Phishing

This is not an advertisement for Microsoft; they don’t need my help to market their products. This is about internet security. I installed Internet Explorer 7 recently. When I first installed it I turned of their free Phishing filter because I thought it was slowing down my web browsing. I was quite please with my decision, I wasn’t going to let Microsoft tell me what to do on my computer. After all, I was already running add blocking software; spy blocking software, anti-virus software and registry cleaning software. What did I need their software for?
Phishing The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information. For example, 2003 saw the proliferation of a phishing scam in which users received e-mails supposedly from eBay claiming that the user’s account was about to be suspended unless he clicked on the provided link and updated the credit card information that the genuine eBay already had. Because it is relatively simple to make a Web site look like a legitimate organizations site by mimicking the HTML code, the scam counted on people being tricked into thinking they were actually being contacted by eBay and were subsequently going to eBay’s site to update their account information. By spamming large groups of people, the “phisher” counted on the e-mail being read by a percentage of people who actually had listed credit card numbers with eBay legitimately
A friend of mine asked me to work on their PC for them. One of the things I did was to upgrade their browser to IE 7 like I had done mine. After I was done I was asked about the Phishing filter. I told them I would check it out and let them know as soon as I knew something. So, I turned on the Phishing filter on my browser in order to test the software for my friend. I received an email about selling on EBay (will be a whole different post); I opened and the Phishing filter did its thing. Right away the link in the email was screened and identified as a Phishing site.
The moral of this story; don’t get taken. Utilize the tools out there to protect yourself.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor overlooks the site of the camp (cantonment) of the Continental Army for 1782 - 1783, the final winter of the Revolutionary War. In 1782, George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, the inspiration for today's Purple Heart, and the following year officers met at the Cantonment to determine candidates for the award. In 1932, some of the nation's very first Purple Hearts were presented to veterans of World War I on these same grounds. Check out their blog http://nysparks.state.ny.us/heritage/purple_hrt.asp

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Thinking about buying a house with a VA loan. This link might be of help to you. http://thebestplacestolive.blogspot.com/

If you're in or near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and you need Pop and C&W music check out this Blog http://empyreanbooks.blogspot.com/

Visit the Military Order of the Purple Heart' s web site and read about the Veterans Business Training Center. Just click on this link http://www.purpleheartfoundation.org/job_training.asp
There's an online application right there on the page.

The idea is for this Blog to be a source for information sharing on topics ranging from A to Z, just no sex, religion or politics. If you needed to know something then chances are very good that there are others out here that need that same information. If it can help someone post it on this site, you never know how much of a difference you can make in someone’s life. This is not a Military/Veteran only site even though the first tip will be for them. With your participation there should be lots of helpful tips for everyone. Here’s the first scenario.
For example; you’re a disabled military veteran and you want know if there are any programs out there to help someone like you become gainfully employed. You’ve been to your local VA office and they may have even mentioned something that you find here but you might have missed it in the hustle and bustle of the brief meeting you had with your counselor. This Blog is intended to be a source for the answer to some of those situations; maybe it just reminds you of something that could make the difference. It is by no means the only place to find answers. But more importantly it is a place where you can post helpful tips and information. There is to be no sex, religion or politics discussed in this Blog.