• Changing Passwords
• Anti-Virus Software
• Backing up Your Files
• Clearing Disk Cache
• Firewalls
• Upgrading Your Browser
• Page Not Found

CHANGING PASSWORDS

Updating your passwords may not be very enjoyable, but it is something that should be done as often as possible. Here are some quick ideas on what you should do:

• Change your passwords every 60 days.
• Don’t use the same password for everything.
  You should have a different password for each site that you visit.
• Don’t use a predictable password.
  Do not use your birthday, your SSN, your child’s birthday or pet’s name. Also don’t try and reverse the numbers or use one date from each of your kids’ birthdays. Use something that makes sense to you.
• If you must write down your passwords, store them in a safe place.
  One way is to type them in a Word document and password protect that file. There is software available that will encrypt your passwords so no one else can view them.
• Be cautious.
  Never give out your passwords to anyone. If Amazon.com emails you asking for your password, it probably isn’t Amazon.com sending the message. They already know your password, so why would they need to email you for it?

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ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

Viruses usually come as an attachment to an email. Anti-Virus software is the most important piece of software that you can have! The time involved in repairing problems created by viruses can be extensive and expensive.

Here are a few things you can do to protect your computer from viruses:

Be certain that your anti-virus software (Norton, McAfee, etc…) is set to “Auto-Protect”. This means when you startup your computer, the anti-virus software automatically loads and runs.

Enable E-Mail protection. All e-mails are scanned and you are notified if a virus is attached to the e-mail.

Update your anti-virus software. Updates tell the software what viruses are out there and how to remove them. Some software companies give you three free months. You can renew your subscription on-line for a year at a time. It is a small price to pay for a big headache later on down the road.

Occasionally scan your hard drive. You should run a complete scan of your hard drive, just in case the software missed it.

Be suspicious. Do not open every attachment that is sent to you, because a virus could be in there. If the message is from a friend, but seems strange, delete it. Some viruses will use the address book of the infected computer and start sending out random emails. Most of the time, they will use some strange or generic business message like “Here are the files that you requested for the project”. This would be a strange e-mail to people who do not work in an office.

Anti-virus software won’t catch every virus, but it will catch most of them. Virus makers are writing new viruses’ everyday and the software companies react to what new viruses are out there. It is still better to be somewhat protected, than not protected at all.

DON’T FORGET to update your virus protection software. This should be done at often as once a week. Most computers now come with anti-virus software and most companies offer free upgrades. Check the “Help” on your anti-virus software to find out how to upgrade it. Users whose computers have Windows XP receive auto-notices when an update is available.

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BACKING UP YOUR FILES

Has there been a time when your hard drive crashed or you deleted some files accidentally? Did you really need to get those files back, but were unable to because you didn’t have a backup of those files?

Every computer user should create backup files. The newer versions of Windows have made that easier by putting almost all data files into the My Documents folder on your hard drive.

There are a couple of different ways you can backup your files in Windows:

• Windows Backup Program – If you click on Start-Accessories-System Tools, you will find the backup program that comes with Windows. The program varies some depending upon which version of Windows you have, but generally works the same way. Just follow the steps and it will backup your files and restore them too.
• Windows Explorer – For the more advanced user, you can use Windows Explorer. Once you are within Windows Explorer, you can click-and-drag files to your diskette.

How often should you backup your files? That depends on what you are doing and how important the files that you have are. It is a good idea to do it at least once a month or more if you have documents that you update frequently.

Do I need a zip drive or tape backup unit to backup my files? Most people will be able to get by without purchasing one of these units and just use diskettes. Another option that is now available on a lot of computers is a Readable/Writeable CD-Rom drive. This allows you to “burn” your own cd. You can backup your information to the cd’s and they hold a lot more information than diskettes and some zip drives. It is also fairly inexpensive.

Do I need to backup the software on my computer? If you have to restore everything on your computer, it is easier to install your software from the cd’s that it came on. Otherwise, you might need quite a few diskettes.

The last thing to make sure before you backup your data files, is to make sure everything is being saved to your “My Documents” folder. The best way to make sure of this is to do a “Save As” within the program you are using. This will tell you where the files are being saved to. All Microsoft programs default to this location. If you are using a non-Microsoft program, you will want to change it to the “My Documents” folder.

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CLEARING DISK CACHE

Have you received the message below when you are exiting Online Banking?

Exit
You have now exited the Online Banking system.

For security reasons, you should clear the disk cache of your browser (this will remove the pages that you viewed so nobody else can view them).

Return to Login to Online Banking
Go to Our Home Page

Disk cache stores the pages that you visit on the Internet and keeps them on your computer. This allows you to access web pages faster the next time you visit that page.

To clear your disk cache depends upon which web browser you are using (Netscape or Internet Explorer). The best way to find out how to clear the cache is to look under the “Help” option in your browser.

Internet Explorer -- Under Tools located on the tool bar at the top of the screen, click on Internet Options . Once inside Internet Options , you will see Temporary Internet Files located in the middle of the box. Click on Delete Files . A pop up box will ask you to click OK . Depending on how much surfing you have done, or if you have cleared your cache before, it make take a few seconds.

Netscape Communicator -- Under the Edit located on the tool bar at the top of the screen, select Preferences . This will bring up a window with several different options. At the bottom of the window is a heading called Advanced . Click on the “+” to the left of Advanced . Three options will appear underneath the Advanced heading. The first one will be Cache . Click once on Clear Disk Cache . Then click OK .

If you are using a public computer, such as a library, you should always clear the cache. Someone else could possibly view the information you viewed accessing that computer. Not everyone knows how to access the cache, but it is best not to take any unnecessary risks.

Depending on how much surfing you do, clearing out the cache every day will slow down access to your favorite sites. Clearing out your cache every two weeks or so will be sufficient. If you don’t do a lot of surfing, then once a month would be sufficient.

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FIREWALLS

If you are using a DSL or wireless connection to do your internet surfing, you will want to consider using a firewall to protect your computer from outside intruders.
There are many different firewalls on the market; some are software and some are hardware. Some routers you receive with DSL or wireless connections have firewalls built into the hardware. If yours does not have a built-in firewall, you can purchase a different router or purchase firewall software. It is prudent to have plenty of protection when it comes to your computer.

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UPGRADING YOUR BROWSER

An important part of using the Internet is making sure that you upgrade your web browser. What is a web browser? It is the software that you use to surf the Internet, but most people call it either Netscape or Internet Explorer. You might be asking, “Why is it so important?” It is important for several different reasons:

Encryption – If you are going to be making purchases on the Internet, you should keep up with the latest encryption that is available. Currently, Netscape and Internet Explorer use 128-bit encryption. This helps to protect you against your information being stolen. In Internet Explorer you can check your level of encryption by selecting About Internet Explorer from under the Help heading. In Netscape, check About Communicator under the Help heading.

Websites – If you have been to a website and have not been able to view all of its content, or if you are receiving error messages from Java and other programs, then it is time for you to upgrade.

New Things – When you get upgrades, you get the newest developments in software.

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PAGE NOT FOUND

Please note if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer you may receive a "Page Not Found", "DNS" and/or "Secure Channel" Errors when attempting to submit information to us online. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. This error message is directly related to the version of Internet Explorer you are using. To resolve the problem, you may update Internet Explorer by going to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and downloading at a minimum, the following components:

• Internet Explorer related fixes (under both "Recommended updates" and "Critical Updates" sections),
• Any Windows related updates - specifically security updates as well as any service packs listed on the Microsoft site.

We suggest - as a matter of security and stability - regularly updating your version of Internet Explorer by downloading any updates listed under "Recommended Updates" as well as "Critical Updates". ( http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ )

Microsoft releases new fixes almost daily so it is a good idea to download these updates once a week

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