E-Mail Hoax Spam Campaign Targets NFL Fans Record Companies Win Illegal Music Sharing Trial What You Do on the Internet Can Come Back to Haunt You Free Month of HBO/Cinemax Save Money with a Free Install How To Reset Your DSL Modem Follow These Tips After a Lightning Storm or Electrical Surge Faster DSL Broadband Speed Get Up to 3Mg or 6Mg Download Speeds Stop Wasting Time & Money Use Conference Calling Instead Parental Controls Now Available SecureIT Adds Services For The Same Price -- AND It's Available Everywhere! Ask The Help Desk How Do I Make My Inbox Appear When Opening Outlook Express? Sites Of The Month Great Sites To Check Out In October! Short Tutorial Changing The Default Search Engine On Your Browser

Hello Hartel.net Subscribers! This October newsletter is an action-packed one that will keep you moving. We train you to tackle the current Storm spam attack featuring a fake NFL website. We lead you through Great Sites to help you run a marathon, navigate through a corn maze, sort through toy recalls, decipher text messaging acronyms, and redecorate your home. Finally, we teach you how to make your Inbox folder automatically appear when you open Outlook Express, and change the default search box on your browser. The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to: Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax, or security issue that may affect you An update on new services and other local interests An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question Some fun, seasonal websites to check out A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading! - The Hartel.net Team

E-Mail Hoax - Spam Campaign Targets NFL Fans

The latest Storm spam campaign has been timed to coincide with the start of the NFL season. Inboxes worldwide have received e-mails like the one below, which contain a message luring recipients to a fake NFL website with the enticement of a "Free NFL Game Tracker." It's supposed to update football fans on game results; in actuality, when users download the tracker, they download a Trojan horse and become part of a botnet (an army of commandeered computers used by attackers without their owners' knowledge).



According to Internet security experts, this malicious NFL spam campaign is being generated by the Storm Gang - responsible for up to 20 percent of all spam traffic worldwide. Their name refers to the "Storm worm," one of the larger Trojan horse attacks in recent years, which baited people with timely information about a deadly, real-life storm front in Europe. The Storm Gang changes the content of their attacks frequently, sometimes on a daily basis.

To help protect your computer from spam like this, make sure you use and regularly update your computer's anti-virus software. In addition, do not click on website links contained in e-mail messages from unfamiliar or suspicious sources.

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Record Companies Win Illegal Music Sharing Trial - What You Do on the Internet Can Come Back to Haunt You

On Thursday, a federal court jury ordered a woman from Minnesota to pay $222,000 for sharing copyrighted music via the Internet. The jury ordered the woman to pay six record companies $9,250 for each of 24 songs that the trial was centered around.

In addition, plaintiff's attorney fees are automatically included in judgments under copyright law. The bottom line is that the woman could owe as much as $500,000. Copyright laws damages could have ranged from $750 to $30,000 per infringement, or up to $150,000 if the jury finds that the act was intentional.

This was the first record-sharing lawsuit to go to trial, and the record companies accused the woman of sharing the music online through file-sharing software called Kazaa.

Since 2003, record companies have filed over 26,000 lawsuits because of illegal file-sharing. Many other defendants pay the record companies a few thousand dollars to settle out of court.

The record companies involved in this particular lawsuit are Sony BMG, Capitol Records, Warner Bros. Records Inc, Arista Records LLC, Interscope Records, and UMG Recordings Inc.

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Free Month of HBO or Cinemax - Save Money with a Free Install

Now through the end of the year, signup for HBO or Cinemax with a 6-month commitment and get your first month free! To make it even better, CedarVision Cable TV will also include HBO and Cinemax installation for free! You can save almost $27.00 by acting now!

Call us today at 254-3933 to start watching movies and never worry about late fees again!

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How To Reset Your DSL Modem - Follow These Tips After a Lightning Storm or Electrical Surge

After some service outages or electrical power surges caused by storms and lightning, you may need to reboot your modem to regain connectivity to the Internet and Email. The following are instructions on what you should do:

• If you lose connectivity, check to make sure the power light on the DSL modem is solid green.

• If so, please disconnect the electrical power from DSL modem at the power source (for example, the wall outlet or surge suppressor). Please do not disconnect the power at the back of the DSL modem and do not disconnect any other cables on the modem.

• Turn your computer off.

• If you have a router, turn it off or disconnect the power from the router at the wall outlet or surge suppressor. Please do not disconnect the power at the back of the router or any other cables on the modem.

• Please leave the power off for one (1) minute.

• After one (1) minute, reconnect the power at the power source for the DSL modem.

• Wait one (1) minute for the lights to become solid again.

• If you have a router, turn it on or connect the power from the router at the wall outlet or surge suppressor.

• Turn on your computer.

• You are ready to begin browsing again.

• If you cannot connect, please follow these steps again.

• If the modem does not connect after a second try, please call our tech support number at 254-3902.

Please print and keep these instructions near your computer.

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Faster DSL Broadband Speed - Get Up to 3Mg or 6Mg Download Speeds

Hartington Telecommunications now offers Internet speeds that rival the "big city" companies. Up to 6Mg download speed is available upon request, and a 3Mg download speed is also available.

Customers who already have service bundles from Hartington Telecommunications experience dramatic savings when not only bundling, but also for the newer 3Mg and 6Mg DSL speeds. Customers that already have DSL in their bundles can get the 3Mg download speed for only $10 more per month, and the 6Mg download speed for only $25 more per month. (You may want to keep a fire extinguisher handy as these prices and download speeds are HOT!)

Call us at 254-3901 and boost your Internet speeds today!

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Stop Wasting Time and Money! - Use Conference Calling Instead

Unless you have a money tree and a time machine - meetings are a drain on your most valuable resources. When you need to meet, Hartington Telecommunications has the perfect solution to help you accomplish your meeting goals while saving time and money.

With Conference Calling from Hartington Telecommunications, you can meet with up to 12 people on a single call from the comfort of your office or home. It's not necessary to travel long miles to meetings when you can meet by phone. Conference Calling is great for businesses, construction companies with remote sites, extended families, or organizations such as baseball leagues, school athletic conferences, or anytime you need to talk to several people at once.

Conference calls can be held any time day or night. We'll provide you some easy tools to use via the Internet so you can see all call attendees and set individualized volume levels as the call is in progress! You can even use the tools to setup the call and send invitations via email.

The cost is only $5 for administration and $2 per caller! And there are no monthly fees -- you only pay when you use the service.

Try the conference service right now for FREE! Call us today at 254-3901 for more details.

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SecureIT Plus Parental Controls - Parental Controls Now Available at No Extra Charge

Parental Controls are computer options for controlling what is seen and accessed on your PC. The Nebraska State Patrol has long stressed the importance of having parental control software on all computers with young family members. It is estimated that "70% of sexual advances over the Internet happened while youngsters were on a home computer. One in five kids ages 10-17 have been propositioned for cybersex." (Newsweek -- Legal Facts, Vol 2)

Hartington Telecommunications is pleased to announce the enhancement of our SecureIT Plus product with the addition of parental controls! This enhancement will bring you the added protection of content filtering, access and time management controls, and monitoring/reporting capabilites....features to help ensure the safety and security of your family on the Internet.

• Content Filtering filters the webpages that unauthorized users are able to view.
• Access Controls assist in controlling multiple computer user profiles and can be used to enable/disable the parental controls function.
• Time Management Controls allows you to set the amount of time that each child can use the computer -- day or night, and it also controls Internet surfing, chatting and game playing and can be program-specific.
• Monitoring and Reporting function allows for daily or weekly summary reports of web activity including websites visited, logging of security violations, and email notification of inappropriate access.

If you've been considering changing your Internet security software, there is no better time than the present! SecureIT Plus is a comprehensive suite of fully managed and fully automated security software featuring antivirus, Windows update management, firewall, pop-up blocker, and spyware detection and removal, all with FREE 24/7 technical support for installation assistance and in the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with any portion of the service! As an example, last month SecureIT Plus caught over 150 viruses on our customer's PCs, and blocked over 14,000 popups!

All of this is included for only $8 per month per computer! To see a demonstration and find out more information on how you can start enjoying the added safety and security SecureIT Plus can provide you and your family, please stop by our office at 104 West Centre Street, or just call us at 254-3901 or email us by clicking here.

Get added peace of mind with SecureIT Plus Parental Controls! Signup now and get your first 30 days FREE! Call us at 254-3901 today!

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Ask The Help Desk - How Do I Make My Inbox Appear When Opening Outlook Express?

Question: When I start Outlook Express, it doesn't go directly to my Inbox folder. I always have to click on the Inbox icon. Is there a way for Outlook Express to go there first?

Answer: Yes. To change this setting in Outlook Express 6.0, follow these steps:

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu and then drop down to and select "Options."
3. When the Options window opens, click on the General Tab. Next, put a check in the box next to "When starting, go directly to my 'Inbox' folder."
4. Click on the "OK" button. Your Inbox will now appear each time you open Outlook Express.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Maze Craze
http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/site_list.html -  It may sound corny, but making your way through a corn maze can be a wonderful bonding moment for families. This increasingly popular form of agri-entertainment is spreading across the globe, so chances are good that there's one near you. To find a corn maze this fall, check your local newspapers or navigate through this site. It contains listings for nearly 200 locations in five countries, as well as helpful tips on how to conquer the twists and turns to make your way to the exit.

Room for Discussion
http://ratemyspace.hgtv.com -  Fall is a popular time for home decorating projects. Are you particularly proud of your painting performance? Or feel you have a flair for furniture? You can share photos and videos of your home's highlights at this HGTV site. Just sign in, name your spaces, and you're ready to upload. Users can rate entries, post comments, and search for design inspiration by type of room.

Toy Recalls
http://www.cpsc.gov -  Much has been in the news lately about safety hazards involving lead paint on toys. Stay informed on the latest toy recalls by visiting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission site. In one convenient place, you can review all the current recalls from Mattel, Fisher-Price, and RC2, plus sign up for the CPSC's e-mail subscription lists to automatically receive notices on the product categories of most interest to you.

RU Confused?
http://www.netlingo.com -  In the interest of speed while sending e-mail or instant messages, more and more people are talking in code. These acronyms and shorthand terms can be confusing, especially since their numbers keep growing and it's a challenge to keep up. Fortunately, it's easy to get the definitions you need here. NetLingo is an online dictionary that explains this jargon, and offers pages targeted to the needs of parents, new MySpace participants, and businesspeople.

Up and Running
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/chicago%5Fmarathon -  The October 7th race marks the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon. Participant capacity of 45,000 was reached back on April 18th -- the earliest close in the event's history -- and this new website is designed to bring energy to both current and future marathon runners. If one of your life goals is to complete a marathon, take the first steps right here. You'll find an "Inspiration Bank" with stories and tips shared through online diaries, runner essays, photo galleries, polls, and top ten lists. You can also sign up to receive marathon newsletters containing information and advice to put you miles ahead in your training.

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Short Tutorial - Changing The Default Search Engine On Your Browser

Rather than having to type in the URL of a search engine into your browser, newer browsers provide a default search engine box option so you can go straight to a search engine. This saves you time but the default search engine may not be the one you like to use. You can change the default search engine listed on your browser by following the steps below.

Changing The Default Search Engine In The Instant Search Box On Your Internet Explorer 7 Browser When Using Windows XP Home Edition

1. With Internet Explorer open, click on the down arrow to the right side of the search button on the right side of the Instant Search Box and select "Change Search Defaults..." from the drop-down menu. (The search button looks like a magnifying glass.)
   
   
2. When the "Change Search Defaults" window opens, click on the search engine you want from the field called "Search Providers."
   
   
3. Click the "Set Default" button and your selection will be labeled "(Default)" in the "Search Providers" field.
   
   
4. Click the "OK" button.
   
   
5. The Instant Search Box will now show the name of your new search provider.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

The Hartel.net Team





Hartington Telecommunications
104 W Centre
PO Box 157
Hartington, NE 68739

Ph 402-254-3901

©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.