From a C/NET e-mail newsletter:

"OK, so you have Windows XP SP2, the latest version of Internet Explorer, and all the latest patches, too. So, you're all set, right? Sure, until you get e-mail containing a phishing scam and you click the link in the e-mail and end up at a Web site whose URL looks totally and completely legit. Poof, you lost all your money. And why did the URL look legit? Because of a vulnerability in IE 6 that lets phishers phake...uh, fake Web site URLs with relative ease. Man, you just can't win with these guys."

For more info go here.

This is why I use Mozilla FireFox (web browser) and Mozilla Thunderbird (stand-alone e-mail client). Both are secure and easy to use.

I never click on a link in an e-mail unless I know that it's from someone I trust.

I do not use any of the security "features" in Windoze XP ie: firewall, anti-virus, anti-adware, etc. I use other products that are tried and true and are far superior to anything Microsoft puts out.

I have not and will not install SP2 on my PC.

Timestamp: Monday, 20 December 2004 - 05:55 PM --800 (Pacific Standard Time)

L8R....

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CAPT Siran d'Vel'nahr - L L & P _\\//
Winders 11 OS? "What a piece of junk!" - L. Skywalker
"Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide." - T'Plana-hath

>
> This is why I use Mozilla FireFox (web browser) and Mozilla
> Thunderbird (stand-alone e-mail client). Both are secure and easy to
> use.
>
> I never click on a link in an e-mail unless I know that it's from
> someone I trust.
>
> I do not use any of the security "features" in Windoze XP ie: firewall,
> anti-virus, anti-adware, etc. I use other products that are tried and true
> and are far superior to anything Microsoft puts out.
>
> I have not and will not install SP2 on my PC.
>
But you KNOW how to do those things, A GREAT MANY people do not! That is why SP2 is out, because it is a generic fix for those millions of users that have been complaining about things. MS took a path and responded, is it the best way, for some people, yes it is!

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>
> >
> > This is why I use Mozilla FireFox (web browser) and Mozilla
> > Thunderbird (stand-alone e-mail client). Both are secure and easy
> to
> > use.
> >
> > I never click on a link in an e-mail unless I know that it's from
> > someone I trust.
> >
> > I do not use any of the security "features" in Windoze XP ie:
> firewall,
> > anti-virus, anti-adware, etc. I use other products that are tried and
> true
> > and are far superior to anything Microsoft puts out.
> >
> > I have not and will not install SP2 on my PC.
> >
> But you KNOW how to do those things, A GREAT MANY people do not! That is why
> SP2 is out, because it is a generic fix for those millions of users that have
> been complaining about things. MS took a path and responded, is it the best
> way, for some people, yes it is!
>

".... is it the best way,...." No, it's Microsofts way. Think about it. The firewall is one way. It prevents outgoing, it does not prevent incoming. Hence, those that do not know are still at risk using anything Microsoft puts out. I see, on the news, in PC World magazine, in ComputorEdge magazine (exclusive to the San Diego County, California area), in commercials on TV, etc., etc., etc., information about making your PC much more secure than what Microsoft "tries" to do. Microsoft does NOTHING for the security of the average PC users security, until after the fact. That's why SP2 came out. They figured they better do something, even though it's no good, than to be drawn into class action suits from all over the world.

Why do most bad things happen to PCs with Microsoft software? Because they are a very BIG target and the "bad guys" know that software from Microsoft is unsecure. Linux and Apples OS and probably others have had attacks, but they are "small potatoes" compared to Microsoft, so you seldom here about those attacks.

The only Microsoft software I use is Windoze XP. Oh, wait, I also use Visual C++. Most everything else I use is open source software, ie: my office suite is OpenOffice from openoffice.org.

With the way I have my PC setup, and even with an "always on" Internet connection, my PC is invisible on the Internet and to the rest of the world. I have had 102,407 intrusion attempts block by my firewall, ZoneAlarm.

I have an experiment for you to perform. Go to grc.com and click on the "Shields Up" link. Run the different tests they have and see how secure you PC is to the world. If any of their tests can access your PC, they have information on how to secure your PC so that it will be invisible to the world.

Timestamp: Monday, 20 December 2004 - 07:31 PM --800 (Pacific Standard Time)

L8R....

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CAPT Siran d'Vel'nahr - L L & P _\\//
Winders 11 OS? "What a piece of junk!" - L. Skywalker
"Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide." - T'Plana-hath

Hey Siran, you got it backassward, sp2 firewall stop it from getting in not out, the only thing I dislike is it allows pings in and you can not turn it off, but ZA takes good care of the pings and any out bound traffic. Without my ZA up just using sp2 firewall I passed all tests, except the ping test, so I feel SP2 firewall is doing a great job.....Oppps just remember I have a hardware firewall also, so sp2 may not be as good a job as I think......

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Semper Eadem
So long Paul, it has been a hell of a ride.

Park your ego's, fire up the computers, Science YES, Credits No.

> Hey Siran, you got it backassward, sp2 firewall stop it from getting in not
> out, the only thing I dislike is it allows pings in and you can not turn it
> off, but ZA takes good care of the pings and any out bound traffic. Without my
> ZA up just using sp2 firewall I passed all tests, except the ping test, so I
> feel SP2 firewall is doing a great job.....Oppps just remember I have a
> hardware firewall also, so sp2 may not be as good a job as I think......
>

I have Windows XPpro Service Pack 2 .I do not use any of the microsoft security things.I bought a security pack off MaCafee.It has anti spam, anti virus, anti hacker, anti abuse, privacy and a firewall.I also have spybot and adaware running.I would never click on an email link that asks me to enter any info.My bank does not send such emails out.

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......In Space No One Can Hear You Scream......

Same thing with Eudora, luckily I've been drilling this into my dad for the past month about these scams, because he finally got a phishing email for a bank he actually does belong to.

Whats also interesting is they are now taking this style scam to snail mail
http://cockeyed.com/citizen/citation/citation.html


> From a C/NET e-mail newsletter:
>
> "OK, so you have Windows XP SP2, the latest version of Internet Explorer, and
> all the latest patches, too. So, you're all set, right? Sure, until you get
> e-mail containing a phishing scam and you click the link in the e-mail and end
> up at a Web site whose URL looks totally and completely legit. Poof, you lost
> all your money. And why did the URL look legit? Because of a vulnerability in
> IE 6 that lets phishers phake...uh, fake Web site URLs with relative ease.
> Man, you just can't win with these guys."
>

---

BOINC WIKI
Overclockers.com's Forum

I gave up the fight about a year ago and totally switched all my internet/browsing/e-mail over to linux. I have some expertise in the security arena and personally got totally fed up of trying to keep up with all the new issues, let alone stay ahead. With linux, it's not an issue, period.

Now I work as a computer engineer and spend most of my time sorting out other people's problems on their Windows systems. I like Windows because it keeps me in a job, but I sure as hell wouldn't actually use it or recommend it to anyone.

Just my 2 cents :)

Ned

---

*** My Guide to Compiling Optimised BOINC and SETI Clients ***
*** Download Optimised BOINC and SETI Clients for Linux Here ***

> I gave up the fight about a year ago and totally switched all my
> internet/browsing/e-mail over to linux. I have some expertise in the security
> arena and personally got totally fed up of trying to keep up with all the new
> issues, let alone stay ahead. With linux, it's not an issue, period.
>
> Now I work as a computer engineer and spend most of my time sorting out other
> people's problems on their Windows systems. I like Windows because it keeps me
> in a job, but I sure as hell wouldn't actually use it or recommend it to
> anyone.
>
> Just my 2 cents :)
>
> Ned
>

My only experience with a Linux type OS was in the early 90s. I started using an OS called OS-9 which is, like Linux, based on Unix. It was a command line OS and ran circles around MS-DOS. It is still alive somewhere and is multi-tasking and multi-user. It ran in 64K of ram and each program running on it ran in it's own 64K of ram. I had 512K of ram and could run 7 programs at the same time just by switching between windows. I started learning C on it and would run a text editor, the compiler and test the program I was writing in 3 seperate windows.

I have read about attacks on Linux, but it happens to be a much smaller target than Microsofts software which is why you seldom hear of the attacks on Linux. I do believe Linux to be much more secure than Windoze.

I would have to build another PC to learn Linux. I have enough parts and pieces for one, but I plan on networking it to my current PC so I can up my WU crunching.

Timestamp: Wednesday, 22 December 2004 - 06:38 PM --800 (Pacific Standard Time)

L8R....

---

---

CAPT Siran d'Vel'nahr - L L & P _\\//
Winders 11 OS? "What a piece of junk!" - L. Skywalker
"Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide." - T'Plana-hath

"Simply installing and using another browser does not prevent third party programs and core operating system components from using IE libraries. Thus, a user who does not use IE to browse the Web can still be targeted by attacks against vulnerabilities in these libraries -- for instance, via Outlook Express or the Windows Help subsystem. However, removing the IE libraries will cause these programs, and other software which depends upon them, to cease functioning or even to crash the system.

It is unclear what it means to "remove IE" because such a removal depends on being able to determine which files or functions on an installed Windows system are part of IE — that is, to draw a line between IE and the rest of Windows. Microsoft has held that this is not meaningful; that "IE" is no longer (as it was prior to Windows 98) a separate piece of software, but simply a brand name for the Web-browsing and HTML-displaying capacities of the Windows operating system. In this view, the result of removing IE is simply a damaged Windows system; to have a working system without IE one must replace Windows entirely."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer

link


Some features like active desktop, windows explorer,m$office,windows messenger etc can connect to the internet using the windows core system unless you block them with your firewall.It's my opinion that you must update windows all the time like it or not.

Been using Firefox 0.9.1 For some time now and ,I can say ,Haven't wanted to chop or bash things to peices.IE will drive you to drink and Outlook will cause personnal issues.

---

I Refuse to hold myself responsible for any of my actions.

si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

> From a C/NET e-mail newsletter:
>
> "OK, so you have Windows XP SP2, the latest version of Internet Explorer, and
> all the latest patches, too. So, you're all set, right? Sure, until you get
> e-mail containing a phishing scam and you click the link in the e-mail and end
> up at a Web site whose URL looks totally and completely legit. Poof, you lost
> all your money. And why did the URL look legit? Because of a vulnerability in
> IE 6 that lets phishers phake...uh, fake Web site URLs with relative ease.
> Man, you just can't win with these guys."
>
> For more info go <a> href="http://ct.com.com/click?q=26-KqRVIiMmePZEskuKZHgiULeb876N">here.[/url]
>
> This is why I use Mozilla FireFox (web browser) and Mozilla
> Thunderbird (stand-alone e-mail client). Both are secure and easy to
> use.
>
> I never click on a link in an e-mail unless I know that it's from
> someone I trust.
>
> I do not use any of the security "features" in Windoze XP ie: firewall,
> anti-virus, anti-adware, etc. I use other products that are tried and true
> and are far superior to anything Microsoft puts out.
>
> I have not and will not install SP2 on my PC.
>
> Timestamp: Monday, 20 December 2004 - 05:55 PM --800 (Pacific Standard Time)
>
> L8R....
>
> ---
Go firefox, go!

---

WARR - Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt
(WARR - scientific working group for rocket technology and space travel)

> Been using Firefox 0.9.1 For some time now and ,I can say ,Haven't wanted to
> chop or bash things to peices.IE will drive you to drink and Outlook will
> cause personnal issues.

I just started using FireFox myself. It is about the same as Safari for speed (I am more hung up on connection speed than system speed for this, even though I am on cable modem connection).

But I do have to admit that it is an impressive little browser. My suspicion is that we will likely see a FireFox exploit if there is one to be found pretty soon as all the hoopla about it ... time will tell ...

---

I'm using Firefox already for a months and I'm very satisfied. But still some pages requres IE which cases me to still use IE.

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ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD!
Potrebujete pomoc?
My Stats

> I gave up the fight about a year ago and totally switched all my
> internet/browsing/e-mail over to linux. I have some expertise in the security
> arena and personally got totally fed up of trying to keep up with all the new
> issues, let alone stay ahead. With linux, it's not an issue, period.
>

Hey Ned,

China is kicking out windows, and adopting some *nix (Linux, Qnix, Unix, etc)...
How can 1.2 Billion people be wrong?

Of course, that means those *nix will now be a nice big target for socially undeveloped programmers who need to get a media fix... Holes will be closed quickly on open source, but end users are still end users and won't update their systems.

---

> I'm using Firefox already for a months and I'm very satisfied. But still some
> pages requres IE which cases me to still use IE.


Yeah, a "feature" planned by Microsoft. Sad to say, their embrace of standards is so lame. Most of my layout problems occur because of IE's improper handling of W3C complient XHTML and style sheets.

I am hoping that I can abstract out more of the logic now since I can use PHP (not available on my current site) and therefore make exception code for those people that have IE. But now I need to just continue to work at it and add the basics and migrate my 300 pages as I do my maintenance and slowly convert the pages over the next month or so.

First I need to learn PHP! :)

---

> > I gave up the fight about a year ago and totally switched all my
> > internet/browsing/e-mail over to linux. I have some expertise in the
> security
> > arena and personally got totally fed up of trying to keep up with all the
> new
> > issues, let alone stay ahead. With linux, it's not an issue, period.
> >
>
> Hey Ned,
>
> China is kicking out windows, and adopting some *nix (Linux, Qnix, Unix,
> etc)...
> How can 1.2 Billion people be wrong?
>
> Of course, that means those *nix will now be a nice big target for socially
> undeveloped programmers who need to get a media fix... Holes will be closed
> quickly on open source, but end users are still end users and won't update
> their systems.
>
>

Quite right Ben. It's not so much that linux is more secure than microsoft (all OSes are bound to have vunerabilities), just that the kiddies will always target what is most commonly used. As linux increases in popularity, I'm sure we'll start to see vunerabilities being exploited. But for now linux is relatively safe whereas windows is an absolute joke. For example, I had a machine at work the other week with a fresh install of windows XP including SP1 and connected to the net to install the latest updates. Before the updates could even download and install (on broadband) it had 4 viruses and over 60 instances of spyware/adware and that was simply from trying to connect to windows update!

Ned

---

*** My Guide to Compiling Optimised BOINC and SETI Clients ***
*** Download Optimised BOINC and SETI Clients for Linux Here ***

Just my 2 pennies worth....

I'm no big MS fan. Being a Network Manager in a place where I HAVE to use MS software is the most annoying thing in the world, with all the bugs and crashes etc. BUT I do accept that it's unlikely the PC industry would have got as far as it has without them driving things forward. They MAY NOT have tried to drive things forward, or they MAY have gone about it the wrong way, but they HAVE helped.

Now this thing with China being a mainly Linux area. This IS a fact. This has happened largely since Windows XP, because of Product Activation. I read a report from the main software auditing company over there that stated that MOST machines were either on Linux because of the cost, OR they were on PIRATED copies of Windows. Now because of the Activation issues with Service Packs, most pc builders are opting for Linux for cost reasons, driving down PC building costs. MS have actually created a LITE version of XP in order to combat this, which basically contains less (don't ask what, I haven't looked in detail) and so costs less. THAT is (according to many software audits over there) the main reason why people are using Linux in that market.

Now I'm just stating some information from a report I read commisioned partly by the Chinese government, so please don't do what alot of people do on forums like this and starting throwing insults and flaming me because I don't agree ENTIRELY in what you feel.

Many Thanks

> "OK, so you have Windows XP SP2, the latest version of Internet Explorer, and
> all the latest patches, too. So, you're all set, right? Sure, until you get
> e-mail containing a phishing scam and you click the link in the e-mail and end
> up at a Web site whose URL looks totally and completely legit. Poof, you lost
> all your money. And why did the URL look legit? Because of a vulnerability in
> IE 6 that lets phishers phake...uh, fake Web site URLs with relative ease.
> Man, you just can't win with these guys."

I visited Secunia's test page that demonstrates this vulnerability. Yes, indeed, the address bar says you're at PayPal, and the padlock even displays PayPal's legitimate certificate. But wait -- something weird is going on!

The vulnerability requires the use of Javascript. As with any window opened by Javascript, the phishing window's animated browser logo keeps moving, as though the page hasn't finished loading yet. And when I go to check out the certificate, my mouse pointer acquires an hourglass as soon as it touches the padlock. So pay attention, and don't let such a "phishy"-looking site fool you!

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Help keep SETI@home alive! Join The Planetary Society and crunch for our team!

I'm not sold yet on either. Yesterday, I tried downloading a bunch of Bryce material files (dial up) with Firefox 10.0 and the download would "freeze" before completing. Without disconnecting from the Internet, I tried IE 6 and the same downloads completed. I tried Firefox again, and it failed.

I'm not saying it's a problem with Firefox because there's virus checkers, firewalls, etc, that effect the browser performance. I use Firefox most of the time, but I've also found having another browser handy is good. Guess browsers are still "moving targets" - don't depend on any one browser - have two or three available.

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<img src='http://www.boincsynergy.com/images/stats/comb-912.jpg'>

Try opera
if a download stops you can restart it
It's free open source Opera 7 http://www.opera.com/

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Fred
BOINC Alpha, BOINC Beta, LHC Alpha, Einstein Alpha