|
|
Warning! - Hackers Exploit Vulnerabilities In Adobe Tools
 Cybercriminals are taking advantage of critical
vulnerabilities in Adobe's Flash video player and Acrobat Reader, the widely
used tool for opening PDF documents. They've been e-mailing PDF files with
corrupted Flash video clips and hacking into websites to implant them. These
clips, when activated, quickly install malicious programs on the user's
computer. The goal is to gain control of PCs and turn them into obedient
"bots" to steal data, siphon cash from online financial accounts,
and spread spam.
Acrobat Reader is an increasingly popular target. Some 43% of the 1,500
cyberattacks identified by security firm F-Secure in the first six months of
2009 were directed at Acrobat Reader, up from nearly 29% last year. That puts
Acrobat Reader ahead of Microsoft Word, which was targeted in 40% of this
year's attacks.
If you use these Adobe tools and your computer is set for automatic updates,
you should be receiving alerts about recommended software updates and
security patches issued by Adobe. If not, go directly to the Adobe website at
http://www.adobe.com/support/security
for current information. You can also sign up for their security notification
service at http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitlement/index.cfm?e=szalert.
Remember that for security reasons, it's always best to go directly to a
software website by entering the URL yourself rather than clicking on a link
found on YouTube or in an unsolicited e-mail message. When you're alerted of
a needed software update, take the time to install it right then rather than
deferring the installation until later. You may forget and the oversight
could lead to computer headaches or worse.
Back
to Top
Simplify Your Life With Bundles From Polar
Save time and money when you bundle your phone, Internet and cable tv
services and receive just one bill. With several bundles to choose from, we
have one that's right for you! Contact us today to find out how you can save
money by bundling with Polar!
Call us at 1-800-284-7222 or e-mail sales@polarcomm.com.
Back
to Top
Ask The Help Desk - Is There Any Harm In Forwarding Those
E-mails That Ask Me To Send The Message To 10 Of My Friends?
Question: I frequently receive e-mails that
advise me to not "break the chain" and forward the news item,
consumer warning, or touching poem to 10 of my friends. I usually go ahead
and do it, figuring that people will enjoy reading the messages and may gain
something from them. Is this a bad idea?
Answer: An e-mail chain letter is any message that, either through
overt instruction or through compelling content, encourages the reader to
pass it on. You ask whether it's a bad idea to forward them, and the answer
is "yes" for a couple of reasons.
First of all, many of these e-mail chain letters are complete hoaxes and
contain inaccurate information. If you forward them, you could be spreading
rumors, urban legends, and fake charitable activities. Secondly, they pose a
serious risk to your privacy and that of your friends, as your contact
information could end up being circulated around the globe and falling into
the hands of cybercriminals.
Most people who forward e-mail chain letters believe they are doing something
good by staying in touch and giving family and friends potentially useful
information. From now on, however, we suggest that you go ahead and
"break the chain."
Back
to Top
Sites Of The Month - Great Sites To Check Out In September
TV Time
http://tv.com - Leaves
aren't the only things that change in the fall—so do the programs on the TV
schedule. This site provides video clips, listings, top 20 lists, and
features about the upcoming TV season and beyond. Find out what's happening
with your favorite shows, find some new ones, and let others know what you
think. You can also check out photos of your favorite stars.
And the Winner Is ...
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Potluck-Show-Stoppers/Detail.aspx - You
know it's true. Every potluck get-together has a "winner"—the
recipe that gets requested the most. With the rise in popularity of simple
at-home entertaining, you'll want to check out this site to make sure your
next potluck dish gets the prize. From appetizers and salads to main dishes
and desserts, you'll find hundreds of winning options here.
Stood There, Done That
http://stoodthere.com - Sometimes
the best part of visiting someplace great is just standing there and taking
it in. This site allows you to share that moment with others by uploading
photos of yourself in settings ranging from the majesty of the Grand Canyon
to the history of Pompeii.
You can look at others' photos, vote for your favorites, and discover more of
the best places on the planet.
Manual Mine
http://manualsonline.com - Tired
of that huge accordion file of product manuals taking up space in your
closet? This site may allow you to get rid of it once and for all.
ManualsOnline is exactly what the name suggests: electronic versions of
hundreds of thousands of manufacturer manuals. Find manuals for camcorders,
laptops, lawnmowers, dishwashers, stereo systems, and more. Use the site to
store your manuals in one convenient location. And if the manuals don't
answer your questions, the site's online community might.
Homework Helper
http://factmonster.com - As
the new school year begins, point your kids to Fact Monster, a site that
makes homework seem like fun. It's loaded with information on topics ranging
from U.S.
cities to metric conversions to "Women of Influence." Kids can play
brain-twisting games, look up words in the dictionary, or improve their study
skills. When they're ready for a study break, they can visit the Harry Potter
page or the Best-Selling Video Games of All Time.
Back
to Top
Short Tutorial - Organizing E-mail Into Folders Using Rules
In our
August '09 issue, we covered how to create new e-mail folders and manually
move e-mails into them. This month we're following up with tutorials on how
to organize e-mail into folders using rules or filters—a convenient,
automatic way to file e-mails, which is an alternative to using the manual
method.
Organizing E-mail Into Folders Using Rules ...
E-mail Program: Outlook Express 6 and Window Mail
Computer Operating System: Windows XP and Windows Vista
- With Outlook Express or Windows Mail open,
click your cursor arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar. Select
"Message Rules" from the resulting drop-down menu and then
select "Mail..." from the resulting submenu.
- The New Mail Rule window will open. Choose
the conditions for your rule. For this tutorial, we will select
"Where the From line contains people" in the "Select the
Conditions for your rule:" section.
- Next, select the actions for your rule. For
this tutorial, we will select "Move it to the specified
folder" in the "Select the Actions for your rule:"
section.
- In the "Rule Description (click on the
underlined value to edit it):" section, click on the "contains
people" link.
- The Select People window will open. Here you
can manually type in names and click the "Add" button or you
can choose people from your Address Book for Outlook Express or Windows
Contacts for Windows Mail. For this tutorial, we will select people
saved in the Address Book or Windows Contacts by clicking on the
"Address Book..." or "Contacts..." button.
- The Rule Addresses window will open. Select
from the list of saved contacts and click on the "From"
button. Once you have selected all individuals to include in your rule,
click on the "OK" button.
- The Select People window will reappear
listing the contacts that you have selected for your rule. Click on the
"OK" button.
- The New Mail Rule window will reappear and
the selected people for your rule will now appear in the "Rule
Description (click on the underlined value to edit it):" section.
- Next select the folder location into which
you want the messages stored by clicking the "specified
folder" link in the "Rule Description (click on the underlined
value to edit it):" section.
- The Move window will appear. Select the
appropriate folder you want the messages stored in and click on the
"OK" button.
- In the "Name of the rule:"
section, type in the rule name and click on the "OK" button to
close the New Mail Rule window.
- To create more rules, click on the
"New" button in the Message Rules window. Otherwise, click on
the "OK" button to save your changes.
Organizing
E-mail Into Folders Using Filters ...
E-mail Program: Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista,
and Mac OS X
- With Thunderbird open, click your cursor
arrow on "Tools" from the menu bar. Select "Message
Filters..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
- The Message Filters window will open. Click
on the "New..." button.
- In the "Filter name:" field, type
in the name of the filter.
- When the Filter Rules window opens, choose
the conditions for your filter in the "For incoming messages
that:" section. Click the button next to "Match all of the
following," "Match any of the following," or "Match
all messages" depending on how general or specific you want your
filter to be.
- For this tutorial, we will select
"From" and "is" from the drop-down menus.
- Type in the person or phrase you want to
filter in the empty box to the right.
- In the "Perform these actions:"
section, choose "Move Message to" from the first drop-down
menu. In the second drop-down menu, choose the file location you want
the message to be stored in, and then click on the "OK"
button.
- The Message Filters window will reappear and
you should see the filter you just created. Highlight the filter, click
on the "Run Now" button, and then close the Message Filters
window.
Organizing
E-mail Into Folders Using Filters ...
E-mail Program:
Apple Mail.app 3.1
Computer Operating System: Mac OS X
- With Mail.app open, click your cursor arrow
on "Mail" from the menu bar. Select "Preferences"
from the resulting drop-down menu.
- The Preferences window will open. Click on
the "Rules" button.
- Click on the "Add Rule" button.
- When the Rules window opens, type a name for
the rule in the field next to "Description." Now choose the
conditions for your rule by clicking on the button in the line that
reads, "If any of the following conditions are met:" Your
choices are "any" or "all." "All" is the
more restrictive choice.
- Next, set the specific conditions for the
rule. For this tutorial, we will select "From" and
"Contains" from the drop-down menus.
- Type in the person, phrase, or e-mail
address you want to filter in the empty field to the right.
- In the "Perform the following
actions:" section, choose "Move Message" from the first
drop-down menu. In the second drop-down menu, choose the file location
you want the message to be stored in and then click on the
"OK" button.
- If you would like the new rule immediately
applied to selected mailboxes, click the "Apply" button. Otherwise,
click "Don't Apply."
- The Rules window will reappear and you
should see the filter you just created. Click on the red dot in the
upper left corner to close the window.
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,
The
E-Connections Team
Polar Communications
110 4th St E
Park River, ND 58270
800-284-7222
(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.)
©2009
Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this e-mail are trade
names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
|
|
