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Service Bulletins
Starpoint Communications would like to remind our users and subscribers that we are always working to improve your Internet experience.
Sometimes it is necessary to interrupt services so updates can be done. Every effort is made to perform these updates at off peak hours and to mitigate down time. Unfortunately, not everything can be done feasibly in the dark of night.
When service windows or emergency maintenance is planned, we send out notices 24 to 48 hours in advance, or as early as possible. If you are not already on our notify list and would like to know about upcoming events that affect your services, please take a moment to submit a request form. More information can be found by clicking here.
Instagram - Stealing your stuff!
The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports:
Facebook subsidiary Instagram recently revised their terms of service, adding controversial new terms that will allow the company to monetize your photos. Instagram recently responded to the public outcry, and we hope their upcoming language changes reflect the three key principles we developed for social networking services: informed decision making, control, and the right to leave.
The article goes on to explain in more detail that things you consider private, could end up being used commercially. Even if you close your account, your picture, or pictures that you post could still be circulated in advertisements or other online/offline content.
Currently users of the service are voicing their concerns and the company may reconsider the language of the new terms of agreement.
More I.E. Problems
(Reuters) - The German government urged the public on Tuesday to temporarily stop using Microsoft Corp's Internet Explorer following discovery of a yet-to-be repaired bug in the Web browser that the software maker said makes PCs vulnerable hacker attacks.
It issued the warning as a researcher said he found evidence that suggests the hackers who exploited the flaw were seeking to attack defense contractors.
Microsoft (MSFT.O) said on Monday that attackers can exploit the bug in its Internet Explorer, used on hundreds of millions of computers, to infect the PC of somebody who visits a malicious website and then take control of the victim's computer.
The German government's Federal Office for Information Security, or BSI, said it was aware of targeted attacks and that all that was needed was to lure Web surfers to a website where hackers had planted malicious software that exploited the bug.
"A fast spreading of the code has to be feared," the German government said in its statement.
BSI advised all users of Internet Explorer to use an alternative browser until the manufacturer has released a security update.
Beware of Computer Scams
Starpoint Communications, Inc has now been contacted by several of our clients who have recently received calls regarding computer viruses.
The caller claims to work for a computer company and expresses concerns about a rampant computer virus spreading into your area. To make their story more convincing they will "verify" your residential or business address.
Is your New Computer Safe?
While recently investigating counterfeit versions of the Windows operating system, Microsoft uncovered a security threat involving pre-loaded malware. The counterfeit operating systems and malware were found on brand-new computers manufactured and sold in China.
The discovery further lead to a server hosting 500 different pieces of malware including Nitol. Some of the malicious code found are capable of keystroke logging, denial-of-service attacks, rootkits, backdoors and more.
Nitol is a program that creates a "bot" on a user's computer which connects to a network center or a "botnet." There, hackers can subvert the infected computer to do their biding by issuing commands remotely. Nitol is capable of launching DDoS attacks against targets, or opening backdoors for additional malware infections or activity monitoring by turning on a microphone or video camera on a computer.