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Security

Red X’s in Email Messages

I’m resetting this tip from two or so years ago because we have had so many phone calls and email messages about this topic. 

Have you ever received an email with "red x’s" in a box or just an empty box in the middle of the email? There are three possible explanations for this phenomenon; either you are reading the message offline, your email program is blocking images from appearing in your email, OR more likely the pictures or graphics that were supposed to be in that message didn’t get sent with the message.

First, a quick background on how pictures work in email messages. Email originated as a text only medium, but in the late 90’s it evolved to the point that it was possible to send embedded pictures, colored text and more with email. This is called Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) email. In English, that means special computer code to display those pictures and formatted text. Essentially, email has become like mini-web pages. One problem with HTML email is that not all email programs or users can read this type of email…they simply see the plain text devoid of pictures and formatted text.

Things aren’t always the same

A client of mine made a great observation today about computers. She put into words something that I have tried to articulate for years. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: "The trouble I have with computers is that they don’t always react the same way twice."

"Wow", I thought….great statement. Unlike cars or toasters, computers have many more complex instructions going on at the same time. In fact hundreds of thousands of instructions are going on at any given time when you use your computer. And the scary thing is that these instructions are DIFFERENT for every single computer.

Remember to Logout from Financial Sites

Millions of computer users now bank and trade online. The convenience of online banking and trading is not disputed, but some still wonder about safety. All large banking institutions take the time and effort to shore up security from their end to protect you and your transactions. They also know that if they don’t provide the best in security that they won’t be in business very long.

 However, no matter how safe our banking and trading institutions make the process, we computer users still have some responsibility as well. To insure your safety online when performing financial transactions, follow these steps:

Unblocking Attachments in Outlook Express

Many computer users over the past few months lost the ability to receive attachments normally in Outlook Express for seemingly no reason. As with all problems, there is a cause. In this case, the loss of attachments starts after a Windows Update session or an upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer/Outlook Express. Microsoft decided that since attachments can bring along a virus, by default they would prevent attachments altogether from reaching users of Outlook Express. The sentiment is admirable, but the execution is flawed.

Fortunately, you can reverse the process and get your email attachments normally again. Start Outlook Express and follow these steps:

One Additional Defense Against Email Viruses

This simple tip should not be a substitute for anti-virus programs and keeping them updated, but can be an affective adjunct to anti-virus programs.

As always, remember that viruses can come from friends and family. Although not on purpose, if a friend or family email buddy received a virus unknowingly, they will propagate the virus unknowingly as well.

Because we have a tendency to look at email attachments, institute this easy method of intercepting some of the most virulent of viruses…the Visual Basic Script virus or worm (VBS). Follow these steps carefully and verbatim:

1. Click on Start –> Programs –> Accessories –> Notepad

Cookies…are they dangerous, harmless or do they just taste good?

Cookies are small (very small…hundreds of cookies will take up less than a tenth of a megabyte on your hard drive) text files that are deposited on our computer systems by some web sites. For example, the polling service I use for our listener poll will deposit a cookie on your hard drive to prevent more than
one vote per question, but that is all it does.

In the majority of cases, cookies pose no threat to you, your computer, or your privacy. Cookies contain as little data as your Internet providers identifying address or your name and preferences for a web site (like Amazon.com or a personalized Yahoo! page). There have been instances of some advertising
companies attempting to ‘track’ your whereabouts on the web, but again it is more your ‘number’ than you and the data collected is for statistical information only. And to reiterate, cookie files take up a minuscule amount of your hard drive space.

Stop the Windows password screen

Follow either of these techniques to get rid of the Windows logon password (it doesn’t provide any type of security any way).

I’m going to give a couple of ways to go about it, because it can be quirky and not work the same way on every machine (imagine that).

Technique 1:

1. Click on Start–>Settings –> Control Panel
2. Double-click on the Passwords icon.
3. Click the Change Passwords tab and click the Change Windows Password button.
4. Make sure all three fields are completely blank and click the OK button to save changes.

Technique 2:

1. Click on Start –> Find –> Files and Folders

Remove Password at Startup

Are you annoyed by a ‘password’ screen that starts up every time you start your computer? Did you know that this password affords you NO extra security what-so-ever?

Well, if you are itching to get rid of it, here’s how:

1. Click on Start –> Find –> Files or Folders
2. Type: *.pwl in the named box
3. Click in the Look In box and choose My Computer
4. Make sure the Include subfolders box is checked and then click on Find Now
5. Delete any files that are found and close the Find window
6. Click on Start –> Settings –> Control Panel
7. Double-click on Network

Beware of Fraudulent Email

This week I had the unfortunate job of helping a client of mine change email addresses and passwords. Not that the change itself was unfortunate, it was the reason for the change. Earlier in the week, she fell prey to an Internet scam known as ‘phishing’.

Phishing starts in our email box. The email looks and almost sounds completely official and usually claims to represent a large company like AOL, Earthlink, Citibank, eBay, etc. Even the company’s logo and maybe an address or telephone number will appear in the email as well. The email states that either the company has had a catastrophic computer melt down and needs to rebuild their customer information database OR it says that for your security you need to react.