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Letter From CEO - Vic Shepherd
With the end of school (and the start of more free time) just around the corner, it is time to think about safe Internet use in your household.
This issue of Connected includes important tips on how to keep your Internet connection as safe and as family-friendly as possible while avoiding the dangers of spyware, SPAM and other threats. We also help you use your EagleNet Internet connection to find creative and fun ways to keep your children entertained over the summer months. Plus, information on FREE downloads!
What would your life be like without the Internet? Hear what EagleNet employees have to say about that. (see the Just for Fun section below).
As always, thanks for selecting EagleNet. We hope you have a fun and safe summer!
Vic Shepherd
President & CEO
Do You Know Who Is Watching You Surf The Web?
At EagleNet, we see the Internet as a tool to make your life easier and more fun. That is why we try to keep you up on the latest potential threats to your online enjoyment.
The Internet is sometimes similar to a party that has gone out of control -- a few bad apples (SPAM, viruses, etc.) can ruin everybody’s good time.
The newest “bad apple” is something called “spyware”, an intrusive program that can compromise your privacy and slow down the performance of your system. Benign spyware or “adware” monitors and tracks the sites you visit on the web so that companies can track your web-surfing habits to improve their marketing efforts. However, there are spyware programs that go several steps further, including monitoring keystrokes, capturing passwords or other private information, or even seizing control of your Web browser and changing your home page to one operated by the advertiser.
Worst of all, often these programs install themselves without your knowledge or permission.
Here are few steps you can take to keep your system clean from snoopers:
- Keep Windows and desktop anti-virus software signatures up to date or even install a desktop “firewall”.
- If you are looking for a freeware or shareware program, try using reputable sites like tucows.com or download.com. Often spyware comes “free” when downloading free software from unscrupulous sites.
- Use commercial anti-spyware software to detect and remove existing spyware programs. An excellent free program is Spybot Search & Destroy. Visit www.safer-networking.org to learn more about Spybot.
- Read the End User License Agreement whenever you install new software on your PC – this usually includes the options of "No, I do not accept" or "Yes, I have read and accept these terms". If you click “Yes” without reading, you may be getting more than you bargained for and unknowingly agreeing to install spyware as part of the deal.
For more information visit
PC Magazine’s article
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Anti-SPAM News
A few months ago, we told you what your public officials are doing to protect you from SPAM. In late April, the law caught up with two Michigan spammers who are accused of sending hundreds of thousands of SPAM emails to clog-up your inbox.
The Department of Justice recently announced the arrest of two Detroit-area men allegedly responsible for sending hundreds of thousands of commercial electronic mail messages advertising diet patches and other devices, while using false and fraudulent headers to hide their identities.
These are the first criminal charges under the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Marketing and Pornography ("CAN-SPAM") Act, which essentially criminalizes spamming.
"This prosecution clearly demonstrates the benefits of a concerted effort by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and Internet Service Providers," said Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray. "We will not allow marketers who barrage the public with unwanted commercial email to prey on consumers, businesses and families."
According to court documents, the four defendants named in the complaint are allegedly responsible for sending out hundreds of thousands of messages advertising medical and other products, which resulted in over 10,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission’s unsolicited electronic mail database since Jan. 1, 2004.
Felony violations of the CAN-SPAM Act carry a penalty of up to three or five years imprisonment.
At EagleNet, we are doing everything we can to maximize your Internet experience, which includes blocking as much SPAM as we can before it reaches your in-box. We take our hats off to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, two fellow “Good Guys” in the efforts to stop SPAM.
Top 10 Viruses And Hoaxes
The top ten viruses in April 2004 were as follows:
| 1. | W32/Netsky-P | 23.19% |
| 2. | W32/Netsky-B | 20.16% |
| 3. | W32/Netsky-D | 16.76% |
| 4. | W32/Netsky-C | 4.99% |
| 5. | W32/Netsky-Q | 2.79% |
| 6. | W32/Sober-F | 1.14% |
| 7. | W32/Netsky-J | 0.78% |
| 8. | W32/Bagle-Zip | 0.64% |
| 9. | W32/Gibe-F | 0.22% |
| 10. | W32/Netsky-T | 0.21% |
| Others | 29.12% |
"The month of April showered unprotected computer users with several Netsky variants, which if protected with automatic anti-virus updating, would have avoided getting hit," said Chris Kraft, senior security analyst at Sophos, Inc.
The top ten viruses in April 2004 were as follows:
| 1. | Hotmail hoax | 14.4% |
| 2. | Meninas da Playboy | 11.2% |
| 3. | A virtual card for you | 9.1% |
| 4. | Bonsai kitten | 7.3% |
| 5. | JDBGMGR | 6.0% |
| 6. | WTC Survivor | 5.1% |
| 7. | Budweiser frogs screensaver | 5.0% |
| 8. | Bill Gates fortune | 4.7% |
| 9. | Jamie Bulger | 3.6% |
| 10. | Nigerian letter | 1.8% |
| Others | 31.8% |
"A new entry to the hoax chart this month is the Nigerian letter scam," continued Kraft. "Several versions of this letter exist, which are all designed to deceive and extort money from email users. Hoaxes can be just as disruptive and costly as a genuine virus. End users and network administrations can avoid falling prey by keeping informed about the latest hoaxes from a reliable source, such as Sophos."
Source: Sophos.com
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NEW Web60 Product
Introducing EagleNet's Web60 – perfect for the Internet user that is looking for more than 20 hours of service a month but doesn’t want unlimited usage. Web60 provides 60 hours of dialup usage for only $15.95 a month*, plus:
- 5 email addresses
- Webmail with SPAM and Virus protection
- Free Pop-up Stopper
- Statewide Access
- Toll-free customer service 7 days/week.
(*$2.50 for each additional hour over 60 hours)
Referral Promotion
Tell a friend about EagleNet and show them what a true local ISP is all about! For every person you refer, EagleNet will provide you AND your friend with one month of free dialup service. In addition, for every customer you refer, you receive one entry into a Grand Prize drawing held at the end of each quarter. Winners receive their choice of a DVD player, a digital camera, a television or one of many other great prizes.
To take advantage of this promotion, have your friends call 1.888.999.3245 and ask for a referral sign up.
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How Do I Protect My Kids From Offensive Sites and Emails?
Michigan families with home computers are faced with the daily reality of protecting their children from inappropriate web content, including everything from bad language to pornography. To help combat the problem, EagleNet's iGuard Content Filtering tool provides parents with a way to protect their family through an easy to use, customizable Internet access setting for each family member.
iGuard can be used on a number of levels. It can protect young Internet users from being accidentally exposed to inappropriate websites, or used to prevent curious older children from looking in places they should not. For further parental monitoring purposes, iGuard gives parents the ability to create time blocks that allow certain Internet users access only at certain times of the day. It can also be used to monitor children's web surfing habits.
iGuard was created to give parents peace of mind as kids get more computer savvy at younger ages. iGuard utilizes the largest and most up-to-date filtering database in the world, with over 22 million URL's in 58 categories and 100,000 daily updates designed to protect children and families.
This tool offers a unique way to protect families from the hidden and not-so-hidden dangers of the Internet. Please click here for more information, or call EagleNet at 1.888.999.3245.
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SPAM Blocked by EagleNet
EagleNet blocks more than 15 million incoming SPAM messages and 645,000 viruses every two months. EagleNet's state-of-the-art Data Center houses filtering software and other controls to stop SPAM and Viruses before they reach the end user - you – the EagleNet customer.
“SPAM does not have to be a fact of life,” said Victor Shepherd, chief executive officer of EagleNet. “Our customers, both business and residential, rely on safe, secure Internet service in their daily lives. By definition, these messages are unsolicited and unwanted. Our customers have made it clear that SPAM is not welcome in their in-boxes and we are taking proactive measures to minimize the problem.”
In addition to blocking SPAM messages at a network level, EagleNet also offers several products to help customers block unwanted email and pop-up ads. EagleNet's Postini application includes SPAM and virus protection. You can also download a free Pop-Up Stopper from the EagleNet website. For more information about these products, please visit www.egl.net or call 1.888.999.3245.
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Summer Vacation Fun – Kids, Education and the Internet
With summer just around the corner, it won’t be long until the annual “I’m bored!” chorus begins. Luckily for parents, summer vacation doesn’t mean learning has to end! Many child-friendly websites offer a variety of games and tools to keep kids entertained as they learn new things and hone existing skills.
Summer vacation provides an excellent time for kids to visit museums. Interested in exploring one outside of West Michigan – without the prerequisite long road trip? Many museums offer sites specifically for kids on their homepages that focus on current exhibitions, history, art, and much more. For example, The National Museum’s Liverpool website is one such museum that provides kids with an exciting, interactive journey to historical Liverpool, England. The museum updates the site every few weeks with fun new games and information. Many other famous international museums offer kids pages on their site.
When rainy summer days keep kids inside, it’s easier than ever to trick unsuspecting children into learning under the pretense of FUN! There are a variety of governmental sites aimed specifically at children. What better time to get kids interested in governmental issues? Children’s sections of various United States government pages often provide links to interactive games, governmental news just for kids, and much more. The popular (www.kids.gov), for example, includes access to Air Force, Coast Guard and Peace Corps kid’s activities, among others.
You don’t need a rainy day to get kids interested in exploring outer space. NASA hosts a special children’s section of their website at (www.nasa.gov), complete with games, art, stories and other fun activities. It currently chronicles the adventures of nine-year-old Ian Foale, who uses email to communicate with his astronaut dad in space. Updated frequently, the site is home to a host of space-themed activities sure to keep kids occupied for hours.
Simple Internet searches will bring up a number of additional education-friendly game sites developed and maintained for specifically for children. Sites such as (http://www.funbrain.com/) feature fun games with an e-learning twist –such as math baseball, bumble numbers and grammar gorillas. These activities take traditional childhood favorites like connect the dots, tic-tac-toe and hangman, and add a math or grammar twist to give a new face to an old game.
EagleNet encourages parents to closely monitor their children while online. Though many of these sites have been developed for children, some contain outside links not maintained by the host organization. However, with basic supervision and guidance, kids can go back to school in the fall equipped with a stronger knowledge base than ever thanks to the World Wide Web.
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We asked our employees to describe life without Internet access and this is what they had to say…
Scott M. – Lost
Mike P. – Sheltered, Boring
Mike G. – More difficult to gather information
Bill M. – Miserable
Steve S. – Poignant
Mike D. – Uninformed
Marla L. – Peaceful
Kevin M. – Dull
Jeri Z. – Unthinkable
Lisa K. – Unorganized
Susan H. – Unaware
Nicole T. – Frustrating
Ed M.– Simpler
Julie H.– Grammatical nightmare
Todd G. – Dark, clueless
Tim W. – Old-fashioned
Paul M. – Unenlightened
Jeff P. – Diminutive - due to lack of information and communication
Lisa B. - In regards to communication I may as well go back to using 2 cans connected with string.
Brent F. - It would be like being 15 years old again...no driver's license! I'm trapped!
Kevin W. - Uninformed. There are so many global news sources I can build my own opinion of world events instead of having my opinion spoon fed to me by local media.
Marianne E.– Inconvenient - I remember having to go to the library to look up phone numbers for out of state stuff, use encyclopedias, etc. Libraries have that funny old book smell, yuck :( Also finding the week old newspaper or having to call a theatre to find show times. Having to turn on a TV *gasp* to find the weather.
Michael G. – Broke. Where would I get all my free warez and mp3z?
Leonard – Less intelligent – I wouldn't be able to steal the world's knowledge for free anymore.
Mike K. – Healthy! I guess if I didn’t have the option to sit at the computer all day online, I’d have to go outside and maybe walk around or get some exercise or something.
Matthew D. – I would feel FINE. As in Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.
Where to go for great FREE Downloads
Firefox 0.8 – Mozilla: Cutting edge browser, beta version.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Winamp 5.02 – Nullsoft: The granddaddy of MP3 players recently upgraded.
http://www.freewarefiles.com/programs.php?ProgramID=459&categoryid=6&subcategoryid=73
Ad-ware 6.0 – Lavasoft: Rid your computer from pesky software bombarding you with advertisements.
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
CutePDF Printer 1.2 – Acro Software: Create PDF files from any Windows applications.
http://www.acrosoftware.com/Index.htm
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Toll Free Number: 1-888-999-3245
Local Holland Number: 616-392-9949
Fax: 616-493-3730
Email: info@egl.net
Web: www.egl.net
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