Wi-Fi Warning
Sidejacking At Wi-Fi Hotspots

This Month's FAQ
How Do I Remove Unwanted "Stuff" From E-mails?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In February

Short Tutorial
Customizing Your Browser's Toolbar

Surfs Up Maqs.net Subscribers

Now that it's February, are you still working on your New Year's resolutions? Perhaps this issue can help by sharing resources to help you become better informed. You'll learn about the threat of sidejacking at wireless networks, and get handy tips about forwarding e-mails and customizing your browser's toolbar. If you've resolved to have more fun this year, check out Great Sites for inspiration on where to stay on your vacation, what movies to see, and which chocolate desserts to make for someone special.

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.

To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- The Maqs.net Team
 

Wi-Fi Warning – Sidejacking At Wi-Fi Hotspots

Sidejacking is the term used to describe the malicious act of hijacking an engaged Web session of another user on the same Wi-Fi network. Although such attacks are not new, they used to require sophisticated technical expertise. But a popular new Firefox plugin named Firesheep has made sidejacking easier for amateurs.

For example, an intruder sitting nearby you at an airport could use Firesheep to silently take over your Facebook session, gain access to your sensitive data, and send viral messages and wall posts to all of your friends. Even your wireless home network could be subject to sidejacking if not securely configured, since drive-by hackers might be in the neighborhood.

As a precaution, try to avoid highly sensitive online activities while at a hotspot since security may be unreliable; your data (such as passwords) could be allowed to travel unencrypted within range of the wireless router. It is generally safe, however, to use public Wi-Fi for accessing sites with an address that starts with https; those sites provide end-to-end encryption. Password-protected hotspots are usually safe, too.

On your wireless home network, be aware that the old protocol known as Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) can be easily broken with readily available software. Only the stronger Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) will prevent local snoops from being able to decipher the dialog between your computer and the wireless router.

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This Month's FAQ – How Do I Remove Unwanted "Stuff" From E-mails?

Question: What's the easiest way to remove unwanted "stuff" from e-mails before I forward them? I'm talking about all of the addresses, comments from previous recipients, etc. that no longer need to be there.

Answer: As you may have already discovered through trial and error, there are different ways to approach this and some work better than others. When you click on "Forward" to forward an e-mail, a new window opens with the forwarded content in it. Here you designate to whom you are forwarding the e-mail and click on "Send." The forwarded e-mail usually contains all of the addresses that the e-mail was previously sent to, often along with other content that's no longer necessary. Sometimes you can highlight the unwanted content and simply press "Delete," but this doesn't always work. You can also try using the "Delete" key and the backspace key, but again, this method can have mixed results.

I suggest you give the following technique a try and see if it simplifies the process for you.

1.    After choosing "Forward," fill in the addressee(s) and edit the subject if desired.

2.    Highlight the portion of the e-mail message you wish to forward.

3.    Press "CTRL-C," then "CTRL-A," then "Delete," and then the "CTRL-V" keys. (On a Mac, use "COMMAND" instead of "CTRL."

"CTRL-C" copies the highlighted material to the clipboard. "CTRL-A" is a shortcut for selecting all of the text in the document. "Delete" removes the highlighted portion. "CTRL-V" pastes from the clipboard whatever was highlighted when you clicked on "CTRL-C." Your e-mail is now cleaned up and ready to forward.

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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In February

Celebrate Black History
video.pbs.org – In honor of Black History Month, browse through this inspiring video collection from PBS (Public Broadcasting System). It includes interviews with civil rights pioneers, a celebration of music from the civil rights movement, and discussions of a variety of current issues facing blacks in America.

Real Hotel Recommendations
realtravel.com – It's not too early to start planning summer travel and Real Travel can help. Named "Best of the Web" by Forbes, Business Week, and the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, this site provides hotel recommendations from reviews of "real travelers." Hotel suggestions are based on review analyses, Facebook "likes," real-time pricing and availability, and relative hotel locations. Search by city, state, or hotel name. Don't forget to check out the Vacation Ideas and Things To Do sections for great trip ideas.

Decadent Chocolate Recipes
ghirardelli.com – February is National Chocolate Lover's Month, and the Ghirardelli site can help you celebrate! In addition to hundreds of chocolate-inspired cookie, cake, candy, and beverage recipes, this site provides tips on working with chocolate including step-by-step videos on melting and tempering as well as how to get truffles, tarts, brownies, and tortes just right. When you're done cooking, explore the Chocopedia section for everything you always wanted to know about the sweet treat.

Audience Movie Reviews
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ – Ever go to a movie based on rave reviews from critics, only to be disappointed? Critics and audiences don't always agree, and this site offers both sides of the story. Movies are listed by Top Box Office, Opening, Coming Soon, and DVDs so they're easy to find. On each movie page, you can read a summary and reviews, watch a trailer, or find tickets and show times. You can also search by movie, actor, director, or critic and get the latest movie and celebrity news.

What's It Worth?
worthmonkey.com – If you received some fun new electronic toys for the holidays, you might be thinking about selling your old stuff. This site is the blue book for used electronics and more. To find out what an item is worth, just type in the name. Learn what's considered a "great price," a "fair price," and "overpriced" for stereos, cameras, motorcycles, cell phones, laptops, bikes, boats, and more. The site also displays item listings from eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist in case you're looking to buy.

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Short Tutorial – Customizing Your Browser's Toolbar

To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using ...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7

1.    Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" menu (located in the upper-right corner of the screen) and select "Toolbars" from the resulting drop-down menu. Then select "Customize..." from the resulting submenu.

2.    When the Customize Toolbar window appears, there will be two side-by-side panes visible with an "Add" and "Remove" button between them. The right-hand pane (Current toolbar buttons:) shows you the buttons currently displayed on your toolbar and the left-hand pane (Available toolbar buttons:) shows you the buttons that you can add to your toolbar.

3.    Click your cursor arrow on a button in the left-hand pane that you'd like to add and then click on the "Add" button. The button you selected will then move over to the right-hand pane and become visible on your toolbar. NOTE: A double-click on buttons in the left-hand pane will also add them to the right-hand pane as well as your toolbar.

4.    To remove a button from the toolbar, click on it in the right-hand pane and click on the "Remove" button or double-click on it in the right-hand pane. The button will be removed from your browser's toolbar. Please note that buttons removed from your toolbar do not disappear completely, they just move over to the left-hand pane and can be easily put back at any time.

To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using ...
Internet Browser: Mozilla Firefox 3.6
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X 10.5

1.    Click your cursor arrow on "View" from the menu bar and select "Toolbars" from the resulting drop-down menu. Then select "Customize..." from the resulting submenu.

2.    The Customize Toolbar palette will appear. Here you can drag tool icons from the palette to the Firefox toolbar and arrange them in any order you prefer. (You can reposition the icons to different places on the toolbar at any time.)

3.    To remove tool icons that you've added to your browser, drag them back to the palette. You can also restore the toolbar to its original condition by using the "Restore Default Set" button on the palette.

4.    When you've finished customizing your toolbar, click the "Done" button.

To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using ...
Internet Browser: Safari 4.0
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X 10.5

1.    Click your cursor arrow on "View" from the menu bar and select "Customize Toolbar..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

2.    The customize toolbar palette window will appear. Here you can drag tool icons from the palette to your Safari toolbar and arrange them in any order you prefer. (You can reposition the icons to different places on the toolbar at any time.)

3.    To remove tool icons that you've added to your browser, drag them back to the palette. You can also restore the toolbar to its original condition by simply dragging the entire default set from the palette to your Safari browser's toolbar.

4.    When you've finished customizing your toolbar, click the "Done" button.

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Maqs.net Staff




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