The Blaster Worm - Protecting Your Computer

Microsoft has inadvertently left openings or "holes" in many of its Windows-based computer operating systems, i.e. Windows 2000, Windows XP. Creators of viruses and worms have the ability to then exploit these vulnerabilities by creating "malware" (short for malicious software) to attack people's computers -- gaining access to users' operating systems through these holes.

The recent spread of the Blaster Worm was a wake-up call for everyone using a computer that utilizes a Windows operating system. Microsoft is aware of the problems these holes cause and has gone to great lengths to notify its customers of remedies -- even going so far as buying full-page ads in recent issues of the USA Today newspaper.

Microsoft encourages its customers (as do we) to go to http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/ to learn more about how to protect your computer against future outbreaks of worms such as Blaster. The site provides information on:

1. Hardware and Software Firewalls

Suggestions are provided for older versions of Windows. Windows XP already has a firewall as part of its software. This site provides a tutorial on how to activate it.


2. Operating System and Security Updates

Microsoft no longer provides support for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE or Windows NT. (If you do not know what operating system your computer is using, the site provides a link to assist you in figuring this out.) Microsoft encourages you to upgrade your operating system to a current version of Windows XP. If you have a newer version of Windows, the site gives you step-by-step instructions on how to download recent security updates (patches).


3. Up-To-Date Antivirus Software

Although we've taken steps at our shop to help protect you from worms, viruses and spam, the ultimate responsibility remains with each individual user. Viruses and worms are not only spread via the Internet but also through computer networks, floppy disks, CDs, etc. Both Microsoft and we, your ISP, recommend that you install antivirus software onto each of your computers and that you download the most recent updates on a consistent basis. If you've ever been infected by a computer virus or worm, you know it's well worth the investment.

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New WebMail Interface - New E-mail Program Includes A Spam Filter

Scatter Creek InfoNet is introducing a new webmail program called SquirrelMail. SquirrelMail has all the functionality you would want from a web based e-mail client, including address books, folder manipulation and, perhaps the best part, a Spam filter! You may already be familiar with SquirrelMail if you are currently using the Spam filter. Go to www.scattercreek.com and click on SquirrelMail to check it out.

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Ask The Help Desk - What Do The Various Parts Of A Web Address Mean?

Question: I was wondering what all the parts of a website address mean? They look like some sort of secret code.

Answer: It is a type of code but it's really no secret. Let's take a look at a fictitious website address: http://www.yourdomainhere.com. A website address is called a URL which stands for Universal Resource Locater. So when someone wants you to send them a URL, they're asking you to send them the address for the web page. Here's how this URL breaks down.

http - This is the protocol for the address. The "http" stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It tells you that the address is using the http "scheme" or technique to transfer web pages to you. It's the most common protocol in use. Another common method is FTP or File Transfer Protocol which is used for downloading files.

www - This stands for World Wide Web or the Web.

yourdomainhere.com - This is the name of the domain of the website and the computer that hosts the website. Every site has a different name.

.com - This part of the domain name of the URL is called the "zone." There are several different zones available but the most commonly used one is .com (COMmercial). There are also zones for organizations (.org), for network providers (.net), and for countries (.uk - for United Kingdom).

What about the stuff that comes after the zone? Those are often the names of folders that contain graphics or pages or the names of pages themselves. Pages will have an ending like .htm or .html. Pictures have names ending in .gif or .jpg among others. Folder names have no endings and are surrounded by slashes. So, a page in a folder would look something like this...
http://www.yourdomainhere.com/webpages/articles.html. This means an html page named articles.html is in the folder named "webpages" on the host machine yourdomainhere.com on the World Wide Web using HyperText Transfer Protocol. It's not too complicated once you know the code.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Web Cams Of Fall Foliage
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/fallcolor/cams.html -  Autumn is a beautiful time of the year to do some traveling around North America and get outdoors to see the many colors of nature. The vibrant foliage on display by many types of trees and shrubs can be breathtaking. To get a glimpse of what's out there, check out the links to the many web cams located across the U.S. via the University of Illinois Extension Office's website. It's the next best thing to being there.

Good Boy! - The Movie
http://goodboy.com/  -  Jim Henson Pictures (Henson is the guy who created The Muppets) and MGM have partnered in the production and distribution of a new action movie called "Good Boy!" The dogs featured in the film are a combination of actual animals, special effects and CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery). Voiceover talent includes Matthew Broderick and Carl Reiner. Check out the movie trailer located on the movie's homepage. It looks like a great show for the entire family. It's rated PG because of some mild crude humor.

Costumes For Halloween Or Pretend Play
http://kidsdomain.com/craft/_hcostume.html -  Are you looking for some ideas on making homemade Halloween costumes for the kids this year? Well, this is just the site for you. It includes a listing of needed materials as well as step-by-step instructions for over forty different costume ideas. Whether your youngster wants to be a ladybug, a pizza slice, Superman or a duck -- this site can help you out.

National Anthems From Around The Globe
http://imagesoft.net/flags/anthems.html -  There's no need to wait until the next Olympic Games to listen to the national anthems of countries from around the globe. This site lists over 180 countries. Simply turn up the sound on your computer and click on the country of choice. Check out Liechtenstein's national anthem. Does it sound familiar?

Major League Baseball's World Series
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/ps/index.jsp -  This year marks the 100th Anniversary of Major League Baseball's World Series. This site provides links to current and past postseason results, photo galleries of dramatic playoff and World Series moments, listings of champions by year and by club, listings of all-time batting and pitching leaders in World Series history and much more. Let's play ball!

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Short Tutorial - Deleting Bookmarked Favorites From Your Browser

If you've been surfing the Internet awhile, you've no doubt saved lots of your favorite websites on your browser using the "Favorites" feature of your Internet Explorer browser. (These are called "Bookmarks" when using a Netscape browser.) After time, however, many of these sites are no longer of interest to you and you may want to remove some of them from your list of bookmarked sites. To do so, follow the steps below.

Windows Operating System and Internet Explorer Browser:

1. Click your cursor arrow on the "Favorites" menu on the menu bar.
2. Select "Organize Favorites" from the drop-down menu. The "Organize Favorites" window will appear.
3. On the left side are four buttons, one of which enables you to delete favorites. To delete a bookmarked web page, select it by clicking on its name.
4. Click your cursor arrow on the "Delete" button. A dialog box will appear asking if you are sure you want to send the link to the Recycle bin.
5. Click "yes."

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Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

All of Us at Scatter Creek InfoNet

©2003 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

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