January 2013 Newsletter

Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company eNewsletter

Link to Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 

Scam Alert
Phishing Scams Target Amazon Shoppers

KCTC Spam & Virus Protection Report Update

Go Pinterest-ing!
Cool Stuff To Pin On Your Pinterest Boards

This Month’s FAQ
How Much Time Does The Average American Spend On Facebook?

New Speeds offered in 2013
Get the speed you need with KCTC Fiberfast Internet!

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In January

Two To View
A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don’t Want To Miss

Short Tutorial
How To Generate A Viable And Unique Gmail Username

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Dear KCTC Internet Subscribers 

Download Graphics to View Happy New Year to you! January is the month for setting goals, and we hope this issue will inspire you to acquire new knowledge and try new experiences in 2013.

First you’ll find an alert about recent phishing scams that use the Amazon name.We urge you to stay vigilant about online security threats this year; keep your antivirus software updated and apply operating system and software updates as they’re released. Looking for new resources for cooking, decorating, learning, and shopping? Take a peek at the featured Pinterest pins and sites of the month. And be sure to check out the fascinating facts about social media usage and the handy tips on generating a Gmail username.

Please take a look at the new internet speed offerings we have available now in 2013. With speeds up to 40Mbps you can surf the internet at light speed! We have several options available to meet the needs of our customers. Frequent Internet users will see a huge improvement in speeds and loading times on our Gamer Package while families connecting at the same time will find that the Family Package has all the speed needed for everyone to enjoy the internet simultaneously without slowing down. No speed throttling, or usage caps! Always On, Always Fast. Call today @ 656-3668 to see how our new internet speeds can help you get to the internet faster than ever!

Our business customers should be pleased to hear that we are currently getting ready to launch all new speed packages for you as well. Soon your business will be able to connect to a global market at light speed!

The goal of each of our eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you’ll find this information interesting.

To see what’s inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- The KCTC Internet Team

 

Scam Alert – Phishing Scams Target Amazon Shoppers

 

Be on the lookout for the latest phishing email that appears to be from Amazon.com but is not. Its message confirms the processed order of an HD TV or other item but shows that it is being shipped to an incorrect address. The phisher wants you to see the wrong address and click on one of the links in the email such as “Your Order” or “Merchant Contact Form” to get the problem corrected. Doing so could expose your computer to malicious viruses that capture passwords and private information. Or you could be tricked into entering your Amazon account number or login information. 

Download Graphics to View Scam Message

This is just one of many phishing scams that use the Amazon name. In general, keep in mind that Amazon will never send an unsolicited email that has an attachment or one that asks you to reply with personal information. If you shop at Amazon and need to verify an order, go to Amazon.com and check “Your Account.”

 

 

KCTC Spam & Virus Protection – Report Update

 

 

TOTALS FOR DECEMBER 2012

Email messages sent to KCTC customers: 4,683,159
SPAM email messages blocked by KCTC filters: 4,084,370
Percent of email received by KCTC servers as SPAM: over 87%
Virus-infected email messages blocked by KCTC: 350

TOTALS FOR 2012

Total Emails sent to KCTC Customers: 100,777,799
Total spam email messages blocked by KCTC filters: 95,062,075
Total Percentage of email received as SPAM:  over 94%

As always, you can check the KCTC Quarantine Report to see which messages are being filtered out by the KCTC spam filters, or use the “Quarantine” tab on KCTC Webmail. These standard features of all KCTC email accounts. For more information on the Quarantine option, go to the support page

KCTC offers a CONVENIENT monthly service to our customers who are tired of pop-ups and spyware, don’t want the responsibility of maintaining Microsoft Critical Updates, or don’t know when to download the latest virus definitions. SecureIT from SecurityCoverage and KCTC provides you with:

  • Fully managed 24-7 virus protection
  • Automated patch management for critical Microsoft patches
  • Fully managed spyware detection and removal
  • Hard drive optimization & notification
  • Integrated Internet pop-up blocker
  • Urgent alerting & notification
  • Monthly summary report

For more information about the SecureIT service, please visit http://www.kctc.net/SecureIT, or call or stop by the KCTC office at 510 B Ave., Kalona – 319.656.3668, or email kctc@kctc.net.
Please note: this service is only available to Windows users.

 

KCTC Connections!

We are happy to welcome our newest customers to KCTC:

Edwin Heusinkveld:     656-5213

 

Go Pinterest-ing! – Cool Stuff To Pin On Your Pinterest Boards

 

Pin 1 Download Graphics to View Pin 2 Download Graphics to View Pin 3 Download Graphics to View

Branch Out In Your Winter Decor
Measure The Perfect Amount Of Pasta
Out Of The Oven And Into Your Mouth

You haven’t started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started? If so, click here.

 

 

 

This Month’s FAQ – How Much Time Does The Average American Spend On Facebook?

 

 

 

Download Graphics to ViewQuestion: I’m curious how my use of social media compares with others. For example, how much time does the average American spend on Facebook per month? 

Answer: Let’s start with the big picture. According to research posted in Morrison Foerster’s Socially Aware blog, use of social media has more than doubled in the last several years. While only 24 percent of all online Americans had at least one social-media profile in 2008, 56 percent of them do now. To answer your question, the average Facebook user in America spends almost seven hours per month on the site. That’s well ahead of Tumblr and Pinterest, which tie for second place with 1.5 hours per month. By contrast, the average American visitor to Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ spends less than half an hour on these sites per month.

 

 

KCTC offers Fiber Fast Speeds in 2013

 

 

This year we opened the flood gates on our fiber optic network. We now offer residential speeds up to 40 Mbps! With no usage caps or speed throttling your KCTC internet connection is always on and always fast! Casual users will find that our new Browser package gives them all the speed they need to shop online and surf the web. Heavy users or families with multiple internet users will benefit greatly from our new Gamer and Family packages. These speeds are perfect for homes that like to view HD quality video without load times and buffering screens and with so much speed multiple users can connect at the same time without slowing down.

Business customers will be pleased to hear we are currently finalizing new speed offerings for you as well! Very soon you will be able to connect your business to the World Wide Web with remarkably fast speeds and efficiency.

There has never been a better time to be a KCTC internet customer, Call 656-3668 today to hear how our new Fiber Fast network can help you surf the web at lightspeed!

 

Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In January

 

 

Looking Back At Lincoln
www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org – If Steven Spielberg’s new movie Lincoln has sparked your interest in the 16th President, check out this site from the Lincoln Institute. It features fascinating details about Lincoln’s years in the White House as well as photos and sketches.
A Healthy Dose Of Information
www.everydayhealth.com – Are you resolving to adopt healthier habits in 2013? You’ll find plenty of resources at this site including information on common health conditions and topics, a symptom checker, tips on food and fitness, HealthTalk Live Chats, and educational videos.
College Classes For Free
www.coursera.org – Here’s an opportunity to pick up invaluable knowledge without paying tuition. Instructors from Princeton, Duke, Caltech, and 13 other schools conduct free online classes on everything from math to music, complete with video lectures, quizzes, and homework.
Custom-Tailored Fashion Bargains
www.shopittome.com – Shopping for clothes just got easier. Simply tell this site what size you wear for various garments and select your preferred designers and brands. You’ll get regular emails with a custom-tailored list of fashion bargains that will save you 40-70 percent.

 

 

 

 

 

Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don’t Want To Miss

 

Cool Video Number 1 Cool Video Number 2
You probably think of online passwords as serious security precautions. But have you ever thought of them as funny? You will after watching Don Friesen’s comedy routine about trying to create and remember passwords. Cute! Cute! Take a minute to enjoy this video of adorable twin babies sitting side by side in high chairs. When their father starts playing the guitar, the girls immediately “dance” to the music while grinning and giggling at each other.

 

 

 

 

 

Short Tutorial – How To Generate A Viable And Unique Gmail Username

 

Generate A Viable And Unique Gmail Username Let’s say you’ve decided to open a Gmail account but the username you want is unavailable. Why does this happen? Gmail lists a username as unavailable if: 

  • The username or a very similar variation is already in use.
  • The username was in use but the address has been deleted.
  • The username was reserved to prevent spam or abuse.

Don’t be discouraged. Follow these suggestions to help you generate a Gmail username that works for you:

  1. Think beyond “first name dot last name.”
    If you have a common name, try using your initials, middle name, or a nickname. Some people even use creative amalgamations of their names. For example, Brandon Anderson becomes Branderson@gmail.com.
  2. Incorporate your personality or profession.
    Come up with a list of adjectives that describe you and find a way to incorporate one or two of them into your username. You may also want to consider making reference to your profession with a user name such as educator.edward@gmail.com. Whatever you do, don’t make your username complicated or hard to remember.
  3. Avoid throwaway numbers.
    Using a generic name with a number makes you look generic (and a bit like a spammer). So please don’t use usernames along the lines of bobsmith15@gmail.com.
  4. Check to see if it’s available everywhere.
    Whatever username you choose for Gmail, it would be great to keep it consistent through the various social media channels. Before you make that final naming decision, you may want to enter the name at www.knowem.com to see if you can claim it on all the sites you use.
  5. Register your own domain.
    Another option for getting the Gmail username you want is to register your own domain and use Google Apps instead. Google Apps for Domains offers all the functionality of a standard Google account (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Google+, etc.), but it’s mapped to a custom website. It costs about $10 to register your own domain and then set up Gmail as your email client. This way, you can get a cool email address like Jane@JaneDoe.com.

Remember, your username is a big part of your identity on the Web. Take the time to choose it carefully.

 

 

 

 

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, click here. 

Thanks for your business!

Best regards

Gary Davis
General Manager

Kalona Co-op Telephone Co.
510 B Ave
Kalona, IA 52247

319-656-3668

©2013 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.