Improve your cyber security.</h1> <article> <h1>Improve your cyber security.</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:39 GMT</p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Depending on the particular industry and the size and scope of the business, cyber security can be very complicated and require specialized expertise. However, some simple steps can help protect your business infrastructure. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">The Department of Homeland Security has a number of useful guides to preparing your business for disasters on its web site <a href="http://www.ready.gov/business/index.html">Ready.gov</a> and suggest the following: </span></p> <ul> <li> <div style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. </span></div> </li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Activate the software's auto-update feature to ensure your cyber security is always up-to-date. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Don't open email from unknown sources. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Be suspicious of unexpected emails that include attachments whether they are from a known source or not. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">When in doubt, delete the file and the attachment, and then empty your computer's deleted items file. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Use hard-to-guess passwords. Passwords should have at least 8 characters with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Change passwords frequently. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Do not give your password to anyone.</span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Protect your computer from Internet intruders by using firewalls. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Don't share access to your computers with strangers. Check your computer operating system to see if it allows others to access your hard-drive. Hard-drive access can open up your computer to infection. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Back up your computer data and consider keeping one version off-site. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Regularly download security protection updates known as patches. Patches are released by most major software companies to cover up security holes that may develop in their programs. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Make sure your co-workers know what to do if your computer system becomes infected. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Train employees on how to update virus protection software, how to download security patches from software vendors, and how to create a proper password. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Designate a person to contact for more information if there is a problem.</span></li> </ul> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">In addition, you may want to consider the following:</span></p> <ul> <li> <div style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Set up <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp">secure e-mail</a> for your employees. This way you can send secure e-mail messages to anyone regardless of their e-mail provider</span></div> </li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Regularly scan your computer for spyware - Use a legitimate anti-spyware program to scan your computer and remove any of these files. Check carefully before downloading an anti-spyware program – some are actually spyware in disguise!</span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Evaluate your software's settings - It is especially important to check the settings for software that connects to the internet (browsers, email clients, etc.). Use the highest level of security that still gives you the functionality you need. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Avoid unused software: If you have programs on your computer that you do not use, consider uninstalling them. </span></li> <li style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list .5in;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Dispose of sensitive information properly - Simply deleting a file does not completely erase it. When you delete a file, all you've really done is tell the computer that it can reuse the space assigned to that file for something new. The remains intact, until the computer reassigns and overwrites those chunks of disk space with new files. To ensure that an attacker cannot access these files, make sure that you adequately erase sensitive files. Several programs are available online that can help remove all files. You can find information about them at <a href="http://www.download.com/">download.com</a>.</span></li> </ul> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">It is also worthwhile visiting <a href="http://www.staysafeonline.org/basics/small_business.html">the National Cyber Security Alliance’s</a> web site to check for the most recent threats. Their small business section has a number of resources including small business information security tips, free evaluations and quizzes. The NCSA also offers free local Small Business Workshop that is a 4-hour training originally developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The workshop helps small businesses learn about cyber security that affects their needs and helps them integrate cyber security into existing business processes. Information about local workshops can be obtained by contacting <strong><a href="mailto:NCSARegistration@aol.com">NCSARegistration@aol.com</a>.</strong></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong></strong></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></strong></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" style="><strong><span style="font-weight:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span></strong></p> </span></strong> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Security And The New Hire</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></strong></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Your business is growing, you're adding staff. Be sure you also add your security expectations and policies to the new hire's understanding of his or her job responsibilities.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #333333;">Security Policy Is Part of The Job Interview</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Your formal security and computer use policy should be mentioned during initial interviews and reviewed in detail as the candidate moves to subsequent interviews and ultimate hiring. Make clear:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; text-indent: -9pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">You have a formal, written security policy that the candidate will be expected to sign and adhere to.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; text-indent: -9pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Your expectations and requirements regarding use of company computers and other electronic equipment.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="color: #333333;"><span class="Heading5Char"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Security Training Is Part of Job Training, Whatever The Job</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Once the candidate is hired, thorough security training should accompany the initial paperwork and job preparation. It should include:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; text-indent: -9pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Signing and dating the security policy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; text-indent: -9pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Instruction on how to create strong passwords with a reminder of the frequency with which you expect passwords to be changed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; text-indent: -9pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Instruction on the use and security issues involving <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail security</a>, mobile and off-site equipment such as laptops (if appropriate).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;">Security Review Is Part of Security Training</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">It's a good idea for you (or a designated supervisor) to review the employee's adherence to security policy and practice during the first few weeks of employment.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;">Special Considerations Before Hiring</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">While there are clearly legal and privacy requirements that must be attended to during the interview and hiring process, many employers have found it beneficial to perform on-line checks of potential employees' Internet history. In addition to credit and other financial checks, search engines such as Google or Yahoo! can turn up a surprising amount of information. Lately, many companies have begun checking social networking sites such as MySpace to find out just how much and what sorts of personal information - some of which might be damaging to your company's reputation or standing - the candidate has posted. It's advisable to check with your attorney about regulations regarding these sorts of searches.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Three Easy Ways to Keep Your Computer Virus-Free</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">How do you help prevent viruses from infecting your computer? Follow the three simple practices outlined below and you'll seal up most of the routes that viruses use to get into computers. Just one catch: You must follow them diligently. One lapse can let a virus slip into your system.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;">1. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;">NEVER click on an </span><a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail attachment</a><span style="color: #333333;"> from someone you don't know.</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Viruses are like unwanted houseguests: They have to be invited into your house, or computer, before they can enter and wreak havoc. Clicking on unfamiliar e-mail attachments (the paperclip or other symbol that shows on your e-mail queue) can give the virus the invitation it needs.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Attachments are files that promise to be a variety of things, such as pictures or graphics, songs or other multimedia, but are actually viruses waiting to spring into action the minute you click on them. E-mails that look suspicious should be deleted without ever being opened. Be especially wary of any attachment with ".exe" in its name. These are programs designed to run, and many of them are viruses.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">It's a good idea, in fact, to be cautious about any odd-looking or atypical attachments, even from people you know. They may have forwarded you a virus without knowing it, or their e-mail identity may have been hijacked. Steering your mouse clear of suspicious looking e-mail and, frankly, any e-mail from someone you don't know, is one of the best and easiest ways to stay virus-free.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> If someone you know sends you a suspicious looking e-mail, check with the sender before opening it to make sure that he or she really did send it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">2. </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ALWAYS run anti-virus software.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Anti-virus software is a program that runs alongside your other applications and keeps its "eyes" out for known viruses, alerting you when one is detected and blocking the virus from infecting your computer. As soon as you register and install it, the software will completely scan your computer - including all files on your hard disk-removing any viruses that have already infected your system. Regular follow-up system scans can be scheduled automatically. Upon installation, anti-virus software also begins to continuously scan your e-mail and Instant Messaging software (yes, the bad guys have figured out how to hide viruses in IM's, too).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Update your <a href="http://www.networksolutionsretail.com/mcafee/index.htm" target="_blank">anti-virus software</a> regularly. New viruses appear almost daily. Fortunately, reputable anti-virus software companies respond immediately to each new threat, adding the latest virus to the thousands of others their program protects you from. But that protection only works if your copy of the anti-virus program is up-to-date. The program subscription includes these updates, and the software can be set to install them automatically as they become available. Don't forget, by the way, to renew your subscription every year. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span></span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">3. </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">IMMEDIATELY patch any vulnerabilities in your computer's software.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Software programs are complicated, and, unfortunately, most software has hidden flaws and holes that may never affect its performance as far as you are concerned but are perfect for sneaking viruses through. Alas, hackers are very skilled at exploiting these vulnerabilities.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Software companies such as Microsoft are constantly updating their programs, repairing problems and patching vulnerabilities, and releasing pieces of free software, called patches, that fix the problem on your computer (and, ideally, every other machine running the software in question). The patches are made available over the Internet to registered users of the affected software. But patches only work if they're installed, and that requires a little effort on your part. In the case of an operating system like Microsoft Windows, the patch process can be automated, with the patch downloaded and installed as soon as it's available. Older software, including older operating systems, tends not to be as frequently targeted by virus-writers, but that doesn't mean it's immune. If you're particularly fond of or dependent on an older program, keep an ear out for news of any vulnerabilities that could be used to sneak a virus onto your computer. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Microsoft and other software companies offer regularly scheduled announcements of newly discovered vulnerabilities and the patches to fix them. It's worth a visit to the Web sites of your software providers to see if they have a security page, patch schedule, or other information and tools that can keep your computer virus-free.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>A Year's Worth of Security</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In the 24/7/365 world of e-commerce, security has to be a 24/7/365 undertaking.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">New threats such as viruses, worms, identity-theft schemes emerge daily, sometimes hourly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The best defense is a constant level of vigilance, with certain security matters addressed on a relentlessly regular basis. Let's look at the elements of an effective security year.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Daily</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> - The following security issues need to be on every employee's mind every day:</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Anti-virus and firewall software is running and the latest updates and patches are. installed (this occurs automatically for most reputable security software programs)</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Daily virus-scans are also a good idea.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Employees are constantly alert for any computer slowdowns or other indications of possible intrusions into your systems.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Backups, if made daily, are completed and stored off-site.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Weekly</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> - Each week you and your employees should:</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Scan all systems for viruses.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Backups, if done weekly, should be accomplished and stored off-site.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Check to see whether required password changes have occurred, particularly for employees with access to critical or sensitive information systems.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Monthly</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> - Monthly security matters to be addressed include:</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">All employees should be required, or reminded, to change passwords (schedule a review session on how to create strong passwords, if need be).</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Attend to any necessary compliance materials and filings (or preparation for these, depending on the required filing schedule).</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Backups, if performed monthly, should be accomplished and stored off-site (if you are only backing up monthly, you should give serious consideration to a more frequent schedule).</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Quarterly</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> - Every three months you and your employees should:</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Have a formal security policy review session.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Review disaster recovery planning and implementation.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Insure that all protective software is up-to-date and all passwords are regularly changed.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Assess whether you need to upgrade your <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail security</a>.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Annually</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> - Once a year you should:</span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Conduct a detailed annual security meeting of all employees, including a thorough review of company security policy (it's a good idea to include a re-signing of the written security policy by all employees, being sure to have them date their signature).</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Stage a formal disaster recovery drill (twice a year is even better) and address any issues or problems that arise during the test.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Review all security product vendors with an eye toward your satisfaction with their products and services and the renewal or extension of their contracts with all fees paid.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Bear in mind, of course, that these tasks and responsibilities are constant and ongoing - that is, the daily duties must be attended to every day, 24/7/365. Even an hour's vulnerability can result in catastrophe.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Security And The Departing Employee</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Employees move away, decide to pursue other careers, return to school, or retire. And occasionally, we find ourselves having to let an employee go. In each case there are security issues and matters that must be addressed for your business's protection.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #333333;">When an Employee Gives Notice</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Assuming that the employee has been a valued and trusted member of your team, you (or your designated computer or security supervisor) should work with the employee to:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Plan an effective and efficient shift of accounts to the employee's replacement (if necessary).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Schedule the return of all equipment, checking it against serial number inventories and insuring that everything is accounted for and in good working order.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Transfer customer/vendor contacts and e-mail lists to the appropriate successor for the departing employee.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Establish a date for closing employee accounts (especially <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail</a>) and <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/internet-business-services/intranets.jsp" target="_blank">canceling network access</a> log-ons.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Close all accounts and cancel all log-ons - then have the farewell party for the valued employee.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">When an Employee Must Be Fired</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">When you have to fire an employee for cause, your security responsibilities are both accelerated and more complex. You will need to:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l2 level7 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Immediately terminate all employee accounts, log-ons and access.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l2 level7 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Immediately collect all equipment from the employee in question.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l2 level7 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Assign someone to oversee the collection of the employee's personal belongings and escort the employee from the premises.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l2 level7 lfo2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Monitor all systems to insure that the employee has not downloaded sensitive data, put in-place a back-door entry to your system or otherwise compromised your security.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Termination is made even more complex if the employee's offense involves actual compromise or mis-use of computer equipment and accesses. In such cases you should:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo3;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Coordinate timing of account cancellations with your computer supervisor, your attorney (if prosecution is a possibility) and with the authorities (if criminal offenses are a possibility.).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo3;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">While you do not wish for a security breach to last any longer than necessary, there are sound legal reasons for at least making contact with attorney and, if necessary, authorities before closing accounts - such as e-mail and browser histories - that may be required as evidence in future prosecutions.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>What Is Cybersquatting?</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Almost as soon as there were <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/index.jsp" target="_blank">domain names</a> there were those who sought to register large numbers of domain names for re-sale to their more rightful registrants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These scam artists are known as cybersquatters. Cybersquatters often take aim at well-known brands, trademarks and company names, but also register common misspellings and typos similar to the well-known phrases and brands. Further complicating matters, is the cybersquatters' registration of names and a variety of extensions, including various country extensions and other top-level-domain extensions including .com, .net, and .org.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Fortunately, the courts - and the bodies and institutions that regulate and resolve Internet and domain name disputes - have tended to side with the legitimate business when confronted with actual and obvious cases of cybersquatting. The best defense against cybersquatting is to keep it from happening in the first place. Strong defenses you should mount against cybersquatters include:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Immediate registration of new domain names, for the longest period possible (don't forget to authorize autorenew)</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Include likely extensions such as .net or .org - as well as country extensions like .us or .eu - among your registered domain names if appropriate</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Trademark your business name and symbols for legal protection and proof of ownership; Copyright original work on your Web site for further proof of your ownership</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Keep an eye out for similar - often only a letter or two transposed - domain names: these could be the work of cybersquatters</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Place Domain Protect locks on your domain names to prevent their unauthorized transfer</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Bear in mind that not all uses of similar - or even identical - domain names to yours are indications of criminal activity or intent. People and businesses do have the same names - there are only so many ways joesmith.com (just an example) can be presented.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In such cases, though, you have an option. For legitimate requests for existing domain names you desire, Network Solutions offers a <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/certified-offer.jsp" target="_blank">Certified Offer Service</a>: For a small fee Network Solutions places an anonymous offer to the registrant of the desired domain name, who has 7 days to respond or make a counter-offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is, of course, no guarantee that the offer will be accepted (or countered) but the process is simple and discreet and could result in your registration of the domain name you desire</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Again, one of the best ways to protect yourself against cybersquatting is to take the steps outlined here and on related pages to register, autorenew, and lock your domain names in your own name.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Intruder Alert! Three Common Virus Warning Signs</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Ever have that feeling that your car is "running funny," but you can't quite tell what's wrong? The same sort of feeling can indicate a possible virus infection on your computer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's Not Running Right</span></span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Unexpected sluggishness, noticeably slow responses, high levels of computer activity when you're not doing anything, files disappearing from your hard disk, constant and unexpected modem traffic; all can indicate the presence of a live virus on your machine. Note that these performance problems don't always indicate a virus infection, but because viruses can be so devastating, you should consider them a likely culprit any time your computer starts acting in this manner.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Start and Stop and Start Again</span></span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Frequent crashes and out-of-the-blue system re-boots are also good indications that a virus has taken up residence on your computer. Be especially alert for a pattern of re-boots (the computer shutting down and immediately starting up again).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <h5 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's Taking Me Someplace New</span></span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Any change in your browser's home page (the Web site that loads when you start your browser) is evidence of a possible virus infection, as is the appearance of an unexpected Web page when you re-load a "Cannot find server" page. A virus may have re-set your common settings, steering you away from familiar terrain and into trouble. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> If you suspect a virus infection, immediately update your <a href="http://www.networksolutionsretail.com/mcafee/index.htm" target="_blank">anti-virus software</a> and run a complete system scan. If you don't find a virus, it's probably time to have your computer checked out to determine the cause of your problems.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Employee Internet Use: Best Practices Checklist</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">While the Internet is an effective and efficient business tool, it can also expose your business and its computers to a variety of threats and dangers: viruses, worms, hackers, theft, fraud, and even litigation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should be instructed on the proper use of the Internet, and must understand that their access to the Web, e-mail, Instant Messaging, etc., must follow business rules, not personal ones.</span></p> <h5 style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#333333;">Usernames And Passwords</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should create strong passwords - with a mixture of 8 or more upper and lower case letters and numbers.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Passwords must never be shared.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Passwords should never be written down.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Passwords should be changed on a regular basis.</span></p> <h5 style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#333333;">Anti-Virus Software</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">All employee computers should have anti-virus software installed, configured to scan both incoming and outgoing e-mail.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.networksolutionsretail.com/mcafee/index.htm" target="_blank">Anti-virus software</a> should be updated on a regular basis (at least weekly).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employee must never disable any aspect of anti-virus protection.</span></p> <h5 style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#333333;"> </span></span></h5> <h5 style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">E-Mail</a><span style="color:#333333;"> Security</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Business e-mail accounts should be used only for business e-mail.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should never open unsolicited or unrecognized e-mails.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should never forward or "reply-all" to non-business e-mail.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should never send confidential or sensitive business information by e-mail without permission of their supervisor.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">E-mail including subject lines should never include inappropriate language or references.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should include Web links in e-mails only if appropriate to the business message at-hand.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should spell-check and proof-read all business e-mail before sending.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Business e-mail must not be deleted unless a deletion policy has been put in place: certain businesses are required by law to maintain comprehensive records of e-mail and even Instant Messages.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="> </p> <h5 style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#333333;">Web Browsing</span></span></h5> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should visit only those Web sites necessary for their business duties.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees must understand that "surfing" the Web on company time is a violation of policy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Under no circumstances should any employee computer ever be used to visit "adult" or otherwise prohibited sites.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees with laptop or notebook computers must understand that these rules apply to remote use as well as in-office Internet use.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span class="Heading5Char"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#333333;"></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><b><span style="color:#333333;"><span class="Heading5Char"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">General Rules</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">A formal Internet (and computer) use policy should be drafted and signed by all employees.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Violations of company Internet-use policy should carry penalties determined by the business owner.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Instant Messaging should never be allowed unless necessary for business.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees should log-off or shut down computers when leaving their desks (even for a moment!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Employees with laptop computers (and any remote-access device) should never leave those devices unattended.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">All Internet and e-mail use rules should be applied to any digital device the company provides or that is used for company purposes (phones, personal information devices, etc.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>How to Apply for an SSL Certificate–and What to Expect</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p>Your <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/SSL-certificates/index.jsp" class="null">Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate</a> is among the most important tools you have for protecting customers' sensitive data and convincing customers that your Web site is trustworthy and reputable and your business is legitimate. So what's involved in getting that SSL Certificate?</p> <p><strong>First Step</strong></p> <p>The first step is to decide what type of SSL Certificate is right for your business. Both Organizationally Validated (OV) Certificates and Extended Validation (EV) Certificates require the certificate issuer to verify independently the information concerning the applicant's business. EV Certificates demand exactly what their name indicates: more extensive validation of the applicant's business credentials to help ensure that the applicant isn't a phisher, spoofer, or other type of online criminal. In contrast to OV and EV Certificates, issuers of Domain Validated Certificates verify only that the applicant is the registrant of the domain name with which the certificate will be associated and cannot ensure that the web site is reputable. </p> <p><strong>Second Step</strong></p> <p>When you apply for a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA) such as Network Solutions, you will be asked to provide certain types of information about your business and your ownership of it. Depending upon the type of certificate you are seeking, this information may include:</p> <ul> <li>Dun & Bradstreet registration numbers</li> <li>Proof of physical address via database listings</li> <li>Opinion letter from legal counsel or public accountant</li> <li>Other corporate, financial, and government documents such as Articles of Incorporation, bank accounts, and business licenses</li> <li>Government-issued photo IDs </li> </ul> <p><br /><strong>Third Step</strong></p> <p><br />As a Certificate Authority, Network Solutions undertakes a comprehensive validation process to verify your business credentials and to ensure proper issuance of SSL Certificates or Site Confirm Seal.</p> <ul> <li>Network Solutions verifies the account holder information provided in your application. </li> <li>We match the account holder information to the registrant information in the WHOIS database for the domain name you associate with the SSL Certificate or Site Confirm S. </li> <li>We review your business credentials, such as your Dun & Bradstreet listing, articles of incorporation, business licenses, etc. If other documentation or information is required during this step, we will contact you. </li> <li>We telephone your organization to confirm that an order was placed for your SSL Certificate and that the person who placed the order is authorized to do so. </li> </ul> <p><br />We strive for prompt issuance of your SSL Certificate and provide one-day turnaround (after receiving all validation documentation) on our SiteSafe™ SSL Pro and SSL Wildcard services. For more detailed instructions, please visit SiteSafe™ SSL Help.</p> <p><strong>Last Step</strong></p> <p>The CA will review and verify the accuracy of these documents. Depending on the type of certificate, it may also perform additional checks before issuing the SSL Certificate. If the applicant's credentials can't be verified, then the CA will not issue the Certificate.</p> <p>Due to the rigorous validation measures, issuing an OV certificate generally takes one business day, although in some cases the process may take two or three days.</p> <p>EV Certificates require far more detailed documentation and validation procedures, which in turn take more time to verify before issuance. EV validation typically takes 5 – 7 days to complete.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Does "Always-On" Mean Always at Risk?</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Internet access all the time at blazing speeds: Welcome to the world of broadband, where information is a click or keystroke away, and the faster the better. In this kind of world, who wants to wait for a computer to establish an Internet connection? Why not let your computer stay constantly connected to the Internet?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The problem is that if your computer is always on, you can bet that hackers, criminals, and other threats are always hunting for vulnerabilities they can exploit. So if you're going to join the "always-on" computing community, your computer needs to be always on the lookout for intrusion attempts, beginning right now. Intruders and spies, viruses, worms and Trojan horses, all the risks that inhabit the Internet, are multiplying wildly every day. Leaving a computer exposed to those risks 24/7/365 is as foolish as leaving your house unlocked all day and much more likely to end in disaster.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Here's what you need before you turn on your broadband connection. If you've already got always-on broadband and haven't taken the following precautions, you're at risk even as you read this. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Anti-virus software:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> It's a must. Don't forget to update it regularly and set it to run frequent system scans. Once a day isn't too often. (You can schedule the updates for times when you're away from your machine).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Anti-spyware software:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> It's an essential tool for ferreting out programs that try to capture your financial and confidential information. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">·<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Firewall:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> Think of your computer as a house whose doors and windows (no pun intended) are constantly being probed by thieves and spies. Now think of a firewall as the security fence that keeps them out. See why you need one?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Even computers running operating systems other than Microsoft Windows are at risk and need the protection described above. Just because security breaches of these systems are relatively infrequent doesn't mean they're non-existent or that hackers aren't feverishly working on programs to crack these systems more easily.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count:5;"></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> Don't forget to renew your <a href="http://www.networksolutionsretail.com/mcafee/index.htm" target="_blank">anti-virus </a>and other security software subscriptions as soon as they come due. New threats appear every day, and a day without protection in the always-on world could be a very long day indeed.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>How to prepare your IT for emergencies.</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:22 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">A member of the Network Solutions community recently commented that he would like some ideas on how to prepare his technical infrastructure for natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Here are some ideas that can be easily implemented by any business, and could save you significant time and money in the event of a disaster. It is particularly important to prepare your telecommunications, computers and e-mail services because these are probably the main way you manage your business and communicate with your customers. As you will discover, there are a number of ways you can help protect these services, such as remote e-mail hosting that will let you access your e-mail through mobile web mail in the event of an emergency/</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">According to <a href="http://asbdc.homestead.com/disaster.html">America’s Small Business Development Center Network</a>, more than 1 in 4 businesses will experience a significant crisis in a given year, according to a January 2005 survey conducted by Continuity Insights magazine and KPMG Risk Advisory Services. Of those businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan, 43 percent never reopen, according to The Hartford’s Guide to Emergency Preparedness Planning, published by The Hartford Financial Services Group, an investment and insurance company. Of those that do reopen, only 29 percent are still operating two years after opening.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">General:</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Maintain an inventory of all equipment used by your business. Keep a maintenance schedule for all equipment, as well as manufacturer and service contact information for each.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Telecommunications:</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Assume a widespread disaster will overwhelm land and possibly mobile telecommunications facilities. </span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">If you have dispersed geographic locations, incoming calls can be re-routed to another location – an easy way to do this is by using a toll free number or Voice Over IP system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small firms or sole practitioners can create relationships with peers in other cities who would be willing to handle incoming calls. Alternatively set up a voice message box where internal and external messages can be left and retrieved.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Develop a "phone-tree" in which employees have pre-assigned responsibilities to contact each other and establish their condition and whereabouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensure that key people have paper and electronic copies of internal phone lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">If practical, assign one person to contact customers, tell them what has happened and give them the hotline number and any other available emergency contact numbers.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Computers:</span></strong></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Keep your computer files and operating systems backed up regularly. External hard drives are inexpensive solutions. There are some online backup services available, but they can take a while in the sheer amount of time it takes to upload data, especially if you have the need to back up often. Finding a way to keep your backup in a different location from your main computer setup can protect your data in case of fire or theft.</span></li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Consider buying extra batteries and a power converter if you use a laptop computer. A power converter allows most laptops to be operated from the cigarette lighter of a vehicle.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">If you know about the emergency in advance, turn off all computers, monitors, printers, copiers, scanners and other devices when they're not being used. That way, if the power goes out, this equipment will have already been safely shut down. </span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Get a high quality surge protector for all of your computer equipment. If you use the computer a lot, consider purchasing and installing an uninterruptable power supply (UPS). Consult with your local computer equipment dealer about available equipment and costs.</span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Every building with one or more servers should have a server room that is secured with a combination lock and a reinforced door with a deadbolt. If the room is not windowless, the windows should be barred. The room should have both fire/heat detection and water detection sensors which set off a local alarm and send a signal to an off-premises monitoring facility. At a minimum, it should have fire extinguishers suitable for electrical fires. A building that has significant equipment in its server room should consider a built-in fire suppression system.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Network Solutions has a partnership with <a href="https://www.gotomypc.com/tr/netws/Q4_2004/grow/text/g25NetSolp?Target=mm/g25NetSolp.tmpl">GoToMyPC</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which enables you to access your computer remotely, provided it is connected to the internet. When you connect to your PC, the Viewer window launches automatically, allowing you to view and control your PC from another Microsoft® Windows®, Microsoft® Windows® CE, Macintosh®, Linux, Unix® or Solaris® computer, or a mobile device such as a Pocket PC, Microsoft® Windows® Mobile or Microsoft® Windows® CE wireless device. No pre-loaded software is required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">E-mail:</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In the event that you need to leave your work location but cannot take your computer with you, you will need remote access to your e-mail. If you use an <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/index.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail hosting service</a> you can get e-mail service from any Internet connection, or access your e-mail from your mobile phone. Even if you cannot get into the office, you can manage your Webmail and use features such as the ability to send large attachments, calendar, address book, file storage manager, message filters, and more. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Insurance:</span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Your business should carry insurance that includes coverage for its computers, servers and network. In order to make claims, it is essential to have an absolutely current inventory of all hardware and software, including purchase data and price. A copy of this information should be stored at a remote site.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In case of damage that is visible, photographs should be taken promptly after the disaster to substantiate an insurance claim. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">So, there are a number of inexpensive steps you can take ahead of time that will help avert problems if disaster strikes. The key is to develop a plan and be consistent about ensuring you are prepared! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>What is "Pharming"? And How Do You Guard Against It?</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:17 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Pharming is an activity criminals use to redirect users from legitimate Web sites to fraudulent ones where confidential information such as credit card and bank account numbers are requested in order commit identity theft. The fraudulent Web sites appear to be the legitimate destination the user originally sought, and may indeed contain images and text stolen from the actual Web site.</span></p> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">How are criminals able to do this?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In a way it's like those scenes in countless movies where the bad guys change a road sign, steering the hero onto the wrong path. On the Internet, those road signs are numbers (IP addresses) and domain name (the address you enter in your browser, such as abc.com, xyz.org, and so on.).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Every page on the Internet is issued a unique IP address consisting of four sets of numbers between 0 and 265 separated by dots such as 205.178.187.13. These addresses represent the domain name of a specific Web page. The relationship between the IP address numbers and the domain name is maintained - and constantly updated - on computers called Domain Name Servers (DNS.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">By hacking into unprotected DNS servers, criminals are able to redirect traffic from legitimate Web pages to their own, often visually indistinguishable pages, where they request passwords, PIN numbers, account numbers, and similar information.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Most DNS servers are protected by both software and hardware tools designed to keep the pharmers out, and constantly updated against new pharming techniques.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Additionally, there are steps you should take to protect yourself against being victimized by a pharming site:</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Look for the padlock: legitimate on-line businesses provide you with high levels of encryption (translation of your information into code) and do so within the protection of a secure connection created by an SSL Certificate and represented by a locked padlock in your browser. If the padlock is missing, or unlocked, be careful and proceed cautiously and do not enter any confidential information.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Look before you type: it's also essential to investigate the security certificates and seals on commercial sites; by moving your mouse over these you should see details about the levels of encryption and security the site provides, as well as information about the company itself.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Look out for unexpected or unsolicited e-mail requests: pharming is related to phishing, the use of legitimate-appearing e-mails to request your confidential information. Be careful and avoid responding to unexpected or unsolicited requests to visit a commercial Web page for the purpose of confirming confidential information.</span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Most DNS servers are carefully monitored by the companies that maintain them, with software and hardware guards against pharming attempts. But there's a personal element in protecting yourself as well: always verify that a site is legitimate, protected by high level secure connections and encryption procedures before you enter any data. Keep your <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail security</a> up to date and beware of suspicious e-mail messages. </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Viruses And Trojans And Worms, Oh My!</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:17 GMT</p> <p><eta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"><eta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"><eta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Generator"><eta content="Microsoft Word 11" name="Originator"> <link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJRAFAL%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" /><style type="text/css">  </style> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What's the difference? Viruses, Trojans and worms are all bad, right?</span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /> True enough, but a little information can help you better protect yourself against these threats. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /> <strong>Virus:</strong><br /> A computer virus is a program, a piece of software that attaches itself to other software or data. Like any software program, a virus must be run before it can accomplish its purpose. This is why one of the key acts of self-defense against viruses is to never click on an unfamiliar e-mail attachment. Clicking on the attachment, whose name and description may promise that it's something pleasant or worthwhile like a baby photo or a new program, actually starts the virus program. Once started, many viruses immediately mail copies of themselves to everyone in your e-mail program's address book or on your Instant Message friends list. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /> <strong>Trojan or Trojan horse:</strong><b><br /> </b>Named for the famous wooden horse of Greek history, Trojan horses lure unsuspecting users into downloading them by appearing to be something valuable and enticing, such as a game or photo viewer. Once a Trojan horse is "invited" into a computer, it prepares to wreak havoc, much like the Greek troops waiting inside the hollow horse to sack the city of Troy. The modern version may forward passwords and other sensitive information to the criminals who created it, corrupt data or delete files, or even create "backdoors" into your computer, allowing an outside network to take control of your computer and use it to mount large-scale attacks. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses don't make copies of themselves. They're often distributed by viruses, however, and some, called "droppers," plant other viruses as part of their "payload." </span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /> <strong>Worm:</strong><br /> Computer worms are software programs that copy themselves and usually begin immediately transmitting those copies over networks such as the Internet. Unlike viruses, which disguise themselves by lurking inside other programs, worms are self-contained. They are also exceptionally dangerous and powerful, capable of replicating throughout hundreds of thousands of computers in a matter of hours or even minutes. Large worm outbreaks have actually slowed the performance of the entire Internet. Worms are not only used for attacks, however; like Trojan horses, some worms are designed to burrow through computer networks seeking and creating "backdoors" that give computer control and access to criminals and hackers.</span></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /> <strong>The Bottom Line:</strong> The most important thing to know about viruses, Trojan horses, and worms is that both new ones and improved versions of existing ones appear daily, which is why it's crucial to update your anti-virus software regularly and protect your <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp">e-mail</a>.</span></eta></eta></eta></eta></p> </article> <article> <h1>How to Slice Spam Out of Your Inbox</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:17 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">How much spam (unwanted, unsolicited junk e-mail) are you getting? Odds are you're getting more spam today than you did yesterday. Unsolicited e-mail is a serious problem for e-mail users.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spam is one of the single largest problems associated with e-mail, more prevalent than viruses although not necessarily as harmful. It has been estimated that half of all e-mail traffic is now unsolicited and the number is growing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Some e-mail providers filter out spam before it even reaches your mailbox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E-mail from Network Solutions comes with industry-leading spam protection from Symantec Brightmail Anti-Spam. All incoming e-mails are screened, based on a number of search criteria, to detect and delete unwanted spam messages before they get to your inbox. When mass unsolicited e-mails are sent, they are detected almost instantly by the network and stopped. Brightmail has a 99.9999% accuracy rate.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Even with spam detection by your e-mail provider, there is no foolproof way to eliminate spam. What else can you do to help prevent spam?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plenty.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Most e-mail programs contain a filter that you can find in the dropdown menus on the toolbar. (In Microsoft Outlook Express, for instance, the tool is called "Message Rules").<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The filter lets you pre-delete (or direct to a special folder) e-mail by identifying specific factors in the subject line, the sender line, or other feature.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">For instance, suppose I'm sick and tired of getting spam from someone using the name, "Really_Annoying_Spammer". To prevent additional mail from this sender from reaching me, I simply add the sender's name to my spam filter's list of prohibited mail senders and click on the instruction that automatically deletes all e-mails from "Really_Annoying_Spammer".</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Now, suppose I'm getting multiple e-mails with subject lines that include the word "SuperSavings." To avoid future emails with this subject line, I follow a similar procedure, except this time I enter the offending word in the prohibited-subject-line part of the filter.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Here are a few more simple suggestions for getting the largest spam reduction from your filter:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Update your filter regularly:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> A few minutes every day or two spent adding names and offending words or phrases to your filter can keep the task from getting unmanageable.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Don't filter common words your real correspondents use:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> The filter is dumb; it will remove all instances of whatever words you enter. For instance, don't filter out "re:" if used in the subject line-unless you don't want to receive any replies to your e-mails.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Review what you've filtered: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">It's a good idea to check the deleted e-mail folder (or a folder you assign to hold filtered mail) frequently to make sure you're not filtering out e-mail you want. If you find legitimate mail in those folders, take a look at what triggered the deletion and adjust your filter accordingly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Consider a commercial anti-spam program:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Take a look at what the commercial programs cost and what they offer, and decide whether their convenience is worth it to you.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Avoid posting your address: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>avoid posting your e-mail address in a public place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you need to provide one, you can always use the “dot” instead of the actual “.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Read privacy information: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">when completing online forms that request your e-mail address, read the privacy information carefully and exercise your choice.<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Multiple addresses: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Use multiple e-mail address.<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Delete unknown addresses:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Do not open or reply to e-mails from unknown addresses and never open attachments unless you the person who sent it</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Don’t click links:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Never click on a link from within a spam e-mail message, even to request “removal” from their mailing list, as this verifies your e-mail address as valid and will increase the amount of spam you receive</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level7 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">Do not preview e-mail:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Turn off </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #333333; font-family: Arial;">your e-mail client's ability to “preview” e-mail messages – spam e-mail messages often have links embedded that report back to a Web server as soon as you preview the message</span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Bottom Line:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Set up your email program's spam filter today. Take a few days to get used to how your filter works, watch for new items to add, and start setting yourself free from spam. Consider adding additional applications to keep your <a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp" target="_blank">e-mail secure</a>.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.networksolutions.com/email-account/email-security.jsp"></a></p> </article> </main></body></html>