WARNING: We're operating in a digital sewer! (but, you all know that, right?)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Steve Goldstein <steve.goldstein () cox net>
Date: January 18, 2006 4:06:36 PM EST
To: "David Farber [IP]" <dave () farber net>, dewayne () warpspeed com  
(Dewayne Hendricks)
Subject: WARNING: We're operating in a digital sewer! (but, you all  
know that, right?)

I'll try to make this short: I normally use a Macintosh, and they
are, to the best of our knowledge, pretty safe from viruses and
spyware.  But, I also have a PC running Windows XP, and I have
anti-virus real-time protection as well as the Windows Firewall and
anti-spyware protection in real time.  I also have two spyware
programs that run automatically (and update themselves automatically)
early each morning (XSoftSpy and Microsoft AntiSpyware beta), PLUS I
manually run AdAware SE and Spybot Search & Destroy, AND have
SpywareBlaster resident (for even more protection).

Now for the kicker:  I used to run the Norton security suite, but
Norton became a pain in the butt about updating fee renewal, so I
switched to the Cox High Speed Internet Security Suite (free download
for Windows from Cox Cable, my ISP--chances are that if you are a
high-speed subscriber, your ISP also offers a free security suite
download).  Well...much to my surprise and amazement, the Cox suite
found a new virus (W32/Backdoor) and several instances of spyware
that none of the other spyware applications had found!!!

The Cox suite is, I believe, supported by other commercial security
product vendors, that is, neither authored nor maintained by Cox
Cable itself.  The only downside is that it wants to update itself
often, sometimes three or four times a day, and more often than not,
the updates require a restart (reboot).  For the most part, I just
download e-mail (with Eudora, not one of the Microsoft clients) and
use Front Page to maintain a web site (this is my main reason for
using a PC at all; I am told that if I try to use any other HTML
maintenance tool like DreamWeaver, the code will be all mangled for
others that might want to use Front Page on the site).  Occasionally,
I will use the Firefox browser to read my Yahoo! portal page or to do
some on-line window shopping while I am waiting for other
applications to complete their tasks.  I also use MS Word and Acrobat
reader on the PC as part of the web site maintenance.

So, in general, I practice pretty safe computing with the PC, AND
STILL, IT GETS INFECTED!!  All I can surmise is that the public
Internet is a stinking sewer, teeming with infections.  And, I'd
wager that at least 90% of Windows users are much less fastidious
about computing hygiene than I, so when you add their computers to
the equation, the state of the 'net is even worse, because they
unknowingly participate in spreading infections.

I cannot offer any easy solutions for Windows users.  I do not
believe that any exist.  I feel much better about doing 90% of my
work on a Macintosh, and I only hope that I have not lulled myself
into a false sense of security in that regard (though I have the Mac
Firewall turned on, and I have active virus protection with the free
application, Clam Xav).

I hope that I have not bored you.

--Steve



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