Memorial Day Is A Time to Pay Tribute and Reflect

On Memorial Day, we stop to remember loved ones we have lost, especially those who died while defending our nation. The management and employees of the Hiawatha Communications, Inc. companies (CCTC, HTC, MTC, OCTC, & jamadots) encourage you to pay tribute to these fallen soldiers and reflect on their profound contributions to our nation.

In observance of Memorial Day, our offices will be closed on Monday, May 27. We will reopen on Tuesday.

Dear Jamadots Internet Customer,

There are thieves who make it their full time job to steal your passwords, account numbers and other sensitive information. Recently, we have seen an increase in the amount of spam and spoofed email account activity. While we make it our business to protect your sensitive information on a larger, server level scale, we are urging you to make one small, but significant change to your jamadots email account settings on your personal computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device¹. We also want to remind you of a few simple actions you can take to protect your computer and keep your private information safer online.

Update Your Outgoing SMTP Mail Server Authentication Settings.¹

Ever get an email that appeared to be sent to you from your bank but turned out to be a forgery from someone else? This is known as spoofing, and it is a tactic commonly used by spammers to hide the origin (senders email address) of their e-mail. E-mail address spoofing is done in quite the same way as writing a forged return address on a regular postal mail. As long as the letter fits the protocol, (i.e. stamp, postal code) the SMTP protocol will send the message. That’s the problem with email: it was originally created to be an extremely easy way to communicate, but it also happens to be extremely easy to forge.

In an effort to combat spoofing and unsolicited commercial email (also known as SPAM), jamadots has changed the way we require email accounts to authenticate with our outgoing mail server. Although some jamadots internet customers are already compliant with our recent changes, we are requesting that all jamadots internet customers take a few moments to verify and update their outgoing SMTP mail server settings. CLICK HERE for easy to follow instructions that accommodate many of today’s top email programs. If you would like personalized help with changing your outgoing mail server settings, you may also contact our 24-hour customer support center by calling us toll-free at (866) 514-4742. It is also suggested that you contact your local customer service center to update your email account with a new, stronger and more secure password.

Use a Strong Password.

If you have a weak password, change it. What used to be a fairly secure password years ago is child’s play for hackers today. Automated programs can crack weak passwords in a matter of minutes. Also, don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. If one gets hacked, that will put your other accounts at risk. The most commonly used passwords include things like “password” and “12345678”. We suggest you avoid these obvious phrases and opt for complicated passwords that include numbers, symbols and both upper and lower letters. To update your email password, please contact us by calling your local customer service center or our 24-hour customer support center. The telephone numbers are below.

Check out our secure password management service – Password Genie.

 Learn more about how to best protect your personal information by visiting our website.

Thanks for Supporting a Local, UP Business.

As the UP’s leading internet service provider, we want to thank you for choosing us as your internet service provider. Your satisfaction is of utmost concern to us and is why we are diligent in maintaining the highest quality of communication services available.

Should you ever need additional information or technical support, our staff is available 24x7x365 to answer your questions or respond to your technical concerns.

Kindest regards.

Your Jamadots Internet Team

248-3211	387-9911	355-2300	884-9911

24-Hour Customer Support Center: (866) 514-4742

Email Us

Many online scams start with an email but you also need to be cautious when the phone rings. There have been an increased number of reports recently of phone scammers claiming to be from Microsoft, or an antivirus company, or some random tech support facility. These callers will claim their systems have detected viruses and/or malware on your computer and they can help you with a lifetime of guaranteed support for just a one-time payment of $100 or so.

The process typically goes like this:

1. The scammers first want you to download a remote access service and grant them access to your PC.
2. Next the scammers want you to buy and install antivirus software that’s usually counterfeit or just a trial version that leaves you with non-functioning, useless protection. They may also recommend the latest Windows operating system, which is also likely to be counterfeit.
3. Because the scammers were given unfettered access to your PC through the remote access service, they may install a backdoor Trojan — a malicious application that enables them to steal your passwords, use your system and Internet connection to send spam, and more.

If you receive a call from someone saying your PC has been compromised, just hang up the phone. Reputable companies will not make unsolicited calls about the health of your computer.

Microsoft recommends these do’s and don’ts to help prevent becoming a victim:

DO

• Be suspicious of unsolicited calls related to a security problem, even if the caller claims to represent a respected company.
• Use up-to-date versions of operating system and application software.
• Make sure security updates are installed regularly.
• Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
• Make sure your firewall is turned on and that antivirus software is installed and up to date.

DON’T

• Provide personal information, such as credit card or bank details, to an unsolicited caller.
• Go to a website, type anything into a computer, install software, or follow any other instruction from someone who calls out of the blue.

Question: A friend of mine recently mentioned that his email account had been hacked. How will I know if the same thing happens to me?

Answer: That’s a great question to ask since this is a common problem. Here are the signs that your email or social network account may have been hacked:

• Friends, family members, or colleagues report getting a strange email from you, perhaps one that touts a shady-sounding business venture.

• There are posts you never made on your social network page. These posts often encourage your friends to click on a link or download an app.

Your information was lost via a data breach, malware infection, lost/stolen device, or it’s possible your email address is being spoofed. If you believe your account has been compromised, change the password to that account and other key accounts as soon as possible. Create a unique password for each account. Your passwords should be long and use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Should you be denied access to your account because a hacker changed the password, visit the Web service’s site immediately and follow the steps it has for recovering an account. For additional information or recommendations about online security in general, please contact us.

Click the Green + symbol icon for more information or to subscribe.

Want to plant your best garden ever? Click on this cover image to flip through the Spring 2013 Website Compass magazine, our gift to you as an internet service customer of jamadots. It features 23 gardening sites for seeds of inspiration plus other helpful articles and tutorials:

• Feature Article: How Does Your Garden Grow?
• Internet Connections: With Wi-Fi on Planes, You Can be a “Wi-Flyer”
• Social Media Basics: Family Social Networking is Born
• Browser Basics: Manage Browser Bookmarks; Manage Your Life!
• Beyond the Basics: Explore Windows 8
• A to Z Internet Glossary
• Tutorials on Creating Browser Bookmarks, Enabling a Browser Toolbar, and Syncing Bookmarks in Chrome

Take a few minutes now to flip through Website Compass and get growing with your Internet knowledge. Access the Website Compass eMag 24×7 on the jamadots.com website.