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TAC Policies on Software Distribution

The best way to protect your computer from harm is to never use software from an unknown source. Malicious users often use "Trojan Horses" to deliver harmful software onto users' computers. A Trojan Horse is a piece of software that appears to do something useful, but which actually performs hidden, usually damaging, activities on the user's computer. Frequently, malicious users send software via email, claiming that it is a product upgrade or patch from a vendor or service provider.

The Technical Assistance Center never distributes software directly via email.

• We distribute software on physical media like CD ROMs and floppy disks.
• We distribute upgrades via the Internet. When we do this, the software will be available via our web site, http://www.shastalink.com.
• We occasionally send email to customers to inform them that software is available. However, the email will only provide links to the download sites; we will never attach the software itself to the email. The links provided will always lead to either our web site or FTP site, never to a third-pary site.

If you receive an email from the Technical Assistance Center, or the administrator of a Shastalink service which contains software, do not run the attachment. The safest course of action is to delete the mail alltoghter. If you would like to take additional action, report the email to the Technical Assistance Center and/or the sender's Internet Service Provider if you know where the message originated from. Most ISPs provide an 'abuse' email address for this purpose.