Spring 2004   

INSIDE THIS ISSUE..............

 FEATURE:  LIFEcard Services 

| LIFEcard Services | Protect Yourself During Severe Spring Weather | National Emergency Planning for Communities | How to Battle Spam | Protecting Yourself and Your Computer | Contact Us |

Welcome to the Spring edition of the Security Seeker newsletter. The Security Seeker is published exclusively for security-minded consumers, and it is viewable solely on the Internet. For the best in security advice, statistics and stories, seek the Security Seeker. If you find this newsletter interesting, forward it to your friends and keep them secure too!

 FEATURE:  LIFEcard Services

 Protect Yourself During Severe Spring Weather

Spring can bring much more than April showers and May flowers--severe thunderstorms and tornadoes have the potential to make this season particularly dangerous. However, timely preparation and preventative measures can help you avoid the impacts of severe spring weather. The following tips can be effective in dealing with severe weather at this time of year.

Protecting Yourself During a Thunderstorm

Before Lightning Strikes:
--     Keep an eye on the sky.
--     Look for darkening skies, flashes of light or increasing wind.
--     Listen for the sound of thunder.
--     If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck 
    by lightning--seek safe shelter immediately. 
--     Listen to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather
    Radio, commercial radio or television for the latest weather forecasts. 

When a Storm Approaches:
--     Find shelter in a building or car.
--     Keep car windows closed and avoid convertibles. 
--     Telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Unplug appliances and
    avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. Leaving electric lights on,
    however, does not increase the chances of your home being struck by lightning. 
--     Avoid taking a bath or shower or running water for any other purpose. 
--     Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from lightning can overload the
    compressor and result in a costly repair job. 
--     Draw blinds and shades over windows. If windows break due to objects blown by
    the wind, the shades will prevent glass from shattering into your home. 

If You are Caught Outside:
--     If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter trees. 
--     If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately. 

Protecting Yourself Outside:
--     Go to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles or metal objects. Make sure
    the place you pick is not subject to flooding.
--     Be a very small target. Squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees
    with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible. 
--     Do not lie flat on the ground--this will make you a larger target. 

After the Storm Passes:
--     Stay away from storm-damaged areas. 
--     Listen to the radio for information and instructions. 

If Someone is Struck by Lightning:
--     People struck by lightning carry no electrical charge, and they can be handled
    safely. 
--    Call for help. Get someone to dial 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services
   (EMS) number. 
--    If the injured person has received an electrical shock, check for burns where they
   were struck and where the electricity left their body. Being struck by lightning can
   also cause nervous system damage, broken bones and loss of hearing or
   eyesight. 
--   Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has
   stopped beating, a trained person should give CPR. If the person has a pulse and
   is breathing, look and care for other possible injuries.

Protect Yourself During a Tornado

Prepare a Home Tornado Plan:
--   Pick a place where family members could gather if a tornado is headed your way.
   It could be your basement or, if there is no basement, a center hallway, bathroom
   or closet on the lowest floor. Keep this place uncluttered. 
--   If you are in a high-rise building, you may not have enough time to go to the lowest
   floor. Pick a place in a hallway in the center of the building. 

Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit Containing:
--   First-aid kit and essential medications. 
--   Canned food and can opener. 
--   At least three gallons of water per person. 
--   Protective clothing, bedding or sleeping bags. 
--   Battery-powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries. 
--   Special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members. 
--   Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas and water if authorities advise
   you to do so. (You will need a professional to turn natural gas service back on.) 

Stay Tuned for Storm Warnings:
--   Listen to your local radio and TV stations for updated storm information. 

Know the Difference Between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning: 
--   A tornado watch means that a tornado is possible in your area. 
--   A tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted and may be headed for
   your area. Go to safety immediately. 
--   Tornado watches and warnings are issued by counties or parishes. 

When a Tornado Watch is Issued:
--   Listen to local radio and TV stations for further updates. 
--   Be alert to changing weather conditions. Blowing debris or the sound of an
   approaching tornado may alert you. Many people say it sounds like a freight train. 

When a Tornado Warning Is Issued:
--   If you are inside, go to the safe place you picked to protect yourself from glass and
   other flying objects. The tornado may be approaching your area. 
--   If you are outside, hurry to the basement of a nearby sturdy building or lie flat in a
   ditch or low-lying area. 
--   If you are in a car or mobile home, get out immediately and head for safety (as
   above). 

After the Tornado Passes:
--   Watch out for fallen power lines and stay out of the damaged area. 
--   Listen to the radio for information and instructions. 
--   Use a flashlight to inspect your home for damage. 
--   Do not use candles at any time. 

--Adapted from the American Red Cross, http://www.redcross.org.

National Emergency Planning for Communities

Like individuals and families, schools, daycare providers, workplaces, neighborhoods and apartment buildings should all have site-specific national emergency plans.

Ask about plans at the places where you and your family spend the most time. If none exist, consider volunteering to help develop one. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during a national emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.

Neighborhoods and Apartment Buildings
 --   Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together during a national
    emergency. 
--    Find out if anyone has specialized equipment, like a power generator, or expertise
    such as medical knowledge, that might help in a crisis. 
--    Decide who will check on elderly or disabled neighbors.
--    Make back-up plans for children in case you cannot get home in a national
    emergency. 
--    Sharing plans and communicating in advance is a good strategy. 

Schools and Daycare
--    If you are a parent or guardian of an elderly or disabled adult, make sure schools
   and daycare providers have emergency response plans.
--    Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis. 
--    Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies. 
--    Find out if they are prepared to "shelter-in-place," if need be, and where they plan
    to go if they must get away. 

Employers
--    If you are an employer, make sure your workplace has a building evacuation plan
   that is regularly practiced.
--   Take a critical look at your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to
   determine if they are secure or if they could feasibly be upgraded to better filter
   potential contaminants, and be sure you know how to turn it off if you need to. 
--   Think about what to do if your employees cannot go home. 
--    Make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand.

For more information, visit http://www.ready.gov.

How to Battle Spam  

Spam or unsolicited bulk e-mail is a consequence with which we have all been forced to deal. What was once a nuisance now has become a worldwide epidemic. E-mail servers are swamped, mailboxes are filling faster than ever, and we are subjected to inappropriate or possibly dangerous content. Even with the recent anti-spam laws passed by local, state and federal governments, spam continues to increase because of third-party spammers overseas to whom these laws do not apply.

The following steps can help you reduce the amount of spam you receive:

1. Use a Unique Address
An e-mail address that contains both numbers and letters can help prevent spam. Many spammers use "dictionary attacks" to e-mail many possible name combinations at large Internet service providers or at e-mail services in hopes of finding a valid address. Also, you should use a unique screen name that is not associated with your e-mail address if you chat online. Screen names are accessible to spammers, so do not make it easy for them to guess your e-mail address. 

2. Use Multiple E-mail Addresses
Consider creating multiple e-mail addresses or accounts. Use one e-mail address for family and friends only. Do not post this address online or give it to merchants. Your second address can be used online and for purchases. If you begin to receive unwanted e-mail at this address, you can delete the account without affecting your primary address. 

3. Check with Your Internet Service Provider
They may offer additional e-mail addresses for little or no fee. You can also take advantage of free e-mail services. Remember that these addresses will need to be periodically checked to keep them active.

4. Do Not Be a Victim
Do not let spammers get the best of you, and do not fall for their tricks. If someone came up to you on the street and offered you a million dollars if you simply gave them $10,000, would you do it?

5. Watch for False Subject Lines 
Be on the lookout for urgent or time-sensitive requests. Truly sensitive financial transactions should not be handled through e-mail. Also, be wary of false subject lines. Friendly or casual messages (such as "Re: Meeting Yesterday" or "The Information You Requested") can be designed to entice you. Did you have a meeting yesterday? Have you recently requested information via e-mail?  

6. Stop "Pop-Up Spam"
Pop-up spam occurs when spammers exploit a feature of the Microsoft Windows operating system known as Messenger Service. The Messenger Service is designed to provide users on a local- or wide-area network with messages from the network administrator. Instead, outside organizations take advantage of this opening into your computer and send pop-up spam, including advertisements, new programs or worse. Disabling the messenger service will prevent the possibility of pop-up spam. To disable the messenger service: 

1. Click Start, then click Control Panel (or point to Settings, and then click Control Panel). 
2. Double-click Administrative Tools, then Services, then Messenger.
3. In the Startup type list, click Disabled. Click Stop, and then click OK.

You can also cut off pop-up spam by using a firewall. 

7. Tools
You can use your Delete key to manage your incoming junk e-mail, but there are other options available. Many of the programs you regularly use have capabilities that can help you control spam.

1. Use a junk e-mail filter. Many e-mail clients and web sites have built-in junk mail filters. Many have varying levels of protection that allow you to choose what works best for you.

2. Use a Sender List, which is a list of all e-mail addresses you accept messages from. If someone who is not on your list sends you an e-mail message, they will get an auto-reply stating that they are not on your list. They will then need to reply back with a short explanation, which will be forwarded to you to accept or to decline. This will greatly reduce automated e-mail spamming systems.

3. Download other tools to help prevent spam. There are many anti-spam tools available today, but some have been used for data mining (Trojan Horses). Make sure you go with a reputable company to avoid such invasive tools.

Protecting Yourself and Your Computer

Malicious computer programs such as viruses, Trojan horses and worms can infect your computer and render it unusable. Knowing the differences between these three programs and how to protect your computer from them can save you time, money and frustration.

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, viruses, Trojan horses and worms refer to different types of malicious computer programs.

1. Computer viruses hide within other programs or documents and spread as a side effect of user action such as opening an attachment. They come in many forms, and you do not need to install a program for your computer to be infected. For example, some viruses are spread when you open a word-processing document, particularly if you have macros enabled. Once your computer is infected, the virus may attach itself to outgoing files or it may be sent as an e-mail attachment.

2. A Trojan horse is a program that disguises itself as another program. Similar to viruses, these programs are hidden and usually cause an unwanted effect, such as installing a back door in your system that can be used by hackers. They differ from viruses because they typically are not designed to replicate like a virus.

3. Worms spread without any user interaction, typically by exploiting a flaw in popular software. Once activated, they generally use the Internet or your LAN (local network) to self-propagate, and they often take advantage of vulnerabilities in operating systems or commonly used applications.

Here are some ways to protect yourself and your computer from these programs: 

1. Use anti-virus software. Make sure the software you choose is from a reputable company.

2. Download anti-virus software updates frequently. They are usually posted weekly or even daily, and they generally take only a couple of minutes to download.

3. Scan e-mail attachments and programs downloaded from the Internet. If you receive an attachment you are not expecting or from someone you do not know, do not open the attachment. Even if you know the sender, you should scan the attachment in all cases.

4. Turn off the feature in some e-mail programs that automatically opens attachments. 

5. Do not install unfamiliar programs. Unless you know exactly what a program does and how it will affect your computer, do not install it.

6. Read pop-up warnings carefully. Many companies use pop-up advertisements that falsely appear to be warnings. The pop-ups may encourage users to install corrective software or patches/fixes. These pop-ups should be ignored. 

7. Verify e-mail warnings. You may receive a warning that claims to be from a computer "expert" who is warning you of a virus. Such e-mails usually instruct you to take certain steps to protect your computer. These are usually a hoax. Before following the steps outlined in any message, research it online using a reputable anti-virus or Internet Service Provider (ISP) hoax information page.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Security Seeker is a customer service publication designed for security-minded consumers.  If you have any questions, suggestions for improvement or success stories, please contact Jolinda Cappello at (773) 725-0222 or (800) 827-3624, extension 6033. Visit our web site at www.ursecure.com.