Call: 1-888-321-0815 or 496-8598
7 Days a week, 24 hours a day

Complete online technical support form.

FAQs

In this July issue, we try to help you enjoy sunny summer days while avoiding the "storm clouds" of online threats. First, we warn about a fake e-mail that claims to be from the iTunes Store with a $50 iTunes Gift Certificate; it's a scam designed to lure you into opening a malicious attachment. The learning continues in the Great Sites section, where we share resources related to summer vacations, summer meal planning, and much more.

We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. As always, we appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Please send your thoughts, comments or questions to newsletter@greenmountainaccess.net.

- The Green Mountain Access Team
Aaron, Adam, Amanda, Eric, Kris,
Phil, Richard, Seth, Scott, and Tom

Live Chat Now Available For Customer Service

Live Chat is now available for Customer Service. Simply click on the Live Chat image on www.wcvt.com or www.waitsfieldcable.com to chat with a Customer Service Representative during normal business hours. Technical Support is also available via Chat on the www.gmavt.net website. Just another way of making it easy for you to do business with us!

More Switching Sites And Internet Backbone Upgraded For Faster Speeds

Great news! We are constantly upgrading our telecommunications infrastructure to bring our customers the latest features, services, faster Internet speeds, and improved reliability. This is a perpetual process and something that requires a significant capital investment, time engineering, building physical plant, and equipment installation. All sixty-four of the remote switching sites in our service area are now served by fiber-optics and next generation switching technology has been installed at each of these locations. Recent sites that have been cutover include Vergennes Road, East Street, Elephant Mtn – Bristol, Campground Road - New Haven, Townline Road - Bridport, St George, Lake Rd – Bridport, and Alpine Village – Warren. In addition, we have recently doubled the Internet bandwidth to the world.

Team Participates In Relay For Life

Ten WCVT employees participated in the Central Vermont Relay For Life event held on June 25 at the Montpelier High School. The team raised close to $3,000 for cancer research. Great job Team WCVT!

Employees Volunteer for Special Olympics

A group of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom employees volunteered to help setup for the Special Olympics Vermont 2010 Summer Games held at the University of Vermont. This has become an annual event for the WCVT employee crew who volunteer to help setup for the event.

Scholarship Recipients Announced

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2010 Eunice B. Farr Incentive Award scholarships.

• Champlain Valley Union High School – Jessica Blair, Jericho
• Harwood Union High School – Tanner J. Skilton, Waitsfield
• Mount Abraham Union High School – Tiffany Mierop, Bristol
• Mount Mansfield Union High School – Richard Sawyer, Underhill
• Middlebury Union High School – Kayla Zeno, Shoreham
• Vergennes High School – John Gilbert, Vergennes

Each year, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom awards six scholarships, one to each of the public high schools that students from our service area attend. These scholarships are donated in memory of the late Eunice B. Farr, former owner and operator of the Waitsfield-Fayston Telephone Company and grandmother of Gregg Haskin.

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom Inducted Into Vermont Business Hall Of Fame at UVM Business School

On May 26, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom was inducted into the Vermont Business Hall of Fame located at the University of Vermont's School of Business Administration. As a former winner of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business Award which is sponsored by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. This is the 20th year that VBM has awarded a Vermont company with the Dean C. Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award.

Free Small Business Technology Seminar Coming To An Area Near You!

Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom/Green Mountain Access will be offering FREE Internet technology seminars geared for small businesses and home office users this summer in Hinesburg, Richmond and Bristol. Presenter Kris Merchant, employee of Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, will cover computer networking, ways to protect systems from spyware and viruses, back up strategies, Google search tips, and more.

Seminars are free and open to the general public. Refreshments will be offered, but space is limited. RSVP by selecting the seminar below that you would like to attend. Include your name and contact number in registration e-mail. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to you. For more information, please contact Kris Merchant via e-mail at kmerchant@wcvt.com or call 888-866-8554.

Hinesburg

And The Winner Of One Free Month Of High-Speed Internet Service Is…

Congratulations Ann Kensek for being this month’s winner of one-free month of high-speed Internet service. Ann’s name was chosen at random from customers who completed our monthly Green Mountain Access technical support surveys.

Each month, one name is selected at random from customers who completed our online technical support or new user surveys. Survey requests are sent out via e-mail to customers after calling technical support, or establishing new service. So be sure to fill out those surveys!

• Read an overview of Laszlo Webmail
• View our Laszlo Video Tutorial

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about Laszlo Webmail, please contact our Green Mountain Access Technical Support at 888-321-0815 or via e-mail at support@gmavt.net.

E-mail Scam – Watch For iTunes Gift Certificate Scam

Don't fall for the fake e-mail currently circulating that says you've been given a $50 iTunes Gift Certificate. It asks recipients to open the attached file to access a certificate code that purportedly can be used to buy music and other items from the iTunes Store. The e-mail is not from the iTunes Store, as it claims, but rather from a notorious scam machine known as the Pushdo/Cutwail spambot.

http://www.cornerstonenow.com/newsletter/section-a/2010/10-07_sectionA.jpg

Those who open the attachment will not find a certificate code. Instead, by clicking on it, the recipient may inadvertently launch a malicious application that can install a Trojan horse virus on his or her computer. Once installed, this Trojan can then modify the Windows registry, potentially give hackers access to the infected computer by connecting to a remote server, and download and install even more malware components.

Keep in mind that e-mail notifications of genuine iTunes Gift Certificates will typically include the name of the sender along with a personal message, and will not hide the certificate code in a separate e-mail attachment. So pay close attention to any e-mails you receive that appear to be from the iTunes Store. And as always, think twice before opening any e-mail attachment.

What You Need To Know About Copyrighted Material Online

We have had an increasing number of formal complaints as a result of users downloading or sharing copyrighted content on the Internet. While the Internet has made it easier to download music, movies, photographs, etc., it is illegal to download and share copyrighted material online.

So what constitutes copyrighted material? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) spells out the specifics. http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf Copyright protection can apply to any of the following:

• Literary works
• Music
• Dramatic works
• Art
• Pictures
• Movies
• Software

Copyright infringement occurs when someone reproduces, distributes, or publicly displays copyrighted material without the permission of the owner. Downloading copyrighted material from an unauthorized source, like Bit Torrent, is a copyright infringement. To avoid infringement, copyrighted material can be purchased from an authorized source. This also limits the possibility of downloading viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. Unauthorized use of copyrighted material can result in an infringement action taken against the abuser. If Green Mountain Access becomes aware of copyright infringement, we may be required to take action under the copyright protection law. More information is available at www.copyright.gov. A copy of the Green Mountain Access DMCA policy as well as Acceptable Use Policy can be found at www.gmavt.net/company/policies.shtml.

This Month’s FAQ – What Is Typosquatting And Why Is It A Threat?

Question: I heard that typosquatting is an online threat. What exactly is typosquatting and what do I need to know about it?

Answer: Typosquatting has emerged as a significant threat to Internet users. The term refers to the development of malicious websites with addresses (URLs) that are very similar to those of real websites. These addresses are based on common typing errors like .cm instead of .com; the .cm domain has recently been identified as the riskiest domain in the world because of this practice. Typosquatting also takes advantage of adding an "s" to form a plural word in an address or using common misspellings. If you are lead to one of these malicious sites, such as one that pretends to be a financial institution with which you do business, it could collect your login information for identity theft.
In order to protect yourself from typosquatting, be careful when typing Internet addresses, verify the address before entering login information or downloading files, and use bookmarks in your Web browser so that you do not need to type addresses for websites that you visit regularly.

Vermont Festival of the Great Outdoors – July 9-18th – Mad River Valley

The vast beauty of the Mad River Valley surrounded by the Green Mountains is the perfect setting for river exploration, bird watching opportunities, and many hikes offered during this festival. Visitors of all ages and skill levels will find an event or activity that will make their time at the festival the most fun they have had in the open air. Be it a gardening or kite building class, gap to gap guided hike, bird watching, easy stroll, mountain biking, river kayaking, or star gazing … this festival is an event that will inspire. Step outside and breathe in all the wonders that are the out-of-doors. Visit www.vtoutdoorsfest.com for a complete list of events!

32nd Annual Middlebury Summer Festival on-the-Green – July 11 - 17 - Middlebury

The Village Green serves as a picturesque venue for the Middlebury Summer Festival on-the-Green celebrating its 32nd Anniversary Season during the week of July 11th through 17th, 2010. The Festival opens on Sunday, July 11th, at 7 p.m. with a lively performance by Kinobe and Soul Beat Africa. “Brown Bag” family-friendly programs are presented from noon until 1 p.m. and evening musical performances from 7 til 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. Highlights include Jer Coons, The Doughboys, Mike and Ruthy, Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand Band, Robinella, The Frank Vignola Trio, The Nathan Childers Quintet, Le Vent du Nord, Brooks Williams, and Mac Arnold and Plate Full’O Blues. A Street Dance to the “big band” sound of the Vermont Jazz Ensemble closes the Festival on Saturday evening, July 17th, beginning at 7 p.m. Festival events are held rain or shine. Free admission (donations accepted). For additional information, visit www.festivalonthegreen.org, or call 802/462-3555.

Small Boat Festival - July 17-18 – Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Celebrate clean, green, sustainable fun! Looking for recreation and vacation opportunities that are close to home, affordable, and good for the environment? That is just what small boats are! For more information, call 475-2022 or visit www.lcmm.org.

Ferrisburgh Day - July 24 – Ferrisburgh

Open house, switchel and activities at Ferrisburgh Historical Society, Vermont-grown lunch at Ferrisburgh Central School and visit children's vegetable gardens and the new wind turbine, Community Sing-along at Crossroads Chapel, Artistic works of Ferrisburgh artists at the Grange Hall-Community Center, Van Deweert antique tractors and the Ferrisburgh Fire Station opens the fire trucks. Free admission to Maritime Museum and Rokeby Homestead for Ferrisburgh residents. Salad Supper at the Ferrisburgh Community Church begins at 5:30 PM.

Nestech Concerts In The Park – July 7 – August 5 - Hinesburg

Every year the Hinesburg Recreation Department is pleased to present the Nestech Concerts in the Park. Concerts are held Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. throughout July and early August at the gazebo behind the Hinesburg Community School in the Village. Wednesday evenings 6-8 pm located behind Hinesburg Community School. Rain date is Thursday, unless otherwise noted.

July 7 - PossumHaw
July 14 - Shellhouse
July 21 - The Michele Fay Band
July 28 - The Cribbs
August 5 - Hinesburg Community Band*
*Please note that HCB will perform on a Thursday evening.

Healthy Home Cooking

http://www.mealsmatter.com
The Meals Matter website helps you prepare healthy meals at home. This free site offers a variety of tools, including a grocery list, meal planner, nutrition planner, and cookbook. You can also take calcium and food personality quizzes to help you get on track. Visit the Nutrition & Healthy Living section to read up on nutrition and healthy living topics, or check out the Recipes & Meal Ideas section for quick meals and meal suggestions. How does Almond Chicken Dijon sound for dinner tonight?

Help With Finances

http://www.mymoney.gov/index.html
Financial management can be complicated, but there are good resources out there. This site is dedicated to financial literacy and education for all Americans. You will find tips on starting a new business, how to buy health insurance, how to prepare for retirement, and much more, including the new rules regarding credit cards and overdraft fees. Calculators, worksheets, and checklists make it easy to get your financial life in order.

Want To Volunteer?

http://www.serve.gov
A situation like this year's Gulf oil spill reminds us that there are people in need of help--not just in disaster situations, but in everyday life. Whether you want to assist animals, youth, or the environment, this site can help you find ways to use your passion and knowledge to benefit others in your community. Just use the easy interface to search for opportunities. You can also post information if your organization needs volunteers.

Thanks for your business! Best regards,
GMA Tech Support Team
Green Mountain Access
Mechanicsville Rd Hinesburg, VT 05461
888-321-0815 (toll-free) 802-496-8598(local)

Green Mountain Access | Tech Support | Newsletter Archive

(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

©2004 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.