The sender address seemed a little odd, we’d expect something like this to come from notices@ or sales@

Then looked closely at the destination of the links in the message (by hovering the mouse over them) and found they linked to a page at a website called: w w w.ondainternet.c o m, (note I’ve broken up the www and .com to protect any unwary clickers. To be honest, I don’t know what is at that site, but I’m guessing it’s not likely to be good for my computer and is more than likely related to the current unpatched vulnerability in all versions of Internet Explorer see http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=10198 or it may be just a Phishing Scam.

In fact, there is probable nothing wrong with that site in general, but it is likely that part of the site has been hijacked by someone for their own nefarious purposes.

Please be aware of what you are clicking on!!

please note that I’ve altered the links in the email to protect the compulsive clickers.

Subject:     Please read this important information about your account.
Date:     Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:42:43 -0000
From:     Optus<vieri@optusnet.com.au>
Reply-To:     <donotreply@optusnet.com.au>

======================================================
You’ve used 100% of your data allowance
======================================================

Hello,

Unfortunately, you’ve reached your maximum data allowance for this month.

So, what happens now? Because you’ve reached your data allowance, your account will be slowed to 64kbps until the start of your next billing month. We do this so you won’t have to pay any excess download fees.

Don’t be slowed down

We know hitting your data allowance can be frustrating. To help you avoid this in future, we’ve made it easy to upgrade your plan without having to wait for the end of your billing month.

Upgrading increases your speed and data allowance, which gives you more freedom to do the things you want, with less worry about being speed limited.

If you would like to upgrade to another Optus Broadband DSL plan, you can change your monthly plan by logging into the Plan Change page of Member Services. You can choose an option to make your plan upgrade effective within 24 hours from the time you submit the request or to be effective from the start of your next billing period.

Remember, you can check your online usage at any time using your Internet Usage Meter. http://www.optuszoo.com.au/enforce_myusage?eml100_myacc_dmon|brand=dsl

If you have any questions or want to learn more, you can visit us online in the Help section http://www.optuszoo.com.au/help/dsl of the Optus Homepage or call Optus Customer Care on 1300 739 407.

Regards,
Optus Consumer Solutions Team

Note: This is an automated email please do not reply.

Ask the Expert Q3: Why is my computer running slow?

A: There are several reasons why a computer will start to feel slow. The first and easiest to fix is Disk Fragmentation. Fragmentation is caused when files are changed and deleted on your hard disk. This causes windows to jump from one part of the disk to another to collect the contents of just one file. Defragmenting is easy, goto Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. Decreased performance combined with the disk light always on or excess noise may indicate serious disk problems. Get these checked by a profeessional.

In many computers, slowness is caused by the fact that you have simply overstretched your computer, and you are using it for a lot more things than you used to. Check how much memory you have by going to Start>Control Panels>System. 512Mb of RAM is a realistic minimum, but for many computers, an extra 1Gb (1024Mb) can cost as little as $154 plus installation (around $44)

Another major cause of slowness is Viruses and spyware. See last months Q&A or visit http://www.techdoctor.com.au/software/ to see some software available for cleaning your machine

Registry overload is another common cause of computer sluggishness, especially if you have installed and uninstalled a lot of programs (especially all those games the kids put on). Every program seems to leave a bit of itself behind in Window’s registry, the place where it tries to keep everything about your system in order.

Having too many background processes (usually represented by all the icons in the system tray, down beside the clock) can really slow your system down, as each of those programs is using up memory and processor time. It’s best to have a good hard look at each one and decide if you really need it or not.

For more information
see http://www.techdoctor.com.au/slow/ or call The Tech Doctor 1300 TECH DR -
www.techdoctor.com.au

Ask the Expert Q2: What is Spyware/Adware/Malware and how do I protect myself?

A: Spyware and Adware are specific forms of Malware (Malicious Software) that use ambiguity, coercion and deceit to lure or force users to install unwanted and often invasive programs on their computer.
Malware can get on your system if you are tricked into clicking on something you thought would be a helpful program or it may be automatically installed with another piece of software or just by visiting a website, if you have a security weakness in your system.
Malware can be identified because it often causes changes to the behaviour, look, or feel of your system without permission. If you have strange windows pop up, your desktop or the home page of your browser has changed, or your system crashes for no apparent reason, you probably have some form of Malware on your computer.

To protect your computer, you need to keep your system up to date with patches, install Windows Defender and use the Firefox web browser instead of Internet Explorer. (see

http://www.techdoctor.com.au/software/)

If you are already infected, there are tools you can use (see link) or call The Tech Doctor 1300 TECH DR that’s 1300 832 437 – www.techdoctor.com.au

re-printed with permission from Leader Newspapers