Despite the winter storms that have been hitting mid-Missouri recently, we are still making progress on our fiber Internet and phone network in Millersburg and Fulton, MO.
 
We are now accepting pre-orders in some areas south of Highway F (view the map). This means you can select your package and set up your account in advance. Then, a representative will contact you shortly before your area goes live in order to schedule an installation.

You can enter your address on our website to view available packages and updates for your area.

And don’t forget to tell your friends and neighbors about Socket! When a new customer mentions your name when signing up, we’ll give you both a $25 credit. Thanks for helping us spread the word about our fiber Internet and phone services.

For more information on Socket’s fiber project, visit www.socket.net/fiber or call us at 1-800-762-5383.

It's hard to believe it's already the 10th Anniversary of the True/False Film Festival, and we're proud to be sponsoring this local gem for what promises to be its biggest year yet!

Stop by downtown Columbia between Feb. 28-March 3 to join in the fun - there are some fantastic films being hosted, as well as the usual festivities all around town. There will be regular showtimes in over 9 locations around Columbia ranging from Jesse Hall to Ragtag Cinema on Hitt St, with lots to do in between.

This year’s list of films features 42 titles in all, including 6 secret screenings to be announced at a later date. The event draws several out-of-town visitors and even some national attention in recent years. With articles on sites like Indiewire.com already touting how great the festival is, this year's festival is likely to boast record attendance.

Get information on True/False passes. 

For a list of this year’s films, check out their program online.

We hope to see you there!

For a while, it was looking like the weather would do us a favor… but it turns out the Polar Plunge this weekend will be living up to its name.

Don’t worry – it hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm (pun intended). In fact, a few of our number are excited that it’s gotten cold again.

We worry about them. If you’d like to see over 20 Socketeers in costume jumping into a freezing lake, or even better, if you’d like to support Special Olympics Missouri, come on out to the Polar Plunge this Saturday at 2 PM, at Stephens Lake. We'll be part of the costume parade (see if you can guess all the fictional characters we're dressed up as)!

If you would like to support Socket's team, visist our Polar Plunge Team Page.

And to our fellow plungers this weekend - Geronimo! We can’t wait!

In summary, yes!  But don’t panic – it’s not very complicated, no matter what those flashing pop-ups and late night TV ads might tell you.

An antivirus program helps defend your computer from malware – “malicious software” – which includes not just viruses, but trojans and worms too. (We’ll explain the differences in a second.) To make sure you’re getting the best out of your antivirus software, only use one (as multiple programs are likely to interfere with each other) and make sure it is always up to date. An antivirus program has to be constantly given new information about current threats in order to be effective.

Here are a few types of threats that antivirus software can help keep away from your computer:

• Virus: A code that attaches itself to a piece of software you already have. When you attempt to use that software, the virus will activate. It is also capable of replicating itself in order to spread to other computers (thus the name “virus”).

• Worm: Unlike a virus, it can run independently of any software, making it easier for it to infect your computer. It, too, is capable of self-replication.

• Trojan: Named after the Trojan Horse, it masquerades as a gift or free program in order to get you to install it to your computer. While the program may work as described, it may also have extra hidden functions – like capturing and recording as much info as it can to send back to its controller.

Malware can be any combination of the above as well. Updates are extremely important to complete antivirus protection. When hackers get thwarted by antivirus software, they make changes to their malware. Once those changes are reported, antivirus programmers will add an update to thwart the hacker’s newest tricks. So if your antivirus program hasn’t been updated for a while, it’s on the losing end of a malware arms race.

Finally, remember what we said about trojans? They’ll disguise themselves as something helpful – like free antivirus programs. Make sure you’re getting your antivirus from somewhere reputable, and not a flashing web ad or a late-night TV infomercial. Socket offers a discount on 1-year subscriptions to Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ to our customers, so feel free to call any of our friendly techs at 1-800-762-5383 if you'd like to learn more!