Greetings

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

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, please see the opt out link at the bottom of this e-mail.

- The GWIS Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

Securing Your Password

Passwords are the keys used to access personal information that you've stored on your computer and in online accounts. If anyone steals this information, they can use your name to open new credit card accounts, apply for a mortgage, or pose as you in online transactions. In many cases you may not notice these attacks until it is too late.

The passwords for your Golden West Internet accounts are just as important. Therefore, beginning September 1, 2008, to ensure the privacy of your personal information, changes to a Golden West Internet account can only be made after your password is updated to meet the following security criteria:

Password Requirements:

• Must be a minimum of 8 characters
• May not be the same as the username
• Include a combination of letters and numbers
• Should include upper and/or lower case characters
  Example: gm7TH34i

IMPORTANT: Changing your password affects all of your Internet services, including:

• DSL
• E-Mail
• Dialup
• Wireless
• Building Blocks

You can update your Golden West Internet password and improve its security via the Account Management Center at www.goldenwest.net/youraccount/. Since changing your password affects all of your Internet services, it's imperative that you review the following steps before you make any password changes:

Prior to Changing Your Password:

• Select your new password
• Contact the 24-hour Internet Technical Support for assistance with changing your password in your DSL modem or other equipment. (Dial 611 from a Golden West phone or 1-866-833-6683)
• Change your password via the Account Management Center
• Update all other software and/or hardware

If you have any questions about the new password requirements, please email info@goldenwest.net or call 1-800-763-2525, ext. 3565.   

If you are unsure how to change your settings for equipment and/or software, please contact our Help Desk before changing your password. Help Desk can be reach by dialing 721-HELP (4357) or 866-833-6683 or dialing 611 from any Golden West telephone.

Suggestions for Creating a Password

1.      Use an Acronym of a phrase:

o        Choose a short phrase you can remember and make it an acronym

o        If any letters of the acronym look like a number, make it a number

o        "My brother lives at 43 Green Lane" can be the password: Mbl4t43GL

2.      Use a special date in your life (not your birthday)

o        Wed May 17th can be the password: W3d1M4y7

3.      Insert numbers into a word

o        Email and 123 becomes 3M123a1L

o        Computer Nut can be the password: NUcomput3rT

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

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

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

1.      Open Outlook Express 6 or Windows Mail.

2.      Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and select "Options" from the resulting drop-down menu. The Options window will open.

3.      Click on the "Send" tab. Uncheck the box next to "Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book" for Outlook Express 6 or the box next to "Automatically put people I reply to in my Contacts list" for Windows Mail.

4.      Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to save the setting and close the Options window.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adding E-mail Addresses/Contacts To Your Address Book When Using ...