I use Zone Alarm *and* Tiny Personal Firewall (free editions) as well as my
anti-virus s/ware. Ah, I love overkill :-)

The only one thing I don't like about Norton AV is that it's so invasive
into your computer system it's been my experience that it's pretty
impossible to remove w/out mucking things up big-time. My mom has a Gateway
that came w/NAV installed and we wanted to get rid of it and go w/the
E-Trust AV, oh brother was that a hassle. So, we said screw it and she now
uses NAV since it was causing so much trouble to remove it. Oh well, it
still works :-)

Anne, to offer an opinion on unplugging when away for a while -- I say yes.
I know people that actually unplug all the time they're not using the
connection just to be safe. JMHO

LeeAnne

"Anne Lurie" wrote in message
...
BTW, speaking of firewalls, if any of you are using Windows XP, it has a
firewall that you can activate. (I only learned that from reading the
newspaper months after installing XP on two desktop computers.)

Now, if I could only figure out how to keep PopSubtract (ad & IM blocker)
from letting Norton Anti-virus scheduled scans run, I'd be in hog heaven!
(The PS folks told me to upgrade, which helped not at all -- I guess I
should ask tech support at Symantec.)

DKat, a question for you -- since each of our computers has a RoadRunner
connection, should we unplug the computers from the cable (hub) if we're
gone for any length of time, i.e., vacation?

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC






"D Kat" wrote in message
...
The MSBLAST and variants attack directly through the internet
connection.
You don't have to open a single thing. You simply have to be connected
to
the net. You have to be constantly on your toes and updating your
security
patches from Microsoft if that is your OS. Firewalls certainly help but

they are not a guaranteed protection. I use Norton anti-virus and that
was
the link I posted since they have free tools for removing viruses,
instructions that are easy and clear, and links to Microsoft for
legitimate
patches.

There is no such thing as absolute protection. There are always the
people
that get the virus (in the case where you are NOT opening an executable)
before the patch or updated virus lists are written that did not do a
single
thing wrong other than being connected to the internet. You cannot
"avoid
a
virus all together by using a different program like Eudora or
Netscape".
All of my lab machines where fine from this last attack except for one
that
was a day behind in being updated with MS patches (I can only do so much
at
a time) and one that is a postdoc's machine that I do not maintain. She
thought she was fine because she does not use Outlook Express or
Internet
Explorer. She was wrong and I had a hell of a time fixing her machine.

The first posting may have been a spam but I think it did a service if
it
helped one person avoid having their OS trashed. DK


"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
This original message is nothing but newsgroup spam - by clicking that
link
you help the spammer sign up people for some contest or something.
rant
I have no sympathy for people who get a virus anymore. It takes so
little
time to keep your products updated. Most virus' are written to affect
the
Outlook Express email program - you can avoid a virus all together by
using
a different program like Eudora or Netscape (or if you have CompuServe
or
(gasp) aol the virus won't affect you if you open the email). Also
you
can
set your settings to not run scripts and, most importantly, update
your
s/ware all the time. Most, not all, virus' are written to effect loop
holes
/rant
I, personally, use EZ Trust Anti-Virus (I think www.etrust.com is the
website). Free updates, I think I pay like 10-20 bucks per year to
keep
the
license up to date - the program kicks @ss.

LeeAnne


http://www.iwars.net/dmxdvc.html

Regards