TribCSP.com LogoCasper, Wyoming
Presentation News Presentation Email Presentation Wyoming Tour Presentation Job Quest Presentation
Presentation Find It Here Presentation Mormon Trail Presentation Education Orchard Presentation Gardening Presentation

General - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access my email when I'm not at my home computer?

To access our web-based email service, follow these steps:

  1. Open the webpage http://mail.tribcsp.com/
  2. Enter your email username from line 8 of your password sheet.
  3. Enter your email password from line 9 of your password sheet.
  4. Click Enter.
  5. Open the message you want to read by clicking on the link for that message (usually under From).

You can find more information about Communigate at our Webmail FAQ.

Back to top

What is a Personal Firewall?

A personal firewall (sometimes called a desktop firewall) is a software application used to protect a single Internet-connected computer from intruders. Personal firewall protection is especially useful for users with "always-on" connections such as DSL or cable modem. Such connections use a static IP address that makes them especially vulnerable to potential hackers. Often compared to anti-virus applications, personal firewalls work in the background at the device (link layer) level to protect the integrity of the system from malicious computer code by controlling Internet connections to and from a user's computer, filtering inbound and outbound traffic, and alerting the user to attempted intrusions.

Several companies have announced plans to develop personal firewall solutions that will go right in the chips used in DSL and cable modems. It is generally believed that personal firewall protection will become standard issue for new home computers in the not-too-distant future.

Back to top

What are pop-up ads and how can I stop them?

A pop-up ad is a pop-up window used for advertising. When the program is initiated by some user action, such as a mouse click or a mouseover, a window containing an offer for some product or service appears in the foreground of the visual interface. Like all pop-ups, a pop-up ad is smaller than the background interface - windows that fill the user interface are called replacement interfaces - and usually resembles a small browser window with only the close, minimize, and maximize options at the top. A variation on the pop-up ad, the pop-under, is a window that loads behind the Web page that you're viewing, only to appear when you leave that Web site.

Pop-up ads are not popular with the average Web surfer, and there are several products that disable them, such as our AnalogX' POW!, or a feature of the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer. One thing to look for in such a program is the ability to differentiate between user-initiated pop-up windows and others, because many other applications (such as Webcasts, for example) make use of pop-up windows. If a pop-up stopper utility can't tell the difference between a pop-up window that the user has requested and an unsought pop-up ad, the program may cause more problems for the user than it solves.

Another solution is to use a web browser that can block pop-up windows. Mozilla 1.6, or Flashpeak Software's Slim Browser Ver 3.93.003.

Back to top

What is spyware and how do I get rid of it?

"Spyware" is any program that collects information about your computer use and web activity and reports it to a central company. The related "Adware" is any program used to deliver advertising, usually in the form of pop-up and on-screen advertisements, regardless of your normal web activity. These programs are typically installed without the user's knowledge, and sometimes come bundled with other programs downloaded from the Internet.

Several high-quality anti-spyware programs are available on a free basis. Ad-aware, freely available for non-commercial use from Lavasoft, is one of the most comprehensive and easiest to use. Get Ad-aware only from the download sites listed at www.lavasoftusa.com and nowhere else. The free SpywareBlaster program from Javacool Software provides solid proactive protection and gives good technical details on its activities. You can find a list of, and downloads for, other spyware removal tools at c|net's download.com.

To defend against aggressive viruses, worms, and other malware, antivirus tools remain a solid solution. However, some popular antivirus tools don't look for spyware programs installed on browsers. Check your antivirus vendor's feature list to make sure it is explicitly looking for spyware. If your antivirus tool doesn't look for spyware, consider moving to another product that does. If such a change isn't possible, you should definitely consider augmenting your antivirus deployment with specific tools to defend against spyware.

Beyond antivirus and anti-spyware tools, make sure you educate yourself and others who use your PC in the habits of safe browsing. Your awareness program should include specific lessons on not altering browser security configurations and leaving its security setting to at least "Medium" and perhaps even "High". Also, tell users to always click "No" when their browser asks them "Do you want to install and run" regardless of who the claimed author of the program is. If the dialog box lacks a "No" button, tell them to click on the X in the upper right-hand corner to get rid of it.

Back to top