XVP: Controlling spam & viruses

[tedchee]

As an AOL user, I'm often encouraged to change by members of the newsgroups
that I belong to. Due to its size AOL, is an easy patsy for blame. However,
that diverts attention from the responsibility we all now share since any one of
us could have our system attacked & we could be sending out spam/viruses if we
left our system unprotected. (In most cases, it wouldn't matter ISP you used
either.)

I encourage you to read this 9/29/03 Information Week article by Fred Langa
(author of the Langalist - a tech newsletter & former Chief Editor of Byte &
Windows Magazine).

<A HREF="http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15200416">http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15200416</A>

I'm taking this paragraph out of context since the article was primarily
about Microsoft taking responsibility for its products, but until they do...

"But second, we have to do our part. In the short term, that means deploying
a desktop firewall and an antivirus tool on every PC, and keeping all PCs up
to date with existing security patches--no excuses, no griping about cost, no
finger-pointing. It simply has to be done. Yes, the costs are real, but so are
the payoffs: These steps, by themselves, yield acceptable levels of security
even with current software products, and totally prevent problems like the
Blaster worm. "

Just have to share this for the Apple owners in our group: Was in an internet
cafe (all Windows OS) in Skagway a couple of weeks ago. In walks 3 youngsters
with Apple notebooks. They ask the owner if he has any free lines for them to
connect up. He does & while they're doing this the conversation turns to
problems that he's faced recently especially with the plethora of viruses for
Microsoft products. They gibe him by saying that he should convert to Apple
products. He fires back that, when the cruise season is over, he's going to level
the playing field by making viruses for Apple products which, have had very few,
if any, problems!

FYI, I use McAfee's VirusScan Online which checks for updates & installs them
whenever I get online. However, it's not a perfect solution as I recently
found out that it hadn't done any updates due to a subscription glitch. Guess the
moral is, don't trust anyone or anything!
    
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jonathan1]

It is important that AOL users understand that whenever you logon to
the internet, AOL does auto downloads that actually modify the OS
(operating system) that you use Microsoft Windows or Linux and in
fact, take over your computer. I have worked on computers for years
and hate it when a customer brings an AOL augmented into the shop for
service. It's always a pain in the butt. Considering the options and
price, I don't know why people continue to be ruled by AOL.

As an AOL user, I'm often encouraged to change by members of the

newsgroups

that I belong to. Due to its size AOL, is an easy patsy for blame.

However,

that diverts attention from the responsibility we all now share

since any one of

us could have our system attacked & we could be sending out

spam/viruses if we

left our system unprotected. (In most cases, it wouldn't matter ISP

you used

either.)

I encourage you to read this 9/29/03 Information Week article by

Fred Langa

(author of the Langalist - a tech newsletter & former Chief Editor

of Byte &

Windows Magazine).

<A HREF="http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?

articleID=15200416">http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.j
html?articleID=15200416</A>

I'm taking this paragraph out of context since the article was

primarily

about Microsoft taking responsibility for its products, but until

they do...

"But second, we have to do our part. In the short term, that means

deploying

a desktop firewall and an antivirus tool on every PC, and keeping

all PCs up

to date with existing security patches--no excuses, no griping

about cost, no

finger-pointing. It simply has to be done. Yes, the costs are real,

but so are

the payoffs: These steps, by themselves, yield acceptable levels of

security

even with current software products, and totally prevent problems

like the

Blaster worm. "

Just have to share this for the Apple owners in our group: Was in

an internet

cafe (all Windows OS) in Skagway a couple of weeks ago. In walks 3

youngsters

with Apple notebooks. They ask the owner if he has any free lines

for them to

connect up. He does & while they're doing this the conversation

turns to

problems that he's faced recently especially with the plethora of

viruses for

Microsoft products. They gibe him by saying that he should convert

to Apple

products. He fires back that, when the cruise season is over, he's

going to level

the playing field by making viruses for Apple products which, have

had very few,

if any, problems!

FYI, I use McAfee's VirusScan Online which checks for updates &

installs them

whenever I get online. However, it's not a perfect solution as I

recently

found out that it hadn't done any updates due to a subscription

glitch. Guess the

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, TedChee@a... wrote:

moral is, don't trust anyone or anything!
    
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]