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The New York State Police has reported a hoax e-mail, purporting to be a Uniform Traffic Ticket issued by the department of motor vehicles. The e-mail subject line may be labeled "UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET" and the e-mail contains a zip file, believed to contain a computer virus, police said. The material is currently under analysis by the states computer forensics lab.
According to police, the current hoax may be related to one that circulated through Yahoo in July. This time, however, different types of e-mail accounts are under attack. If you receive such an e-mail, the police advise not to open it and to update and run antivirus software. Do not contact the police department.
The state police have compiled the following list of cyber-crime prevention tips:
Use antivirus software, firewalls, and other security measures to protect your personal information.
Only open emails from familiar sources and only navigate to trusted sites.
Change your passwords every 90 days and do not allow your computers programs to save them.
Backup important files to external storage devices and be vigilant when downloading from the Internet.
Install parental control software and monitor your childs Internet use to keep kids safe online.
Establish family guidelines for appropriate computer use.
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