February 2005 EduNotes

EduCyber is pleased to present the February edition of EduNotes. In this issue we'll tell you about a new web browser that we recommend, give you an update on Apple trends, give you some tips on protecting your wireless network and review another anti-spyware program. Enjoy and as always, send feedback to edunotes@educyber.com .

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Browsers Wars

Flash back to the mid ‘90's when the Netscape vs. Microsoft browser wars were in full swing and many (myself included) doubted that Netscape would ever fall behind. In a relatively short time, Microsoft leveraged its market share and today Netscape is little more than a has-been.
But now it is Microsoft that is facing the stiff competition and with good cause. Their Internet Explorer browser is still seen by many as a security-hole-laden program that causes many of the worm and virus problems because it is so full of holes. While we at EduCyber take a less radical approach – IE is a target of worm and virus creators specifically because it is so widely used – there is a very nice alternative to IE and it costs the same as IE. In other words, it's free.
Firefox is the name of this browser and it can be downloaded at www.firefox.com . To begin with, Firefox 1.0 is small – the download is only 4.7 MB, small enough to make it appealing even over dialup. Standard installation can be done in four clicks, including accepting the End User License Agreement.
Once installed, you're ready to try it out. Here are just a few of the features you'll find in Firefox:

• Import wizard that lets you import from IE – including bookmarks, passwords and history.
• Popup Blocker: Every web browser should have one and Firefox has one built in.
• Tabbed Browsing: Within one browser window you can have several tabs open, allowing you to quickly and easily shift between pages which is great for research or comparing different items
• Quick Searching. The Google search toolbar is built right in to the browser so you can easily search from whatever page you're on.
• Customizability: OK, we're not sure if that's a word or not but it is easy to customize whether you're adding buttons to a toolbar or adding a theme
• Many more features

“Sure”, you many be thinking, “but what about email?” Well Firefox doesn't handle email but it's sister program, Thunderbird, is built to go with Firefox and is the email program to check out.
One thing to note about Firefox is that it is made by Mozilla. It is an open source program which means that a lot of people contribute to creating and maintaining this program. We've been testing Firefox for about a month now and we strongly recommend Firefox to both home and business users.

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The Apple of My Eye

Can it be true? Is Apple really coming back? After years of decline and then a couple of maintaining or slow growth, it appears as though Apple computers, yes computers, not just great music gadgets, are on the rise.
From its very beginnings, Apple has been an innovator. They were the first to bring us a graphical interface (as opposed to a command prompt interface) and when Steve Jobs returned to the helm of Apple (in 1997), he brought the focus back to innovating. And they have.
First came the iMacs which immediately put Apple back on the cutting edge of technology. Since then, a whole series of i- products have come pouring out of Apple, none more well-known or better selling than the iPod. And, in fact it is the iPod that led us to write this story. Now, it seems, happy iPod customers are thinking “Hmm, Apple makes such a good music device, I wonder what else they might have that would be worth buying?” And the sales of Apple computers is taking off again.
We confess that we don't own an Apple (except for an ancient Performa) but we have had the opportunity to look at several and have been impressed. The elegant OSX (now in version 10.3) is fast, has a classy look and is based on UNIX for super reliable computing.
So, especially for home users, if you're looking for a new computer, you might want to give the latest iMac (or even the brand, spanking new Mac mini) a look to see if it has what you want. You'll be joining many iPod users who are also looking to see what else Apple has to offer.

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Wireless Security

So you jumped on the wireless bandwagon. You took your wireless router or access point out of the box, plugged in a few cables, ran a setup program and you're up and running. No problem, right?
Think again. Please, stop and think again. Over the last couple of months, while setting up wireless networks for customers, we have found other unsecured wireless networks in their areas. Many of these are completely wide open which means anyone can tap into their Internet connection or see their computers or see their files or do things to or with their files.
But there are a number of things you can do to protect your wireless network so that bad guys will look for easier targets.

1. Use WEP (Wireless Encryption). Not only should you have WEP turned on, you should be using the highest level of Encryption that it supports.
2. Use the same brand or vendor. If you have a LinkSys router, get LinkSys cards to communicate with the router. The best way to get them all talking together is to use the same brand.
3. Change user names and passwords. For example, every LinkSys router comes no user name and the password “admin”. So if that's what you're using for your password, guess what? Everybody knows what your password is.
4. Change the broadcast name or SSID that your wireless device sends out. Make the name different from your username or password though. In some instances you can even turn the broadcast off but be careful as this may make it harder or impossible for your wireless cards to contact the router.
5. For businesses, watch out for other devices that might be trying to get into your network such as cell phones, PDA's and other wireless devices.
6. Call EduCyber at 720-275-4646 for a free evaluation of your wireless network. We'll check your settings and see if how difficult it is to hack into your network.

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The Attack of the Killer Spyware

Computer slowing down? Getting annoying pop-up ads frequently? Have toolbars suddenly appeared in your browser? Does your browser take you to web sites you didn't ask it to? Has your home page (the first web site you see when you open your browser) changed suddenly and for no reason?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, your computer has likely been compromised. At best that means that less than scrupulous companies can track what web sites you've been visiting. At worst your identity may have been stolen.
There are a variety of anti-spyware programs out there, including Ad-aware which we've been advocating for sometime. Another program that we've used and that we like is PestPatrol. Put out by Computer Associates, PestPatrol can scan and remove all kinds of spyware. The program only costs $29.95 and can be downloaded from www.pestpatrol.com . Included in the cost are automatic updates so you don't have to remember to download them on a regular basis.
Afraid you might have spyware but don't want to pay the price just to find out? The PestPatrol web site has a handy online scanner that will check your computer for you. If you find you do indeed have spyware on your computer, you're just a few clicks away from downloading the program. For help installing or scanning, give EduCyber a call at 720-275-4646.

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© 2005 EduCyber, Inc. This newsletter is brought to you by EduCyber, Inc. EduNotes can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at http://www.educyber.com/edunotes/ . Visit us on the web at http://www.educyber.com or call us at (303) 268-2245. Permission is hereby granted to redistribute all or part of this newsletter as long as this entire copyright message is included.
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