this is foreign to me ... please "briefly" explain TIA !
Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer,
We have determined that your computer has been used to transmit unsolicited
e-mail, an activity that is in violation of the Comcast Terms of Service
Agreement.
If you cannot account for this activity, the e-mail being sent from your
computer may be due to a virus, Trojan infection, or other compromise to the
security of your computer.
To prevent further transmission of these e-mail messages, we have taken steps to
secure your Internet connection by blocking outgoing communication on TCP port
25 from your cable modem. This will prevent your system from sending unsolicited
e-mail to remote computers. It will not disable any other Internet communication
and you will still have full Internet connectivity.
Please note that web-based e-mail functionality, such as Comcast Webmail through
www.comcast.net will still work, but e-mail programs such as Outlook, Outlook
Express, Eudora, and Netscape will be unable to send e-mail. If blocking
outgoing communication on TCP port 25 does not disrupt your Internet experience,
Comcast will keep this security feature applied to your cable modem unless you
request that it be removed.
Comcast strongly encourages that you take additional steps to help secure your
system by installing a firewall. Please note that the block on port 25 cannot
guarantee that your computer will not be compromised in the future nor can it
prevent current viruses or Trojans from causing additional harm to your
computer.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow the steps outlined below if you wish to have this block removed.
1. Take action to secure your system. For assistance securing your
computer, please reference the Frequently Asked Questions section of this
message.
2. Reply to this e-mail, keeping the original message and subject unchanged
for tracking purposes.
3. In your reply, please note what steps you.ve taken to secure your system
and what, if any, viruses, Trojans, and/or Spyware you may have found.
Please note that removal of port 25 blocking will be done at the discretion of
the Network Abuse department.
Upon receipt of your message to us, a technician will examine the information
you've provided and make a determination as to whether or not port 25 access
will be restored. Regardless of that determination, you will be contacted with
an update on the status of your request.
Frequently Asked Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------
What do I need to do?
o Disconnect your computer from the internet.
Please temporarily remove your computer from the Comcast Internet service if you
cannot immediately determine the cause of the problem and correct it. This
action will protect your computer from being further compromised and protect the
Comcast network from receiving further complaints about your computer.
o Contact a computer professional for support.
Repairing a computer problem often involves editing or deleting sensitive system
files, therefore, we recommend contacting a computer professional for support,
such as your computer.s manufacturer or a third-party computer technician.
o Use anti-virus software.
There are many software products that can be used to scan the computer on a
regular basis and clean any present viruses. One free and simple product you can
use now can be downloaded from:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
Stinger is a one-time scan and clean utility. It is also recommended to use a
full version of anti-virus software. For it to be as effective as possible, the
software should be configured to update itself on a regular basis and scan the
entire contents of your computer at least once a week.
Please note: Many viruses block or disable antivirus software, making automatic
detection and removal unlikely. We recommend not relying solely on antivirus
software to correct an existing virus problem.
o Patch, update and configure software for security.
Make sure that any software running on your computer is not accessible from the
Internet. If this cannot be done, then we recommend disabling or removing the
software completely. Some installed software maybe open to the Internet by
default, including newer operating systems such as Windows XP. We recommend
installing any patches or critical updates that the software manufacturer may
provide.
---------------------------------------------------------------
How do I prevent this from happening again?
o Set anti-virus software to automatically update.
Install an antivirus product and keep it up-to-date. Antivirus software needs
to be regularly informed of any new viruses that have been released. Most
antivirus software can be configured to automatically update. If yours cannot,
we recommend updating it on a weekly basis. Any questions about this should be
directed to the antivirus vendor.
o Set automatic updates for Windows.
Running Windows Update will ensure that your system is fully up-to-date.
Microsoft will often release fixes to vulnerabilities that are discovered.
Windows Update can usually be configured to automatically download and install
updates by using the Automatic Updates control panel. If this option is
unavailable, we recommend manually running Windows Update at least once a week
from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Any questions about this should be directed to your computer's manufacturer or
Microsoft.
o Install firewall software and/or a hardware router.
A firewall is a good tool for protecting your computer, because it allows you to
filter both incoming and outgoing traffic. When used in combination with
antivirus software and an updated operating system your computer will be
reasonably protected. There is a certain amount of education that comes with
running a firewall, so please be sure to read any documentation that comes with
the product.
o Avoid spyware.
Spyware and browser hijacks are programs that run in the background and perform
certain activities. These activities include numerous pop-up windows, changing
your homepage, and adding additional buttons to the browser. There are many good
programs available for finding and removing these issues. Like a firewall, a
spyware removal tool should be used in conjunction with these other suggestions
to minimize the chances of having your computer compromised.
Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer,
We have determined that your computer has been used to transmit unsolicited
e-mail, an activity that is in violation of the Comcast Terms of Service
Agreement.
If you cannot account for this activity, the e-mail being sent from your
computer may be due to a virus, Trojan infection, or other compromise to the
security of your computer.
To prevent further transmission of these e-mail messages, we have taken steps to
secure your Internet connection by blocking outgoing communication on TCP port
25 from your cable modem. This will prevent your system from sending unsolicited
e-mail to remote computers. It will not disable any other Internet communication
and you will still have full Internet connectivity.
Please note that web-based e-mail functionality, such as Comcast Webmail through
www.comcast.net will still work, but e-mail programs such as Outlook, Outlook
Express, Eudora, and Netscape will be unable to send e-mail. If blocking
outgoing communication on TCP port 25 does not disrupt your Internet experience,
Comcast will keep this security feature applied to your cable modem unless you
request that it be removed.
Comcast strongly encourages that you take additional steps to help secure your
system by installing a firewall. Please note that the block on port 25 cannot
guarantee that your computer will not be compromised in the future nor can it
prevent current viruses or Trojans from causing additional harm to your
computer.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Please follow the steps outlined below if you wish to have this block removed.
1. Take action to secure your system. For assistance securing your
computer, please reference the Frequently Asked Questions section of this
message.
2. Reply to this e-mail, keeping the original message and subject unchanged
for tracking purposes.
3. In your reply, please note what steps you.ve taken to secure your system
and what, if any, viruses, Trojans, and/or Spyware you may have found.
Please note that removal of port 25 blocking will be done at the discretion of
the Network Abuse department.
Upon receipt of your message to us, a technician will examine the information
you've provided and make a determination as to whether or not port 25 access
will be restored. Regardless of that determination, you will be contacted with
an update on the status of your request.
Frequently Asked Questions:
---------------------------------------------------------------
What do I need to do?
o Disconnect your computer from the internet.
Please temporarily remove your computer from the Comcast Internet service if you
cannot immediately determine the cause of the problem and correct it. This
action will protect your computer from being further compromised and protect the
Comcast network from receiving further complaints about your computer.
o Contact a computer professional for support.
Repairing a computer problem often involves editing or deleting sensitive system
files, therefore, we recommend contacting a computer professional for support,
such as your computer.s manufacturer or a third-party computer technician.
o Use anti-virus software.
There are many software products that can be used to scan the computer on a
regular basis and clean any present viruses. One free and simple product you can
use now can be downloaded from:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/
Stinger is a one-time scan and clean utility. It is also recommended to use a
full version of anti-virus software. For it to be as effective as possible, the
software should be configured to update itself on a regular basis and scan the
entire contents of your computer at least once a week.
Please note: Many viruses block or disable antivirus software, making automatic
detection and removal unlikely. We recommend not relying solely on antivirus
software to correct an existing virus problem.
o Patch, update and configure software for security.
Make sure that any software running on your computer is not accessible from the
Internet. If this cannot be done, then we recommend disabling or removing the
software completely. Some installed software maybe open to the Internet by
default, including newer operating systems such as Windows XP. We recommend
installing any patches or critical updates that the software manufacturer may
provide.
---------------------------------------------------------------
How do I prevent this from happening again?
o Set anti-virus software to automatically update.
Install an antivirus product and keep it up-to-date. Antivirus software needs
to be regularly informed of any new viruses that have been released. Most
antivirus software can be configured to automatically update. If yours cannot,
we recommend updating it on a weekly basis. Any questions about this should be
directed to the antivirus vendor.
o Set automatic updates for Windows.
Running Windows Update will ensure that your system is fully up-to-date.
Microsoft will often release fixes to vulnerabilities that are discovered.
Windows Update can usually be configured to automatically download and install
updates by using the Automatic Updates control panel. If this option is
unavailable, we recommend manually running Windows Update at least once a week
from:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Any questions about this should be directed to your computer's manufacturer or
Microsoft.
o Install firewall software and/or a hardware router.
A firewall is a good tool for protecting your computer, because it allows you to
filter both incoming and outgoing traffic. When used in combination with
antivirus software and an updated operating system your computer will be
reasonably protected. There is a certain amount of education that comes with
running a firewall, so please be sure to read any documentation that comes with
the product.
o Avoid spyware.
Spyware and browser hijacks are programs that run in the background and perform
certain activities. These activities include numerous pop-up windows, changing
your homepage, and adding additional buttons to the browser. There are many good
programs available for finding and removing these issues. Like a firewall, a
spyware removal tool should be used in conjunction with these other suggestions
to minimize the chances of having your computer compromised.
