current, and convenient.

Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Outlook Express 6.0
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition

With Outlook Express open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
Select "Tools" from the menu bar.
Select "Add Sender to Address Book" from the drop-down menu.

Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Windows Mail
- Computer Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

With Windows Mail open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your Contacts list.
Select "Tools" from the menu bar.
Select "Add Sender to Contacts" from the drop-down menu.

Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Thunderbird 2.0
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Mac OS X 10.4

With Thunderbird open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
Left click on and hold the "From" header. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click on "Add to Address Book..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
The address book will open with a new contact including the information from the e-mail. Fill in any other details you would like for this contact and then click on "OK" to save and exit.

Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...
- E-mail Program: Apple's Mail 2.1.1 and Address Book 4.0.4
- Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4

With Mail open, click your cursor arrow on the e-mail message received from the individual that you want to add to your address book.
Click your cursor arrow on the "Message" menu.
Select "Add Sender to Address Book" from the resulting drop-down menu.

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 on a monthly basis, click here.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

e-LINKS Editor

Comporium Group
330 E. Black St.
Rock Hill, SC 29730

Rock Hill: (803)-324-9011
Fort Mill: (803)-548-9011
Lancaster: (803)-283-9011
Heath Springs: (803)-283-9011
York: (803)-684-1012

(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.)

©2008 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.