Be Alert About The Attempts To Infect Your Computer

This was a mail circulated by the IT team. Thought it will be useful to all...

The creators of malicious software (viruses, spyware, ad-ware) are constantly trying new methods to get you to execute programs that will install malicious software on your personal and work computers. Besides the technical aspect of spreading this software, there is an even bigger social aspect to this. The creators of this software will use any method to get you to open their programs, including reaching out to your emotions. Here are some examples:

1.       Some person or group needs help and you can help by looking at the attachment.

2.       Email with blank subject line from an unknown email address.

3.       Email that seems to come from a close friend or family member. However, their computer was infected by malicious software and is sending these emails using their identity without their knowledge.

4.       Email that seems to be from a business or group you associate with and asks you to look at an attachment.

5.       Your system shows messages saying that your computer has been infected and you need to open an attachment or go to a web site to download a scanner to remove the malicious software. This only makes it worse by installing the real malicious software.  Simply click on the “x” at the top right corner to close it.

6.       And a method that is appropriate for this time of year is that a package that was sent to you failed to reach you and you need to look at the attachment for clarification. See the following article at Snopes.com, a well known debunker of scams on the internet: http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp

In short, think carefully when receiving emails with attachments. You should only open attachments if you were expecting something specific from that individual. If not, ask the sender what they are sending. You may learn that the sender is just as surprised as you about the message.

Finally, read through the email message before clicking on an embedded URL or opening the attachment or zip file, etc.  Something like the following statement/disclaimer could raise a red flag: “Because email is not a secure form of communication, this email box is not equipped to handle replies.”

Here is a recent example for your review:

I Am Not A Friend To All

One thing I learned ( the hard way, of course ) once I left home was I can not expect anybody to be a true friend. Though there are some exceptions to this law, most cases agree with it. True relations outside home are rare. And it will be foolish to expect somebody to be my friend because I am so for him.

Friends are the best thing you can get when you are away from home. True. But making a friend also expect something back, them being a friend to you too... And if that misses...

Losing a friend is harder than making one. If your friend behaves in a way totally opposite of what you expect will be a blow you can not handle too.

How to handle this… For me the easiest way is to avoid making friends, friends with everyone. Till I am confident about one, I prefer to call him company than friend. One of my friends had an interesting way of it. She had friends who are hand-related, heart-related and soul-related. Hand-related ones are the ones who are limited to hand-shake ! Heart-related ones are closer and soul-related ones are the ones forever. Now that’s a trick. It is good to know the ones prone to go, so that when it actually happens you will not feel bad :)

It is very difficult to find good friends now. The small town where I am coming from, I hardly know my neighbours. And in this metro, good friends are rare. Though I do have a bunch of friends I can rely on, most of the people I meet everyday, though I talk / greet them cordially, I don’t call them friends. And most of the day we spend at work and it is the rarest of places where we can find friendship! Go to office to work and never to make friends!

Saying all this, still, if I miss any of the ones I care for, I do cry…

I Promise I Will Remain Silly

I often been named / teased / 'tortured'  silly. Too silly to live in today's world. Not at all serious about life. All I bothered about is to spend time making jokes and dreaming. You will not survive a day on your own.

What's the matter guys... I may not be thinking / living like you, or most out there. Will that make me a fool ? I may not follow what is the right thing to do at any time, written by the world. I may not do all the things everybody else does, because they are conditioned / told / taught to do so. And the things I do, I may not do it the way everyone else thinks appropriate. Will that make me crazy / unfit for today ??

 

I would like to differ here. It is not intentional not to follow the folk. But most of the times, what I feel right differs from the lot. I enjoy doing it my way. Whether I succeed or not, I enjoy taking the walk on my path. If you find it foolish, you may not come with me. But never ever tell me to stop.

 

Morning my friend told me, she was told, the one she will marry should be stupid ! I told her, the world can not tolerate to see her with a smile and song on her lips all the time. As the world is too busy planning the future, safeguard their wealth, focusing on career growth, it forgets to reflect the moment and enjoy this, today. ( Hopefully they will get the relaxed tomorrow they plan today! ) More than that the world can not tolerate her being happy today. That's why they call her silly, stupid.

Hope she will not change. And I will not change myself either. I will definitely do all the things I enjoy, though everybody calls them silly ;)