E-mail Safety

In an article I wrote this week about an e-mail that was sent out as a joke about a missing girl (article available on The Weekly News’ main page). I made note that an attempt was made to contact the party that started the joke through the e-mail address provided in the FALSE plea for help.

What is important for our readers to know is that contact with something like this puts your computer and personal information at danger and should only be attempted with extreme caution and by those who understand the dangers involved.

By contacting someone that you do not know via e-mail (especially through a link provided by an unknown party) you can unknowingly provide him or her with your password to your e-mail account.

This is much more of a concern then most people realize.

Once someone that is up to no good has access to your e-mail, they can use it to access illegal material, they can place online orders; they can access your files in your e-mail. They can even get you credit card information if you ever ordered something on line using that e-mail account.

All of these threats can be traced back to your e-mail account and result in criminal charges against you. Armed with the electronic records of these activities, the only defense you may have is a computer forensics team, which not many people have access to.

The only way to be safe is to not open e-mails from anyone that you do not know, if there is a link that you must visit and question the source that provided you with the link. Open a new browser window and manually type in the web address; do not use any hyper links (ex. Click here).

By A. Wallace

Visit The Weekly News at http://localnews.yourdesign2.com
or join our mailing list to get weekly updates
at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm

Happy Mother's Day

This week's update is focused strictly on Mother's Day. so there will be no update for this page this week.

Please check back next week.

Be sure to check out The Weekly News and see just we came up with for Mother's Day

Written by A. Wallace

Visit The Weekly News at http://localnews.yourdesign2.com
or join our mailing list to get weekly updates
at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm

Kids Safety

This week there is not much for me to write on the topic.
The main thing is knowing the laws and you will be able to help
protect your kids as well as others.

Please visit Kids Privacy to know what you need to watch out for.
Their web address is http://www.ftc.gov/kidzprivacy

Posted by A. Wallace

Visit The Weekly News at http://localnews.yourdesign2.com
or join our mailing list to get weekly updates at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm

Picking a camp

Summer is almost here and the time for choosing a day camp for the kids is here again. There are a few things to consider asking before trusting a camp with your children.

Even if you have used a camp in the past, the questions should be asked. You might be surprised at some of the answers that you’ll get.

Questions to ask:

1.How do you screen your staff?

2.What are your screening procedures?

3.Is there always more then one staff member with the children at any given time?

4.What are your policies relating to problems or complaints with staff should there ever be a problem?

5.How many campers will be assigned to a set of counselors?

Things to talk with your children about (depending on their age and maturity level) before sending them to camp.

1.General safety rules.

2.If there should be any problem with a counselor or camper, that they need to talk to you about it. (Problems could be anything from argument to major problems of any kind).

3.How to deal with such a problem should there be a need, until they can contact you. Including letting them know who the person in charge at the camp is incase they need to go to them.

4.Provide your children with all emergency phone numbers to reach you (cell, work, pager, etc.).

5.Provide a back up number and contact person should they not be able to reach you.

These are only a few things that are on my list. I am sure that the parents that read this will also have a list of their own. But I felt these things were worth listing.

Written by A. Wallace

Visit The Weekly News at http://localnews.yourdesign2.com
or join our mailing list to get weekly updates at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm

Computer viruses

Computer viruses are self-executing programs written specifically to change the way a computer works, without the knowledge of the owner. Viruses are so called because they behave in a similar way to biological viruses. Just as biological viruses pass from person to person, replicating themselves as they go, computer viruses pass from computer to computer. Unlike most biological viruses, however - computer viruses are entirely man made.

Viruses (including worms) are often distributed via attachments in e-mail spam and, ironically, a great deal of e-mail spam (particularly chain letters) are virus hoaxes.

Basic e-mail safety tips:
·Change your password often and keep it in a safe place
·Don’t share the password with anyone.
·Don’t open any attachments from anyone unless they are run through an anti-virus program.
·Log off when done.
·Don’t reply to spam, harassing, or offensive e-mail or forward chain e-mail letters.
·Use common sense and keep personal information personal.
·Delete all e-mails, unread, from people you don’t know
·Don’t be caught by the spammers’ favorite trick, “Remember me?”

Written by A. Wallace

Visit The Weekly News at http://localnews.yourdesign2.com
or join our mailing list to get weekly updates at http://yourdesign2.com/mailinglist.htm