New VoIP Systems May Have Vulnerabilities
The alternative to standard phone service is gaining in popularity because of it's cheaper cost, but there are downsides that are starting to appear. Some systems are vulnerable to attacks just like a computer on a network. This might be understandable since the technology is still in its infancy. Still, it's something to keep in mind when deciding between VoIP and standard telephone communication.

Another Worm to Avoid
Called "Bagle" or "Beagle" it does the same thing every other worm does. It comes in an email with the subject "Hi!" or "Test" and has an attachment in an executable format, which should make it easy to catch and delete.

USPS Unveils Electronic Postmarks
Right now it seems a little complicated to use, but the idea is that of a certified, encrypted email. The same thing already exists in certain formats from private companies such as PGP. The difference is that this version has the weight of U.S. law against tampering with mail behind it. So there would be more reason for somebody not to intercept certified mail, even if they could decrypt it.

The FBI's "Department for Illegal Internet Downloads" Hoax
Sometimes it's just a joke; other times the email will harbor a virus. Either way, the FBI has no department like this and doesn't get involved with illegal downloads. Best just to ignore these things.

Are "Send an Error Report" Messages Useful?
Anybody that uses a program that crashes regularly knows how annoying these messages can be. Is Microsoft actually using the information sent in these error reports or is it just a way for them to keep statistics on users? Even Apple's OS X newest version has started using them. Well, they do probably use the information, but it also sends your IP address too. Anybody interested in not being logged into Microsoft's database would be interested in disabling the feature.

New Push For Open Source Voting in U.S.
One person is trying to adapt the open source voting system, now in place in Australia, for the U.S. If approved, it would take the place of the Diebold System, which has garnered plenty of outrage for it's security failures and possibly corrupt business practices.

Northwest Airlines Lied About Giving Up Passenger Data
Even though it said it wouldn't, Northwest went ahead and sold data about it's passengers to NASA right after JetBlue was caught doing the same thing. Of course, if the CAPPS II system is started all of this will be done on a regular basis. For now, independent organizations are fighting to stop it on an individual case basis.

Reviewing the New VoIP Phone Services
Some say it could take the place of the standard telephone services. Other say it's just a novelty for those who make a lot of long distance calls, but what are the perks and complaints of the system? Well the service is new, so there are bound to be changes from now. Right now it seems like the system is ideal for small businesses that don't mind the drop in sound quality and already have broadband internet service.

There are some other advantages that may apply to some people. Depending on how your system is setup, you may be able to customize certain features. Let's say the system went through a computer that you had complete access to. If you have the technical know-how, you might be able to set up things like call forwarding, three-way calling, virtual numbers, and your own voice mail with no extra charges.

Most people will probably get their service through the few big companies that provide boxes, instead of stand-alone computers, for this. Vonage is the big-name one that offers a lot of those features for decent rates ($25/month for unlimited local calls). If you're interested in getting the service now, they are probably the ones to go through. The baby bells are slowly offering their own versions of this service, such as Verizon, but most aren't ready yet. Microsoft is releasing their own version soon, but details are scant at the moment. The technically proficient may be able to set up their own system using a program such as Skype for free, but it's not known if Skype will eventually charge for the service or not.

Avoiding Bank Email Scams
Emails that direct you to a fake sites to steal your personal information are nothing new. Now the focus is going towards online banks (besides Paypal) like Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America. Most of the emails show up as "fraud alerts" and direct the user to a fake site to safeguard their account. The recent IE security hole that allows people to impersonate the URL of another site only serves to complicate the issue.

To protect yourself, don't follow links from emails. Just type the URL of the site you're trying to access to be sure you're going to the correct domain. Hopefully the IE security hole will be fixed soon and this won't have to be done. Also, check the domain that the email is originating from. If it isn't the same as the bank they purport to be from, report it to the FCC and the bank's fraud department.

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