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important notice about spyware and viruses
As the Internet grows, individuals are getting smarter and smarter. Do you know that at this very moment someone could be spying on your internet activities?
FairPoint Communications has seen an increase in calls regarding the inability to surf or the limited ability to surf the net. Customer complaints range from very slow surfing, being bombarded by pop-up ads, their homepage keeps changing, or they just can't surf at all. Messages like "this page can't be displayed" or "server not found" are common.
”Spyware” is becoming a very big annoyance to all ISPs (Internet Service Providers). What is spyware, you ask? Spyware are independent programs that you, the user, download either knowingly or unknowingly to your computer. Spyware can scan your hard drive, make registry changes, change your default homepage, check your internet cookies and interface with your internet browser. From time to time, these programs "phone home" to report the information they have collected back to the spyware author.
SimplytheBest.net has some useful information about spyware and adware, as well as known spyware programs.
Ad-aware and Spybot are two popular programs that help eradicate spyware programs from your computer. FairPoint is providing these links in an effort to help our customers. Please read all FAQ's and system requirements before installing any software. Technical support issues, in regards to the software, must be directed to the software author.
Another large threat to the Internet is viruses. Viruses can come in a variety of ways: through emails, file-sharing programs, disguised as legitimate files (known as a Trojan Horse), and many more. A virus is defined as any file that can replicate itself. Not all viruses can cause significant damage, but the ones that do can cause significant damage and loss of information.
You can help to protect your computer from the threat of viruses by installing anti-virus software. This software can either be purchased, or there are also free alternatives. You can buy anti-virus software from companies such as Symantec (Norton Anti-Virus), Network Associates (McAfee Anti-Virus), Trend Micro (PC-Cillin), and Kaspersky (Kaspersky Anti-Virus). Free alternatives include Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Virus, H+BEDV’s AntiVir, and Alwil’s Avast!. Another option is to go to an "online virus-scan," which will run directly in your browser. Trend Micro's House Call and Panda Software's ActiveScan are both online virus scanning sites. These are generally free and easy-to-use, but do not offer complete protection against viruses.
Another important part of having anti-virus software is keeping it up-to-date. You can accomplish this by making a note to download the latest “virus definition” files at least once a week. A virus definition file is an “encyclopedia” of sorts that has information on all of the latest virus threats and how to detect and eliminate them from your computer. Keeping your anti-virus software up-to-date is critical; without it, viruses can easily find ways to infiltrate your computer and cause damage.
FairPoint will not be responsible for any problems that may arise from installing these or any other software programs.
There are several other preventative measures you can take to ensure your computer protection is at its best.
- Perform updates on the operating system regularly. The links below will direct you to the update sites.
- Ensure that your anti-virus is up to date. Some of these spywares are “piggy-backed” on top of virus programs sent via e-mail. Preventing the virus prevents the spyware.
- Do not use the unsubscribe links in spam e-mail you may receive. Unsubscribing verifies the spam e-mail reached a valid address, and is added to a list that may be sold to other spammers.
- People using Instant Messaging (IM) programs (ie, MSN, Yahoo, Trillian, ICQ) should make sure you are using the latest version of the software. IM software allows file transfers between users, so use discretion about accepting anything you are sent. Security updates are issued regularly, and a notification will generally appear when you first log on.
These are important items you, as the user, should address to ensure the integrity of your computer is at its highest. Performing these tasks does not ensure your computer will never have any of these problems, but it does reduce the risks greatly.
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