Surf safer with OpenDNS: worried about phishing scams? Tweak your network settings.(SECRETS)

Consumer Reports recently advised Mac users to dump Safari in favor of Firefox or another Web browser. The main reason: Safari doesn't have the built-in protection against phishing scams that Firefox, Opera, and some other browsers do.

Phishing is when nefarious programmers set up fake Web sites, then attempt to dupe you into divulging personal information. They can then sell that information or use it for identity theft.

We've told you before what you can do about phishing. (For a summary of that advice, see "Commonsense Precautions.") But there's another tool you can use in your defense, a free service that will give any browser on your Mac--including Safari--a full set of antiphishing tools (plus other security features). That service is called OpenDNS, and it's a free replacement for your ISP's domain name servers, which you're probably using now.

How It Works

A domain name server looks up addresses in the Domain Name System (DNS). It translates domain names (www.macworld.com, for example) into numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (70.42.185.230, in the case of Macworld.com). When your browser loads a Web site, it uses this IP address to find the site's server.

By default, you probably use the DNS servers that your ISP provides. (You can see which DNS servers you're using in System Preferences: Network.) These servers are typically specified automatically when you set up your Internet connection. But just as there are numerous phone directories available, there are many different DNS servers you can use--you aren't required to stick with the ones your ISP offers. OpenDNS is one such alternative.

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It's also one that comes with features your ISP's DNS servers probably lack. One of those features is phishing protection. Once you've set your Mac to use OpenDNS's DNS servers, the service will check any URLs you're trying to reach against a list of sites suspected of operating phishing schemes (OpenDNS's own PhishTank project maintains the list). If a site you're trying to reach is on the list, OpenDNS will block access to it. And you get that protection not only in your browser, but in any application that uses DNS, such as an RSS reader.

OpenDNS can provide this service for free because it changes the way your browser behaves when you enter a nonexistent URL. If you enter, say, asdfjklasjxznn.com in your browser, you'll normally get a "page not found" error message. But if you load it using OpenDNS, you'll get an ad. If that bothers you, you can pass on the service. To my mind, it's a small price to pay.

Setting It Up

The details of using OpenDNS instead of your ISP's DNS servers vary depending on your version of OS X, your Internet connection, and your current DNS configuration. I can't spell out specific steps for every permutation of OS X and network setup. But I can provide some generic advice, a specific example, and a pointer to OpenDNS's own user-friendly installation instructions.

First, here is the generic advice: To replace your ISP's DNS servers with OpenDNS's, reread the installation instructions that your ISP provided. When you get to the step about setting up the DNS servers, replace whatever DNS server IP addresses your ISP has given you with OpenDNS's addresses: 208.67 .222 .222 and 208. 67 .220 .220. Save your changes, and you're done.

To give one example, say you're using the following setup: you're running OS X 10.5 on a machine that connects to the Internet via AirPort, and the DNS server is defined on that Mac, rather than assigned remotely by another machine on the network.

Launch System Preferences and open the Network pane. Select AirPort in the leftmost column and click on Advanced. In the new sheet that drops down, click on the DNS tab, and then click on the plus sign (+) at the bottom left of the DNS Servers window. The cursor will move to a blank line in that window; there, type the first OpenDNS DNS server address, 208.67.222.222. Click on the plus sign again, and then enter the second OpenDNS address, 208.67.220.220.

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If you see any other addresses listed above these new entries, click on each one and then click on the minus sign (-) to remove them. (If you see grayed-out entries, that means another machine--your AirPort Base Station or another router, for instance--is providing the DNS server information. If that's the case, you'll need to change that machine's DNS server information to point to the OpenDNS servers.) When only the OpenDNS servers'

The OpenDNS Web site has a number of how-to guides for OS X and other operating systems, as well as for 14 different brands of home routers, including the AirPort Base Station.

The changes you've made should take effect in about a minute or less. To confirm that your system is using the new DNS, open up Terminal (in Applications: Utilities), and type nslookup www .macworld.com.

That should return the IP address of Macworld.com, as well as the address of the DNS server that did the lookup; in this case, the latter should be 208.67.222.222 or 208.67.220.220.

The Final Word

Changing DNS servers isn't difficult, and OpenDNS can offer a good line of defense against phishing scams. But no antiphishing tool is 100 percent accurate, so you should still practice "safe clicking." Also, OpenDNS doesn't work for everyone. If that's the case for you, the advice in "Commonsense Precautions" could still help you avoid the phisher's hook.

Rob Griffiths is a senior editor at Macworld.

RELATED ARTICLE: Commonsense Precautions

Despite the technical tools that are available, such as OpenDNS, common sense is your best defense against phishing scams. Here are two basic rules for keeping your self safe.

Be Careful What You Click On I recently received an e-mail purporting to be from Google's Ad Words program. The text of the e-mail asked me to go to http;//adwords .google.com/select/login and update my payment information--in other words, my credit card number.

Trouble is, the URL shown in text wasn't the URL that the link actually pointed to. In Safari and other browsers, if you have the Status bar showing (in Safari, View: Show Status Bar), you can hover the cursor over a link and see what URL it really points to; if you hover your cursor over links in iChat and Mail, the real URL will appear in a little pop-up window.

I won't tell you the URL the fake link really pointed to (just in case you might be tempted to go there). Let's say that it was http://www.adwords.google.com .xxyyzz.cn/select/Login.

While the first part of the URL looks legitimate, the end--xxyyzz.cn--doesn't. . It's a good idea to read URLs from right to left. If the end of the domain isn't what: you'd expect, don't go there.

Even if the URLs agree, it could still be ". a phishing attempt. If you get an e-mail purporting to be from your bank that asks you to follow a link and provide some account information, instead type your bank's URL in your browser directly, then log in to your account. If the message is legit, you should see a copy there.

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Be Careful What You Say if you do click on a Web link or an e-mail link, use good judgment about providing information.

Simple common sense should tell you to be wary of any Web site that asks for any confidential information, such as your Social Security number, credit card number, bank account, or bank routing number. Triple-check the site URL before providing such data. addresses are visible, click on OK. In the AirPort screen, click on Apply.

Quark updates publishing system.(News Flash)(Quark Publishing System )(Brief article)

Quark introduced Quark Publishing System (QPS) 7, the latest version of its collaborative workflow software. The system is based around its desktop publishing software QuarkXPress 7 and has system requirements of Mac OSX v10.4.9 or later, Java J2SE Runtime Environment 1.5, QuarkXPress 7.2.1, and Quark License Administrator 4.0.1.

QPS enables publishers, newspapers, and magazines to create and manage a digital document workflow while linking editorial and design systems around QuarkXPress. New features include an open standards-based architecture that supports an unlimited number of publications in one system, server-side scripting support for QuarkXPress 7 and QuarkCopyDesk7, and QPS Web Editor, which allows users to write, edit, and copyfit text over the Internet.

Source: Quark (www.quark.com)

Jarden Corporation to Release Third Quarter Results and Broadcast Review Over the Internet.

Q3 Earnings Per Share Expected to Exceed $0.75

Jarden Corporation will release its third quarter earnings on Monday October 28, 2002 and invites investors to listen to a broadcast of the Company's conference call to discuss the results. The conference call will broadcast live on Monday, October 28, 2002 at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time at http://www.jarden.com/financials.htm and will be archived online within one hour of the completion of the conference call until November 28, 2002. Participating in the call will be Martin E. Franklin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; and Ian Ashken, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer.

The Company expects to report third quarter earnings per share in excess of $0.75, significantly higher than the current $0.62 First Call consensus estimate. The better-than-anticipated results are primarily being driven by stronger operating margins resulting from the mix of sales within Jarden's consumer product group and lower SG&A expense, which continues the trend experienced in the first half of 2002.

Prior to the earnings release, the Company will be filing amendments to its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and its Form 10-Q's for the quarters ended March 31, 2002 and June 30, 2002. The amendments are being filed to reflect more reportable segments than previously filed.

Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in home food preservation. Jarden's consumer products group is the U.S. market leader in home vacuum packaging systems and accessories, under the FoodSaver(R) brand and home canning and related products, primarily under the Ball(R), Kerr(R) and Bernardin(R) brands. Jarden's materials based group is the country's largest producer of zinc strip and manufactures plastic parts for other equipment manufacturers.

Note: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws and is intended to qualify for the Safe Harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the outlook for Jarden's markets and the demand for its products. These projections and statements are based on management's estimates and assumptions with respect to future events and financial performance and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of certain factors. A discussion of factors that could cause results to vary are included in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X78402561

Contact: Investors - Suzanne Rosenberg or Melissa Myron, or Press - Evan Goetz or Jennifer McCullam, +1-212-850-5600, all for Jarden Corporation

Website: http://www.jarden.com/ http://www.jarden.com/financials.htm

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/031675.html

IT at your service; Schaeffer sees unified data system as a key solution.(Supplement: CEO IT Achievement Award)

Byline: Laura B. Benko

Tired of watching physicians shuffling folders and scribbling on prescription pads, Leonard Schaeffer decided it was time to jump-start the medical community's move into the digital age.

In January, the chairman and chief executive officer of health insurance giant WellPoint Health Networks launched a bold initiative to get computers into the hands of physicians. Under the program, the nation's second-largest insurer supplied $42 million worth of desktop and hand-held computers to 20,000 of its busiest network physicians and secured substantial discounts on the equipment for its 170,000 other contracting doctors.

The PCs help physicians file claims via the Internet, eliminating heaps of paperwork. The hand-held devices submit prescriptions to pharmacists electronically and red-flag potential drug interactions, reducing the risk of human error. Both can be used by physicians for all their patients-many of whom are covered by other insurers.

Instead of seeking a direct return on investment, Schaeffer says the program was designed to boost the quality and efficiency of healthcare industrywide and to create the critical mass of computer-savvy physicians needed to spur more rapid adoption of the technology. So far, just under one-third of doctors use e-prescription devices regularly, even though studies show broad use of such tools could prevent 95% of adverse drug events.

"The thinking was: If we're really going to bring healthcare into the 21st century, we have to stop talking about it and start doing something,'' Schaeffer says. "We said, `Rather than whine, wish and hope for change, we can do something huge to embarrass, cajole or prod the healthcare community forward.' ... We're big enough at this point where we have to take those kinds of responsibilities and can make those kinds of investments.''

It's for this commitment to advancing healthcare technology-both within and outside WellPoint-that Schaeffer was named a recipient of the 2004 Modern Healthcare/HIMSS CEO IT Achievement Award. He is the first insurance industry executive to win the honor, which has been presented to five healthcare leaders over the past two years.

"This is a classic example of a company leading with its beliefs and willing to invest in its beliefs,'' says Larry Grandia, chief technol- ogy officer at Premier, and one of the award judges. "Their willingness to fund PCs as a front-end investment shows you just how committed they are to healthcare technology.''

Indeed, IT has played a central role in WellPoint's transformation from a nearly insolvent health plan in 1986 to what will become the nation's largest health insurer when it completes its merger with Anthem later this year. The company currently covers 15 million members primarily through Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in California, Georgia, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Commitment and leadership

Schaeffer envisions a future in which the healthcare industry provides service with the same automation and seamless interconnectivity as banking. "You used to have to go to your local branch with your bank book ... Now you can withdraw money from virtually any ATM nationwide and access your account information at any time,'' the 58-year-old executive says. "Healthcare has to move toward that same functionality.''

WellPoint put its money where its mouth is in the year 2001, when it began plowing more than $400 mil- lion annually into cutting- edge technologies that were aimed at improving customer service, strengthening com-munication with providers, cutting administrative costs and establishing itself as what Schaeffer calls an industry "infomediary.''

The massive undertaking has centered on building a single, unified information system that allows the company's numerous business units to share financial, benefit, provider and member data through common applications. Previously, WellPoint ran a hodgepodge of disparate computer systems that stored records in incompatible forms, stalling communication between departments and making even the most basic system upgrades a chore.

"Before, every time we made a change, we had to do it 10 different times. Now we can do it once across the entire enterprise,'' says Anil Kottoor, WellPoint's chief application development officer.

The overhaul, for instance, has helped WellPoint become the first national insurer to complete the enormous task of replacing every member's Social Security number with a discreet identifier. The new numbers are expected to reduce the risk of fraud while helping the company and its physicians comply with privacy laws.

Significantly, Schaeffer looked outside the healthcare industry for inspiration, studying financial-services firms and other customer-focused companies such as Federal Express Corp. He decided that if WellPoint was to truly be successful, its operations would have to rival those of not other insurers but of top companies in every industry.

"When customers (evaluate) their insurer's service, they compare it to the best customer service they've received from banks, airlines, phone companies, etceteras, not other insurers,'' Schaeffer says. "The healthcare industry does a very poor job at customer service because it's still comparing itself to itself.''

To head up the project, Schaeffer hired Ron Ponder as chief information officer. Ponder, who declined repeated requests for interviews, is known for having designed FedEx's highly successful nationwide package-tracking system and spearheading major technology overhauls at AT&T Corp. and Sprint Corp. The two then set out to assemble a top team of IT experts, filling the ranks of WellPoint's management with technicians from such companies as Hewlett-Packard Co., General Electric Co. and BellSouth Corp.

The new infrastructure is helping WellPoint improve customer service by speeding up response times. Because its entire customer-support team now shares the same integrated system, a member can get answers to any number of questions from a single representative, instead of being transferred from department to department. The setup also allows representatives at, say, the Georgia Blues to handle overflow if call volume becomes too heavy at the company's Blue Cross of California unit, Kottoor says.

Elevating IT

Ironically, Schaeffer graduated in 1969 with an economics degree from Princeton University-which at the time prided itself as liberal arts college where "gentlemen scholars'' weren't taught the technical side of things.

But invariably, his colleagues say he quickly absorbs what he needs to know and can readily conceptualize even the most complex technologies. "You'd be amazed,'' Kottoor says. "When we do IT presentations for Wall Street investors and analysts, he gets up there and handles most of it himself. Some people don't get it when it comes to technology; he's one of those people who really do.''

Premier's Grandia, who has heard Schaeffer speak at a number of industry conferences, agrees. "He is extremely good at articulating the value of the technology and the benefits achieved from investing in it,'' he says.

Schaeffer developed his healthcare chops under President Carter as head of the Health Care Financing Administration, now the CMS. Then only 33, the Evanston, Ill., native had already served as state budget director for Illinois and as a vice president of Citibank. He later moved on to head up Group Health Inc. of Minnesota

When Schaeffer took over WellPoint, then called Blue Cross of California, the company was losing $165 million a year and struggling with a disastrous IT conversion. "Things were so botched up that we didn't even know how many claims we were paying in a day or month,'' Schaeffer recalls with frustration. "I arrived on Feb. 15 (1986), and four months later discovered we were charging discount rates but paying at nondiscount rates.''

One of Schaeffer's first orders of business was to create an online, real-time information system where all of WellPoint's performance goals and measures are stored so that managers can regularly track the progress of each business unit. "We have annual, quarterly, monthly and sometimes daily performance metrics, so everyone knows where they stand at any given time,'' he says. "It creates positive peer pressure.''

Schaeffer also reorganized WellPoint's management so the CIO reports directly to him instead of the chief financial officer. Ponder now takes part in all strategic planning, financial and board meetings so that information technology is part of every key business decision.

In addition, Schaeffer formed an IT governance committee, which includes the presidents of each subsidiary as well as representatives from the medical management, finance, actuarial and strategic planning departments. The group meets every month to prioritize IT projects and share updates on the integration progress.

Schaeffer insists that all IT projects need to be broken down into manageable, six-month phases, says David Helwig, president and CEO of Blue Cross of California.

"We've all heard of health insurers launching these massive, multiyear IT projects, and 99 times out of 100 they fail,'' he says. "Our focus (as a committee) is on what gets implemented within six months, then what gets implemented in the next six months, rather than looking for a big bang down the road.''

Measurable results

These days, WellPoint is widely regarded as one of the nation's best-run health insurers.

It was recently named Fortune's most admired healthcare company for a sixth straight year and found a place on Forbes' 2004 Platinum 400 Honor Roll of the 25 best-managed companies in America. Schaeffer himself was named one of Modern Healthcare's 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare last year and received the UCLA Anderson School of Management's 2003 Information Systems Associate Executive Leadership Award.

Since 1999, WellPoint has more than doubled its membership and nearly tripled both its revenue and profits. Last year, it reported record earnings of $935 million, a 33% increase over 2002, on $20.4 billion in net revenue.

The company has also whittled down its expenses over the years with the launch of several new technologies, including an in-house electronic claims-processing system and a self-service Internet site for members.

Its administrative costs have fallen to 12.3% of operating revenue in 2003 from 14% in 2000 and 15.3% in 1998. And it expects to enjoy $75 million in information technology savings a year when it merges with Anthem.

Roughly 64% of WellPoint's more than 100 million annual claims are now received electronically and 56.4% are processed without any manual intervention. That's up from 61% and 47.8%, respectively, at the end of 2002. And Schaeffer expects those numbers to improve in coming years as its physician-computer initiative takes hold.

"The cost to process a paper claim is roughly 21/2 times the cost to process an electronic claim, so clearly there are significant savings to be realized as we help get the right equipment into physicians' hands,'' he says.

Electronic claims submission also makes for more timely data to analyze medical cost trends-a critical tool for health insurers as they begin to take on a central role in reshaping the healthcare industry, Schaeffer says.

Insurers, he says, are poised to emerge as healthcare "infomediaries'' that collect and interpret mountains of data, then feed it back to consumers and providers so they can make better healthcare decisions.

In Schaeffer's view, a database that constantly collects information from all over the country would be able to tell providers what the best treatment is for a specific illness and tell patients where the best place is to have that procedure performed. In turn, insurers could price their policies more effectively, ultimately reining in healthcare inflation.

"We want to drive evidence-based medicine,'' he says.

CAPTION(S):

WellPoint's Schaeffer counts on information technology to not only improve service delivered to members but also to raise the quality of healthcare industrywide.

The Grocery Game Debuts New 'Hot Local Grocery Deals' Widget.

Grocery Game widget for blogs and websites instantly shows local grocery coupons and deals to visitors.

LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TheGroceryGame.com, the largest grocery savings website in the world, has launched a brand new widget for blogs and websites looking to engage visitors and increase traffic with premium content that offers up-to-date information on coupons and local deals in their areas.

The all new Grocery Game "Hot Local Grocery Deals" widget can be placed on nearly any blog or website, and will keep visitors updated on the very latest local hot deals and grocery savings by listing sale items at their local grocery stores, where to find coupons, the percentage they will save with each deal, and more. The widget automatically displays deals in the blog/website owner's default zip code when visitors first load the page, but they can change the zip code to automatically view deals in their own areas.

"Blogs and websites are always looking for fresh content, and internet users want the most up-to-date information on grocery store coupons and deals," said Teri Gault, founder and CEO of TheGroceryGame.com. "This handy widget enables visitors to blogs and websites to view real-time updates on local deals in a Facebook/Twitter-feed type way that is fast, easy and convenient."

The key benefits of the Grocery Game's "Hot Local Grocery Deals" include:

* Seamless integration: Just copy and paste the code into any blog or website.

* Customization and personalization: Each widget is personalized by a default zip code, and can be changed to a visitor's zip code; custom pixel sizes can be requested.

* Maximized savings: Blog and website visitors stay notified of the best times to use coupons with local advertised and un-advertised deals at their favorite stores.

To configure your very own Grocery Game Hot Local Grocery Deals Widget, visit http://www.thegrocerygame.com/share/widgets/hot-deals. For more information about the Grocery Game, visit http://www.thegrocerygame.com.

About The Grocery Game:

The Grocery Game was founded by Teri Gault, whose hobby of collecting coupons and matching them to grocery store sales became a passion. Teri would share her money saving ideas with family and friends who were impressed by her attention to detail and her ability to predict sales trends. The Grocery Game offers the Grocery Game, "Teri's List," and printable grocery coupons in all 50 states and internationally.

SOURCE TheGroceryGame.com

YAHOO TO SUPPORT INNOVATIVE TALENT IN TAIWAN WEB-BASED SERVICES.

TAIPEI, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - Yahoo-Kimo Inc., the Taiwan unit of Yahoo Inc., plans to help foster the development of innovative talent in the field of web-based products and services, the company's vice president said Wednesday.

The search engine said it will provide selected groups with office space and infrastructure at its headquarters in the Nangang Software Park in Taipei, and will offer consultancy services on technological problems, if required.

"For people who want to develop innovative products or technologies, it is hard to gain attention in the beginning because of the limited scale of the Taiwan market, " said Frank Chen, vice president and managing director of Yahoo-Kimo, at a press conference in Taipei.

"We will welcome groups that are dedicated to innovative research related to our core business, such as Internet services, mobile services, social networking and electronic business," he said.

The company plans to invite four or five groups to join the pilot project, then Yahoo-Kimo will choose one or two from among them to help promote its products and services, he said.

The selected groups could be recruited to Yahoo-Kimo, or invited to engage in joint ventures, Chen said.

He declined to disclose the cost of the project.

The gross merchandise value of Yahoo-Kimo's electronic business, including online auctions and service on its shopping platforms, grew to NT$36 billion (US$1.22 billion) in 2010 from NT$10 billion in 2009 after the company merged in 2008 with Monday Tech Co., a local business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping operator.

The company has projected that its electronic business will grow at a higher rate than the 20 per cent forecast for the overall market in Taiwan, which will reach an estimated total value of NT$430 billion this year, up from NT$358.3 billion in 2010.

(CNA) ms 03-03 1034

[c]ANilofar for discouraging privatisation of PTDC assets.

Senate Standing Committee on Tourism Chairperson, Nilofar Bakhtiar, on Monday said that privatisation of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation's (PTDC) assets needs to be discouraged and they need to be retained by the federal government.

Nilofar made these comments while chairing a meeting of the committee, held at a local hotel. Nilofar said that due to its corporate status and being the country's flag-bearer at international forums/seminars/exhibitions, the senate standing committee recommended PTDC's retention with the federal government. Senator Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Senator Sabina Rauf, Senator Farah Aqil and Senator Gulshan Saeed were also present in the meeting. Nilofar advised the PTDC to regularise the services of its contractual and daily wage employees, especially those in the seasonal and remote areas, and suggested launching special packages in the holy month of Ramazan.

She said that the PTDC should take up the matter with the relevant authorities to ease visa restrictions for Sikh yatris from India and other countries. Nilofar directed the PTDC to review licence agreements of its motels and restaurants that were leased out to private sector. Efforts should be made to vacate the encroached lands/properties of the PTDC and the matter of Gaddani Beach may be taken up with the Senate Standing Committee on Shipping, she said. PTDC Managing Director, Sareer Mohammad Khan, briefed the committee regarding different functions, objectives, performance and future plans of the corporation.

He said the PTDC was setting up tourist facilitation centers in all provincial capitals, including Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and Islamabad, with latest facilities for tourists that included fax, email /internet, conference hall, audio and visual system. He informed the committee that the PTDC had also planned to set up tourist facilities along the coastline of Balochistan.

General Manager (Hotels/Motels) Iftikhar Satti, apprised the committee that the main objective of the PTDC was to promote and project a soft image of Pakistan through publications, advertisements and participation in tourism events, along with development of tourist infrastructure in those areas of the country where the private sector was shy to invest. Ministry of Tourism's Economic Analyst, Zafarullah Siddiqui, and general managers from the PTDC's planning and development, finance, accounts and other vital areas also attended the meeting.

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