 |
 |
|
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Go Pinterest-ing!
Cool Stuff To Pin On Your Pinterest Boards
|
Dear KCTC Internet Subscribers
 If the month of March had its own color, it would be green. Between the green shamrocks of St. Patrick’s Day and the first green buds on trees, March is all about nature’s favorite hue. In this issue, you’ll find online resources for festive green cupcakes in the Pinterest section as well as tips for eating more green vegetables in Sites of the Month.This issue also includes a warning about tax-related email scams and how to prevent becoming a victim. You don’t want someone stealing your identity — or your tax refund. Check out this month’s FAQ for guidance on protecting the privacy of your Google search history. In the Short Tutorial, learn what to do if you think your computer has been infected with malware. And just for fun, we give you the green light to relax and watch the surprising videos in Two to View.
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.
- The KCTC Internet Team
|
 The numbers are staggering. According to Congress’ Government Accountability Office, the IRS detected 642,000 cases of identity theft in the first nine months of 2012, up from 242,000 in all of 2011. Nearly 16,000 taxpayers complained of problems related to identity theft to the Taxpayer Advocate in the first half of fiscal 2012, a 57 percent increase over the previous year.Identity thieves use a taxpayer’s identity, stolen by phishing emails or other methods, to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund. The legitimate taxpayer may be unaware that anything has happened until they file their return later in the filing season and discover two returns have been filed using the same Social Security number.
What can you do to avoid becoming a target? First, beware of emails that appear to be from the IRS. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or social media tools to request personal or financial information. The IRS also does not send emails stating you are being electronically audited or that you are getting a refund. If you receive this type of email, you can assume it is fake. Ignore it or, better yet, forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
Visit www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection for more details.
 Privacy NoticeYour privacy matters to us. We pledge to protect your privacy and keep your trust. As we provide services to you, we gather information about the quality, technical configuration, type, destination, and amount of products and services you use. We also gather data during application processes. This information is known as Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) and “Non public Personal Information”. Under federal law, you have a right and Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company has a duty, to protect the confidentiality of your CPNI. Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company will not disclose or sell this information, unless required to do so by law; or upon receipt of an affirmative written request by a customer. Kalona Cooperative Telephone Company may share or permit access to your CPNI on a limited, as-needed basis with trusted agents and contractors (billing and technical support vendors) that assist us in providing services. They share a duty to protect your CPNI. Know that we limit access to your personal information to employees, agents or contractors who must use the information to provide products and services to you. Further sharing of this information is restricted by our employee handbook, non-disclosure agreements and the law, in order to guard your personal information. KCTC Spam & Virus Protection – Report Update
TOTALS FOR February 2013
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:
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.
 Short Tutorial – What To Do If You Think Your Computer Has Malware  Malware is short for “malicious software.” It includes viruses and spyware that get installed on your computer without your consent. These programs can cause your device to crash and can be used to monitor and control your online activity. Criminals use malware to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud.Your computer may be infected with malware if it:
If you suspect there is malware on your computer, take these steps:
If you think your computer has malware, the Federal Trade Commission wants to know. You can file a complaint at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Answer: We understand your concern. The amount of information Google collects and what it does with your information makes many people uncomfortable. Google records all the search terms you enter and your search history can reveal a great deal about your hobbies, age, health problems, religion, and so on. Google uses this data to improve and customize your searches, as well as to serve you targeted ads.
1:36am on 6/18/13
