Surfer Beware - Prevent Your Computer From Being Turned Into A "Zombie"

According to recent Internet security reports, attacks by hackers on websites are getting more frequent and nasty. Many hackers looking to inflict serious harm to websites do so by remotely taking control of unsuspecting home computers and then instructing them to simultaneously send massive amounts of e-mail messages to targeted sites. This technique of attacking sites is termed "distributed denial of service" (DDOS). These controlled "zombie" computers (usually home computers like yours) flood the targeted sites with messages to the point of preventing legitimate customers from conducting transactions at the victimized sites. Often times, these attacks can even entirely disable the sites.

So how are hackers able to take control of unsuspecting home computers across the globe and turn them into "zombies" to do their dirty work? Hackers create viruses and embed them into e-mail attachments and downloadable software files. When computer users open the corrupt attachments or download these files from the Internet, their computers become infected. Once the computers are successfully infected, they are added to a network of zombie computers used to generate spam e-mail and launch attacks against targeted websites. Usually the owners of these infected computers are not even aware that their computers are a part of this clandestine activity.

As a computer user, you can do your part to help curb this criminal behavior. Be sure to install and utilize virus-scanning software, update this software on a regular basis, and scan all incoming attachments before opening them. Always resist the temptation of opening files sent as e-mail attachments from someone you don’t know and only download software from reputable sites. In addition, many viruses and worms also spread through the sharing of files when using floppy disks, zip disks, and networks. Be sure to scan these files for infections as well. Remember, the ultimate responsibility of protecting your computer against worms and viruses lies with you.

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DSL - Your Ticket To High-Speed Internet

DSL connections are now available at even faster speeds. For a limited time you can get a 1.28 Meg package for only $35.95 per month. Check out our new packages and upgrade your internet service today!

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Ask The Help Desk - When Will Microsoft Stop Supporting Windows 98?

Question: I’ve heard that Microsoft will soon stop supporting Windows 98. Is this true?

Answer: Yes. With the large majority of PCs now running Windows XP, the software giant has announced that it will end its extended support for all versions of the Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition operating systems (and their related components) effective July 11, 2006. This means no more technical support, no more incident support options, and no more security updates related to these operating systems.

If you still plan to use Windows 98 or Windows Me operating systems, existing web-based support documents will continue to be available at http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1139 for Windows 98 and http://support.microsoft.com/ph/6519 for Windows Me. However, please note that it will soon be more imperative than ever that you utilize virus-scanning software and update this software on a regular basis when using Windows 98 or Windows Me.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Go Fly A Kite This Month
http://nationalkitemonth.org -  Go fly a kite! We mean that in a nice way. April is National Kite Month sponsored by the Kite Trade Association International and the American Kitefliers Association. Their site includes lots of links to sites that'll show you how to build your own kites. It also provides safety tips for new people to the sport, event schedules for kite-related events, a place to register your own kite event, and a detailed history of kite flying. Can you name five people who changed the course of history through kite flying? This site tells you.

Anyone Got The Correct Time?
http://timeanddate.com -  How many more days until my birthday? What time is it right now in Singapore? Is my kitchen clock or my alarm clock correct? How many more days, hours, minutes, and seconds until New Year's Day 2007? This website can answer all of these important questions and more. You can also design your own "Personal World Clock" to show the current times in cities of your choice around the world. Time has never been so interesting!

Cassini Spacecraft Makes New Discoveries Of Saturn's System
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/operations/index.cfm -  The world continues to be intrigued by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft mission. The Cassini spacecraft is the first to explore the Saturn system of rings and moons from orbit. In January 2005, the European Space Agency's Huygens Probe detached from Cassini and was sent to Saturn's largest moon, Titan, providing scientists with vital data. Cassini continues to make discoveries as it orbits Saturn during its four-year mission. Recent photographs revealed what scientists believe to be liquid water on another of Saturn's moons, Enceladus. Head to this site for daily updates and amazing photography.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's 2006 Tour Begins
http://faithhill.com -  Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul2Soul Tour II 2006 is on pace to be the hottest concert event of the year. Kicking off April 21st in Columbus, Ohio, many concerts have taken only minutes to sell-out. It's no wonder. This married duo has over thirty number one songs between them. For a listing of concert locations and to listen to Faith sing songs as you surf, head to her site and turn up your computer's volume.

NHL Season Heats Up In April
http://nhl.com -  The action really heats up this month as the NHL's regular season schedule winds down and the play-off action begins. Check out the NHL's official site to get up-to-the-minute scores as well as complete stats and game overviews, radio and video highlights, links to your favorite NHL team's site, player interviews, and more.

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Short Tutorial - How To Stop A Downloaded File While In Progress

Have you ever started to download something from the Internet and then realized after the download started that the file was a lot bigger than you anticipated and you really didn't have time to wait around for it to completely download? Well, with most modern browsers, there is a way to stop the process in the middle of the download. You can then come back later to start and finish the download when you have more time. Follow these directions to stop a file from downloading before its completion.

Stopping a File Download When Using Internet Explorer 6.0 Browser and Windows XP Home Edition:

With Internet Explorer 6.0, your only real option is to cancel the download using the CANCEL button on the download window before it finishes. If you want to restart the download, you will have to start again at the beginning.

Stopping a File Download When Using Firefox 1.0 Browser and Windows XP Home Edition and Macintosh OS X:

To use the special download features of this browser, you need to open the Downloads window.

1. With Firefox open and before you begin downloading, click on the "Tools" menu and drop down to "Downloads." The Downloads window will appear giving you a list of recent downloads.
2. Download a file in the usual manner from a site you trust. When the download begins, you will see a progress bar below the name of the file in the Downloads window. Beneath the progress bar is a "Pause" link. Clicking on that link will pause the download and change the "Pause" link to a "Resume" link.
3. Resume the download by clicking on the "Resume" link.
4. You will notice a "Cancel" link to the right of the file name. This will cancel the download and the "Cancel" link will become a "Retry" link and a "Remove" link. The "Retry" link will restart the download from the beginning. The "Remove" link will remove the file from the Downloads window's list completely.

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All of Us at Scatter Creek InfoNet





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