Introduction Here is some information about common problems and solutions you may experience on the Internet. If you have any questions please email support@aski.ca. Spam Viruses Spyware Hackers An Email pointed me to this Address, Why? Spam Every Email user on the Internet today will receive spam soon or later. Askivision’s email server blocks over 20 000 messages a week and growing.

Spamming is cheap advertising. A spammer can send 100 000 messages a day for next to nothing. 

How do spammers get my email address? 

There are various ways spammers can find your address, most commonly they buy your name from a list. These junk mail & targeted email lists have been around almost as long as the Internet itself. For as cheap as $100.00 anyone can buy a list of over 11 million addresses. These lists were created by numerous unscrupulous website owners, and online stores that would “share” their customer’s information for some money. As you can imagine it is impossible for spammers to identify your likes, or interests, when sending mails to such a large group. So a “shotgun” mailing is sent out (product offers, get rich quick schemes, adult porn sites, etc.) to all 11 million names.

 How do I protect my self from spam? 

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution to keep your email address safe from spammers. However, there are very simple tips that can alleviate the problem. Many spammers operate bots, these bots are autonomous software robots that crawl the Internet looking for email addresses. If you post your email address publicly anywhere online (on a website, a discussion forum, on USENET, in a guestbook etc.) then sooner or later it will be found by one of these bots and will then get added to a spam mailing list.

•    Don't post your email address in "plain" form anywhere on the Web. Instead, you can disguise your email address by writing it in a convoluted way so that humans can still read it, but bots can't. For example, instead of writing "john@example.com", use "john AT example DOT com". 
•  Sign up for a new email address to use when you need to supply an email address but don't particularly care about the replies (e.g. when posting on a guestbook) 
•  Keep a "private" email address which you share only with friends and family. Never use this private email address on any site. 
•  Use a feedback form on your website instead of providing a contact email address.
•  Some spammers find email addresses by generating likely combinations using automated tools. For example, they may generate a list like aaaaa@aski.ca, aaaab@aski.ca, aaaac@aski.ca and so on. They also make use of word lists and lists of first names and surnames to generate likely email addresses. Of course, most of the email addresses generated automatically using these techniques won't actually exist, but spammers don't care since email is so cheap to send out.
•  Choose a relatively long email address (5+ characters)
•  Avoid signing up for an email address which is the same as your first name or last name (e.g. smith@aski.ca). Instead, add your initials and some numbers (e.g. esmith77@aski.ca) 
•  For more information about spam and information on how to reduce the spam you are receiving visit http://stopspamhere.ca/ Top of Page Viruses

 A computer virus is a program - a piece of executable code - that has the unique ability to replicate. Like biological viruses, computer viruses can spread quickly and are often difficult to eradicate. They can attach themselves to just about any type of file and are spread as files that are copied and sent from individual to individual.  In addition to replication, some computer viruses share another commonality: a damage routine that delivers the virus payload. While payloads may only display messages or images, they can also destroy files, reformat your hard drive, or cause other damage. If the virus does not contain a damage routine, it can cause trouble by consuming storage space and memory, and degrading the overall performance of your computer. Several years ago most viruses spread primarily via floppy disk, but the Internet has introduced new virus distribution mechanisms. With email now used as an essential business communication tool, viruses are spreading faster than ever.

 Viruses attached to email messages can infect an entire enterprise in a matter of minutes, costing companies millions of dollars annually in lost productivity and clean-up expenses. Viruses won't go away anytime soon: More than 60,000 have been identified, and hundreds of new ones are created every month. With numbers like this, it's safe to say that most organizations will regularly encounter virus outbreaks. No one who uses computers is immune to viruses.

 How do I protect myself from viruses?

 Although Askivision Systems Inc. scans all incoming and outgoing mail for viruses, it is still possible for viruses to slip by. Askivision strongly recommends the use of third party Antivirus software. Below are some links to Anti-Virus Software: 

•  AVG Anti-Virus 
•  ICSA Labs
•  Mcafee VirusScan 
•  Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 
•  Trend Micro PC-cillin Top of Page Spyware

•  sluggish PC performance 
•  increased pop-up ads
•  unexplained homepage change
•  mysterious search results. 

 Even if you're careful, you can pick up Adaware and other forms of Spyware through normal Internet activities. Unfortunately, it’s everywhere on the Internet, for example: 

•  Visit any media-supported website and you're bound to get a tracking cookie 
•  Share music, files or photos with other users 
•  Install software applications without fully reading license agreements 

If you don't want it on your computer, you can try to remove spyware manually. However, adware removal is a difficult and complicated process for even the most experienced computer user. For the best spyware removal tool, many consumers today are turning to anti-spyware software like Adaware (which can be found at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware). A spyware remover like this can detect spyware and safely remove the applications from your system. For more information on Spyware visit http://www.spywareinfo.com Top of Page 

What about Hackers? 

Hackers are people that break into a computer through backdoors with the intent to cause damage. Askivision recommends the use of a firewall to protect yourself. Windows Xp comes with one and is turned on by default. In most cases the use of this firewall is sufficient. For users that do not have Windows Xp, we recommend that you purchase third party software. There are many to choose from including Zone Alarm and Norton Internet Security. Zone Alarm Firewall Norton Internet Security Top of Page An Email pointed me to this Address, Why? As of January 4, 2005 Askivision Systems Inc. has implemented a policy defining certain unacceptable content in e-mail messages. This may include banning viruses, spam or certain filenames. Each incoming or outgoing e-mail is scanned for unacceptable content, and some of it may therefore be removed or altered. If you have concerns about the scanning policy, please email our support staff at support@aski.ca. http://www.aski.ca/virus.htm