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P2P Dangers |
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Greetings from Polar's
E-Connections Team
We think
you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable
tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to
receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. |
P2P
Dangers - File Sharing Can
Compromise Your Computer's Security
Peer-to-peer file-sharing
programs appear to be a godsend: they allow you to swap digital files with
others who have the same file-sharing software. Thousands of people use
peer-to-peer (often called P2P) programs to exchange music, videos, movies,
games, and software. But P2P programs are seemingly synonymous with trouble.
First, there are the well-publicized copyright infringement issues that arose
when Napster, the first widely used P2P program for exchanging music files,
became wildly popular in the late 1990s. Other examples of P2P programs are
Kazaa, Morpheus, eDonkey, and Gnutella.
Less well-known, but perhaps more significant, is how using P2P programs can
expose your computer to viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware, and spyware, and
even expose you to identity theft and fraud. How can these things happen? A P2P
network allows users with the same file-sharing program to access files stored
on each other's computers without the typical network interaction with file
servers. This makes file sharing quick and easy, but these are unsecured
Internet connections unprotected by firewalls, making them prime targets for
hackers and virus writers.
It's easy for virus writers to attach malicious code to an innocently titled
file that resides on a file-sharing network. In fact, the infamous MyDoom virus
that wreaked havoc on e-mail systems worldwide in 2004 was initially spread in
this way by unknowing users of the Kazaa file-sharing program.
The same goes for adware and spyware. These unwanted programs could be attached
to an otherwise useful file downloaded from a file-sharing network, exposing
you to a flood of unwanted spam, ad pop-up windows, and web browser hijackings.
Even worse, a skilled hacker can gain access to your entire hard drive through
a file-sharing network, exposing you to identity theft and fraud. A hacker can
do this by using access to the files you intend to share on the file-sharing
network to gain access to personal files not intended for public use. If you
have information such as Social Security numbers and credit card information on
your computer, the potential for identity theft and fraud is very real.
Here's how to protect yourself on P2P networks:
- Be legal. The easiest way to avoid being exploited is to avoid
P2P networks altogether. But if file sharing is important to you, make
sure you only use file-sharing networks and programs in which you have the
copyright owners' permission to buy and exchange the files. Not only will
you avoid violating copyright law, but legitimate file-sharing networks
should be more secure and far less likely to attach adware or spyware to
their files.
- The fine print. When you install P2P software,
read the software's End User License Agreement (EULA) before you agree to
install it. Don't install software whose legalese contains questionable
phrases such as "from time to time," "we may make your
information available to third parties," and "you agree to allow
third-party software to be installed into your computer."
- Access denied. If you legally buy digital files, reject any
offers for software that will enable others to access your files. This
will help block hackers who want to snoop on your hard drive.
- Software protection. Regardless of whether you use
a P2P network, you should be running a firewall, up-to-date antivirus
software, and spyware and adware blockers and scanners.
Going On
Vacation This Summer? - You Can
Still Get Your E-mail
Don't forget Webmail is a
FREE value-added service from Polar! Keep up on your Polar e-mails by using any
computer in the world that has Internet access!! Simply go to Polar's website
at www.thinkpolar.com,
click on the Webmail link, and enter your Polar username and password. Webmail
is convenient, easy to use....and FREE to all Polar Internet customers. Enjoy
your summer from everyone at Polar!
Ask
The Help Desk - Why Is
My Computer Screen Wallpaper Distorted?
Question: Sometimes I save images off
the Internet for wallpaper on my computer screen. However, the images I save
quite often look very distorted when I stretch them to full screen. How can I
avoid this?
Answer: You are probably running into a couple of problems. The
first is that of proportions. If the image you are grabbing from the Web isn't
proportional to your screen, it will look distorted when it's stretched.
Remember, your screen format is rectangular having horizontal and vertical
dimensions. So if you save an image that is much more vertical than horizontal,
the image will look "fat" once it is fitted to your screen.
The other problem is that most images found on the Web are not a high enough
resolution to be used for wallpaper. Many computers, for example, are set to a
resolution of either 800x600 pixels or 1024x768 pixels. When grabbing an image
off the Web, the image needs to be close to the same size as the resolution
found on your screen in order to appear undistorted. If the image is only
250x100 pixels, for example, there just won't be enough pixels to fill your
computer screen in an undistorted manner, unless of course you are using a very
small screen.
Note that most site owners have copyright restrictions regarding their site's
content (text and images) so you must first get permission before grabbing an
image to use as computer screen wallpaper.
Great
Sites To Check Out This Month
Head To A Drive-In Movie
Theater This Summer
http://DriveInTheater.com -
Do you remember the fun times you had going to the drive-in movie theater on
weekends with your family or friends? There were over 5,000 drive-in movie
theaters located across the U.S. and Canada back in 1958. Today there are less
than 600 left in North America but they are still great fun. Check out the
site's database listing of drive-in theaters and then treat your family to a
night of old-fashioned fun while vacationing this summer. The kids will love
the experience and so will you.
Visit A Lawnmower Museum
http://lawnmowerworld.co.uk/ -
Those of you who are really into lawnmowers have probably already got this site
bookmarked. For everyone else, this is the link to the British Lawnmower
Museum. Yes, an actual museum dedicated to nothing but lawnmowers. Check out
the "Gallery" section for interesting pictures of antique cutting
contraptions. It'll make you appreciate the improvements that have been made in
lawn mowing technology since the early twentieth century.
Calculating Your Social Security Benefits
http://www.SocialSecurity.gov -
There's been much debate regarding the long-term solvency of our Social
Security System. Most agree that the funds will be depleted at some point in
the future because of the changing ratio in the number of people working versus
the number of people retiring. If you have not yet retired, have you ever
figured out what you can expect in monthly social security income based on the
current system? SocialSecurity.gov can calculate this for you. Simply go to the
"Calculate your benefits" link and enter the requested information.
Sign The Declaration of Independence
http://archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration.html -
The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration restores and archives
important government documents from our nation's history. Celebrating the
anniversary of our declaration of independence during the month of July
provides a great opportunity to see and learn more about our historical
treasures. Go to the Declaration of Independence area of this site and click on
the "Join the Signers of the Declaration" link. There you can add
your name to the ranks of the 56 original signers who stood for freedom and
then print off your copy to show friends and family.
The Cut - The Next Hit Reality TV Show
http://cbs.com/primetime/the_cut/ -
The new CBS TV show The Cut appears to be the next hit reality TV
series. During each weekly episode, clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger pits
fashion-savvy contestants against one another in real fashion world challenges
to find the next great trend setting designer. One contestant is eliminated
each week. For more information about the contestants, each episode, and some
behind-the-scenes drama, head to this site.
Short
Tutorial - Images Saved
On Your Computer Screen As Repeated "Tiles"
As the FAQ in the "Ask
The Help Desk" section above explains, it can be difficult to grab images
off the Web to use as wallpaper without the images appearing distorted on your
computer screen. Rather than trying to stretch pictures to fit your computer's
screen, an alternative is to "tile" your selected image. This process
saves the picture repeatedly in rows on your screen as a background. The result
may be cluttered but probably preferable to the distorted alternative.
To tile an image as your screen's wallpaper when using a PC and Internet
Explorer as your browser, simply right-click on the chosen picture and
select "Set As Background."
If you are on a PC and using the new Firefox browser, right-click on the
image and choose "Set As Wallpaper." When the "Set
Wallpaper" dialog box appears, look for the "Position" menu. It
will list "Stretch," "Tile," or "Center" as
options. Choose "Tile" from the list. Click on the "Set
Wallpaper" button. The background of your computer screen will change to
multiple rows of the picture you selected.
If you get tired of using this image, right-click on your PC's desktop
and choose "Properties." With the "Desktop" tab selected,
choose the wallpaper you want from the list that appears. Click
"Apply" and then click "OK." (This works whether using
Internet Explorer or Firefox as your browser.)
If you are using a Macintosh running OS X, right-click your cursor arrow
on the image (if you have a two button mouse) or click on the image while holding
down the "ctrl" key (if you have a single button mouse) and select
"Download Image To Disk." Next, go to the Apple menu then drop down
to and select "System Preferences..." Click on the Desktop &
Screensaver icon and click on "Choose Folder" in the left hand pane
of the window. Click on "Desktop." The picture you downloaded to disk
should be there. Click on it to select it and then click on "Choose."
Next to the preview picture you'll see a button that says "Fill Screen."
Click on it and four choices will appear: "Fill Screen,"
"Stretch to fill screen," "Center," and "Tile."
Choose "Tile" and then close the window.
We hope you found this
newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the
happenings at our shop. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these
bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
The E-Connections
Team
Polar E-Connections
Polar Communications
110 4th St E
Park River, ND 58270
800-284-7222
(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information
published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all
liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such
errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)
©2005
Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are
trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.