Annoyed by spam supposedly from "okno.com"?
So are we.

Like many of our clients, we have been increasingly inundated with "spam" or junk e-mails (more formally called unsolicited commercial emails, or UCE). More recently, however, we noted an increase in junk email that purports to be from addresses at okno.com, sometimes even including what appears to be a link to our website in the text - though the link does not actually lead here. In some cases, the messages are actually attempts to spread computer viruses or "trojan horse" programs that may create computer security breaches.

Okno Group does not send out spam
We have never sent e-mail messages to anyone who has not already contacted us about our products or services, and we always honor requests from recipients of our legitimate e-mail to be removed from our database. We also do not buy, sell, trade, or otherwise transfer lists of e-mail addresses. We have worked hard to ensure that our clients, customers, and visitors to our web site have their privacy protected, and that our computing resources are not open to misuse by third parties. For more information on Okno Group's policies on information use, please see our privacy policy.

How does our name get on spam?
Over the last several years, the creators and administrators of the Internet's infrastructure have worked dilligently to increase security of the myriad servers that provide services to Internet users. Among other things, programs that process and forward e-mail have been made more secure, and service providers have worked to ensure that only authorized users of a system are allowed to send out e-mail through that system, and that they are properly identified in messages they send.

Unfortunately, there are some service providers around the world who have not (or will not) take such measures, and continue to allow junk messages to be sent with falsified "From" header information (this is called "spoofing"). This allows marketers to spam millions of e-mail addresses with their message while ducking responsibility for any problems they cause (because if a message is bounced or returned, it will go to an innocent third party). There are also some viruses and "trojan horse" programs which propagate themselves in this way, normally without the knowledge of the computer's owner.

What can be done?
While it is difficult, for technical and legal reasons, to stop junk e-mail, Okno Group supports efforts in the Internet community to limit unsolicited commercial e-mail and particularly to ensure that the senders of such e-mail are always properly identified. We have also put considerable effort into making certain that our own servers and other computing resources cannot be misused by intruders.

We also recommend the same steps that we take in our own offices:

• Be cautious about where and to whom you give your e-mail address
• Keep your operating system and internet-related software up to date so that you have the benefit of the latest security updates
• Do not open an e-mail attachment you were not expecting, even if it appears to come from a trusted source, unless you can verify its origin (some viruses can hijack a computer's e-mail program and use your address book to send out copies of itself)
• Consider using a "spam" filtering program, a mail program that includes filtering features, or filtering facilities that may be offered by your internet service provider
• Consider using an "anti-virus" or other security product that monitors your system for suspicious activity and known viruses
• Consider using a software or hardware "firewall" to protect your computer from unauthorized intrusions, especially if you have a permanent, high speed connection to the Internet (such as a DSL or cable modem connection)

We have collected below a list of resources for those interested in tools and information about fighting spam and about computer security generally which we hope will help all visitors to our site make their computer environment safer and more productive.

Resources
Please note that while Okno Group may use some of these products or resources, their listing here is solely for informational purposes and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by Okno Group. These listings include some of the better-known resources, but are be no means exhaustive.

Spam-fighting tools

A number of commerical or free e-mail client programs now include junk mail filtering options, either using lists of key words or statistical techniques to identify messages that are likely to be junk mail. Such progams include: Microsoft's Outlook, and Entourage, Apple's Mail program (included with OS X), and Qualcomm's Eurdora.

You can also use a separate filtering tool, some of which may work better as add-ons to e-mail client software and others which may be more appropriate for those who have their own mail servers. An example of the former is Matterform's Spamfire (for Mac and Windows); an example of the latter is SpamAssassin, which is widely used on Unix-based systems.

Some articles:

• "Privacy Watch: Why Your Friends Believe You're Selling Viagra" (PC World, July 2004)
• "Spam-Proof Your In-box" (PC World, June 2004)
• "Email Servers for OS X" (Macworld, April 2004)
• "Hassle-Free E-Mail" (PC World, March 2004)
• "Server Side Utilities and Services [spam filters]" (Macworld, April 2003)
• "Mac OS X Email Guide: Which Option Is Right for You?" (Macworld, Oct. 2002)

Computer security

An entire industry has developed around computer security, including its own profession. Now that so many individuals have full-time connections to the Internet at home through DSL or cable connections, computer security issues have come home as well. The following list includes resources useful to home users, small offices and even larger organizations.

The CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon Univ. is an important security resource for computer users and security professionals. Among a wealth of resources, they offer primers on home computing security and on security of the Internet.

The US Government's Computer Incident Advisory Center (CIAC), located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, maintains up-to-date information on current Internet viruses as well as Internet hoaxes ("urban legends") that circulate by e-mail. They also have public information on computer and network security designed for government agencies.

The SANS Institute is a non-profit organization of computer security professionals that offers detailed information on computer security issues as well as publications and training opportunities for server and network administrators.

The Symantec Corporation, the publisher of a range of computer security products, maintains a Security Response section on their website that outlines current computer security issues and virus threats. McAfee, another software publisher, also maintains a virus information page.

A number of hardware manufacturers make routers and specialized hardware that can serve as network firewalls. One well known firm is SonicWall, which makes specialized router/firewalls they call "security appliances."

Operating system publishers also maintain security information pages: Apple Computer describes the security features and capabilities of their Mac OS X operating system, offers security-related support, as well as security information for web developers using Apple server software. Likewise, Microsoft has a resource page for security issues, products and updates related to their Windows family of operating systems and other software.

Some articles:

• "Security Tips: Keep Viruses, Worms, and Spyware Off Your PC" (PC World, Oct. 2004)
• "What You Should Know About Firewalls" (PC World, Aug. 2004)
• "Special Report: Intrusion Detection Systems" (InfoWorld, Aug. 2004)
• "Bigger Threats, Better Defense [Security Tools tests]" (PC World, June 2004)
• "Paranoid Penguin: Seven Top Security Tools" (Linux Journal, Feb 2004)
• Security Guide to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (2003)
• The SANS Institute's Information Security Reading Room has hundreds of downloadable white papers on various aspects of computer security, from securing home computers to arcane technical issues. Their Resource Guide to Computer Security has an extensive set of links to more detailed information.