email

Infopackets Reader Elaine Y. writes: " Dear Dennis, How can I change my IP address? I ask because every now and again I try and email my friend (with a yahoo email address), but Thunderbird keeps telling me that my IP address is being blocked and ... can't send my email. Any ideas why I'm being blocked? Better yet, any idea on how I can change my IP address so I'm not blocked? " My response: This is a good question and the situation (at least for me) comes up often enough, so it's worth explaining. Also, I couldn't seem to find a single article on the Internet that explains how this happens (at ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tina M. writes: " Dear Dennis, Regarding CryptoLocker , can you tell me if the software program CryptoPrevent can actually remove CryptoLocker and other ransomware infections? In other words, does CryptoPrevent actually work? Or ... is there a better way to prevent and remove CryptoLocker if I get infected? " My response: Similar to antivirus, CryptoPrevent is software that helps to prevent CryptoLocker and similar ransomware infections. It does not remove the infection if you become infected. If you do become infected, the only 100% fail safe way to undo the damage ... (view more)

A new report from security firm ESET finds that the TorrentLocker ransomware scam has now encrypted an estimated 285 million files. Unfortunately, ESET security experts don't see the rate of infections dropping off any time soon. A TorrentLocker ... infection, like other ransomware schemes (such as CryptoWall or CryptoLocker ), usually takes place when a victim downloads a malicious file. Although the name TorrentLocker might suggest infections come through the way of torrents (a file typically used for file sharing), it does not; in fact, most TorrentLocker infections come through email. ... (view more)

How often do you check your email each day? A new study suggests that consulting your inbox more than three times a day could significantly increase your stress levels. The study, which comes from researchers at the University of British Columbia, ... involved asking 124 adults to restrict their inbox-checking to just three times a day for a one-week period. Once that week was over, study participants were allowed to check their email as much as they liked. Less Email, Less Stress, Study Suggests Throughout the process participants were asked to fill out daily 10-minute questionnaires about their ... (view more)

A new report suggests that hackers are using fake email orders with malicious links to fool victims into installing malware onto their machines. Security experts are therefore warning all Internet shoppers to take extra care when opening their ... emails this holiday season. According to Brian Krebs, a former Washington Post writer who covers cyber crime, the problem is becoming more and more prevalent. "If you receive an email this holiday season asking you to 'confirm' an online e-commerce order or package shipment, please resist the urge to click the included link or attachment, ... (view more)

Microsoft has launched a new tool for MS Outlook designed to make it easier to deal with email overload. It will be available for business users at first, but could later be rolled out for home users. The feature will be available as part of Office ... 365 for business: that's the online edition of the Office suite, which is automatically updated when Microsoft adds new features or makes changes. The name of the feature comes from the problem Microsoft is trying to tackle: Clutter. That's meant to describe the category of emails that are from legitimate senders, but which you don't ... (view more)

York 1.61 Know more about your network traffic with York, which can help you log all of the traffic on your network card. York can also help analyze and parse network packets; it can even capture transmitted files and passwords - something which can ... have nefarious consequences. http://thesz.diecru.eu/ Howard 1.26 Get alerts about all of your different email clients - including Outlook, Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail - with Howard, the one-stop email shop. A special sound and text notification will alert you when each new email comes in. http://thesz.diecru.eu/ (view more)

Google says it is going to mediation over claims it unlawfully scanned the contents of emails for advertising purposes. It's a surprise move, considering that Google recently won a major court victory over the affair. The legal dispute centers on ... the fact that Google's computers scan through the contents of email messages sent via its free Gmail service. Google then uses keywords that appear in messages to produce advertisements that appear alongside the message in the user's inbox. As an example: if you received a message from a friend mentioning an upcoming golf game, you might ... (view more)

Microsoft has revised its Hotmail / Outlook email privacy policy. It's in response to concerns after the company admitted to reading emails and instant messages of a blogger who allegedly tried to sell Microsoft intellectual property without ... permission. Former Microsoft employee Alex Kibkalo is currently being investigated for stealing Microsoft trade secrets. According to Microsoft, in 2012 Kibkalo acquired pre-release Windows 8 source code, which he emailed to a mysterious blogger who has not been named. It's the anonymous blogger who had his email and instant messages snooped. ... (view more)