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| We
at Road Runner are committed to providing secure, reliable, high-speed
connectivity to the Internet. Although no connection is 100%
secure, our network engineers utilize the latest technologies
so that your connection and your data remains private. |
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| Here are some tips
that provide a high-degree of security regardless of which form
of Internet access you use: |
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- Patch Windows - Download
and install the latest updates, "patches", for
your operating system and Internet software, including
your web browser and your e-mail client. Even with updated
anti-virus software your computer is vulnerable if it has
not been patched. For information on patching your operating
system visit the following links.**
Windows
Update
3
steps to secure your PC
Frequently
Asked Questions About Updating Your Computer
Questions
about or problems with Windows Update
Windows
Update Support Center
Apple
security site
SecureMac.com
- Understand your browser's security
settings. Go
to Working with Internet Explorer 6 Security Settings* to
learn what you can do to tailor Internet Explorer's Security
Settings.
- Use Virus Protection Software - Download
and install FREE EZ Armor Security Software* provided
by Computer Associates to Road Runner customers. You get FREE
Anti-Virus protection, Firewall protection, Pop up Blockers,
Anti-Spam, product upgrades and updates, and web support*
Please note: You must have the latest version of Flash
Player** to download EZ Armor Security Software* from Road
Runner.
*Subject to terms and conditions. Road Runner
reserves the right to discontinue any feature or
offer at any time. EZ Armor Security Suite software
must be downloaded from the Road
Runner National site.
*Spam and Virus protection software not available on Macintosh computers.
- Update your antivirus software. Most
antivirus protection programs have a feature that will automatically
link to the Internet and add new virus detection code whenever
the software vendor discovers a new threat.
- Scan your system regularly. It's
a good idea to let your antivirus software scan your entire
system frequently for viruses.
- Don't open attachments. One
way to prevent virus infections is not to open attachments.
Even if the e-mail is from a known source, be careful. A virus
may take the mailing list from an infected computer and send
out new messages with a destructive payload attached. Pay close
attention to the file extensions. Many viruses have a .vbs,
.pif, or .exe extension. However, just because an attachment
does not have one of these extensions is no guarantee it's
not a virus. File names can be misleading. Always scan an attached
file for viruses before you open it. And unless it's a file
or an image you are expecting, delete it.
- Stay informed. Did
you know that there are virus and security alerts almost
every day? Keep up-to-date on breaking viruses and solutions
by bookmarking our Around
Town site.
If you don't want to Download
and install FREE EZ Armor Security Software purchase
and use virus protection software such as Norton
Antivirus** or Mcafee
Antivirus**. Be sure to update your anti-virus software
regularly!
- Turn
off the preview pane in Outlook and Outlook Express.
- To help increase your e-mail security,
set Outlook 2003 or Outlook Express to read
all messages you receive as plain text.
- Do not click on unsolicited links received
in email, instant messages, web forums, or internet relay chat
(IRC) channels.
- Use hard-to-guess
passwords. Passwords will
only keep outsiders out if they are difficult to guess! Don't
share your password, and don't use the same password in more
than one place. The golden rules of passwords are: (1) A
password should have a minimum of 8 characters, be as meaningless
as possible, and use uppercase letters, lowercase letters
and numbers, e.g., xk28LP97. (2) Change passwords regularly,
at least every 90 days. (3) Do not give out your password
to anyone!
- Turn off file and
printer sharing - File sharing is one of the first
things a hacker looks for to access your computer. Instructions
for disabling file and print sharing can be found here.
- Disable Windows NetBIOS over TCP/IP
- Otherwise information about
your computer such as your logon-name, computer-name, and
workgroup-name are visible to others. Instructions
for disabling Windows NetBIOS over TCP/IP can be found here.
- Turn off your computer when
not in use.
- Don't run web servers,
FTP servers, or other servers
on your computer.
- Be wary of shareware that
has not been professionally reviewed or is downloaded from
questionable websites or FTP servers.
- Stop Spyware and Adware -
Spyware and adware are the newest threats to connected PCs.
Adware and spyware are hidden software programs that are installed
on your computer without your knowledge. These programs display
annoying pop-up (adware) and transmit user information (spyware)
via the Internet to advertisers. Unfortunately, the usual antivirus
and firewall programs can't protect you from adware and spyware.
Antivirus applications won't detect these pests because they
aren't technically viruses. And firewalls block only outgoing
messages from adware and spyware; the components themselves
remain deep within your PC. But fortunately, there is other
software that can help you. Ad-aware** and Spybot
Search and Destroy** are two good free products to try.
For more information on Spyware and Adware visit
the Spyware/Adware section of
this site.
- Don't use non-consumer
operating systems such as
Windows NT/2000 or Linux if you are not familiar with the
necessary security precautions for these systems.
- To find out how secure your connection is, go to Steve
Gibson's Shields Up site** and get a free test of your
security. Shields Up performs many of the same tests hackers
use to probe your computer for vulnerabilities and provides
you with a summary assessment
of your PC's security and what you need to do (if anything) to make
yourself less vulnerable.
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| **For
your convenience Road Runner has added links to some popular
products or websites. Time Warner Cable and Road Runner do
not endorse or support any of the products. They are listed
for your reference and represent only a portion of those commercially
available. |
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