NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
November 2001 Meeting Recap
by Dale Oliver, President, December 2001
d_oliver@swbell.net
(click to email author)


We enjoyed some festive holiday cookies at the November meeting. Unfortunately, not all cookies are as enjoyable. If you don't want Web sites snooping through your electronic cookies for personal information, you should read the CNET article located at the following URL, and then install the security patch from Microsoft:

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005- 200-7885941.html?tag=st.ne.1005.saslnk.saseml

Most of our presentation and group discussion revolved around virus control. The two main anti-virus software vendors are Symantec's Norton Antivirus (http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/) and McAfee VirusScan (http://mcafee.com/anti- virus/). While quite informative, both Web sites are underwhelming in some ways: Symantec's site is confounding to navigate; McAfee's site is riddled with a annoying banner and pop-up advertisements with cookies flying at you fast enough to make your head spin. Rather curious behavior for an anti-virus site in my opinion.

McAfee's site reports that in the past year 72,446,600 files and 60.71 percent of computers were infected with viruses. Eeeeek! That should make you want to pay attention to virus control. Most viruses are targeted at Microsoft products for two reasons: Microsoft products are used by the majority of computer users and they contain a huge number of security holes. If you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer, or Windows, you're at particular risk. I'm assuming this virus information is especially relevant to our club members, then. I don't think that there is a single person in our club that doesn't use at least one Microsoft product.

I discussed what I called THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR VIRUS SAFETY:

1. Never open any files attached to e-mail from an unknown or suspicious source.

2. Never open any files attached to e-mail unless you know exactly what they are, even if an attachment was sent by a friend or acquaintance, especially if the subject line is questionable or unexpected.

3. Delete chain e-mail immediately. DO NOT forward or reply to them. This junk mail is considered spam, and it spreads e-mail addresses around that add to existing "sucker lists" and put your friends and relatives at risk.

4. Use BCC (blind carbon copy) to send e-mails to numerous people at the same time so recipients' e-mail addresses are not exposed for all to see.

5. Notify the sender immediately if you have been sent a virus. The sender may not know they have been infected.

6. Make sure your e-mail browser isn't set to automatically open or preview messages and/or attachments, and be sure to install the latest security patches for the software products you own (especially if they are Microsoft products). Visit the Windows Update site (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/) for the latest updates and security patches.

7. Update your anti-virus software regularly. More than 500 viruses are discovered each month!

8. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Don't download or execute attachments when you are not certain about their safety.

9. Don't believe everything you read. Many virus hoaxes exist. A good list of virus hoaxes exists at http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp

10. Don't let your guard down. Some miscreants use virus hoaxes to spread the real thing to unsuspecting users. An example is the AOL4FREE Trojan horse that was sent to unsuspecting e-mail recipients after the AOL4FREE virus was pronounced a hoax.

We also talked about some details of five of the top viruses currently circulating: Nimda, Sircam, Haptime, Magistr and Bymer. Follow the links to the Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan sites discussed earlier in this article to read up on the viruses circulating around so that you will be able to identify one when (as opposed to IF) you encounter one of them.

Since we won't be meeting in the month of December, I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. I look forward to seeing you again in January!

Click here to return to top



==================================================================