Shenan Stanley wrote:
I don't totally disagree with what "Unknown" is saying.

"Unknown" is correct in that if you only accept/open attachments
from people you know and trust to be doing the same common sense
things you are (firewall, not opening junk attachments, not
forwarding crap emails - like scams and chain letters, not signing
up for random free things on the web, not installing whatever you
think sounds cool, etc), the chances of you getting a virus in that
way is like winning a lotto..


Gordon wrote:
Umm - that's how Mellissa spread so quickly - people opening infected
attachments that came FROM PEOPLE THEY KNEW.


Gordon,

Please read the way I phrased the whole statement. I did not say just from
people they knew, I said "from people they know and trust to be doing the
same common sense things you are.." and I continue to list those common
sense things. This group of people would likely be smaller than your
average circle of family and friends by far - unless your whole family
happened to consist of computer admins. Also, please do not take parts of
my post and cut them out of context.. The post is a whole point, not many
small ones. The whole post is as follows:

----
I don't totally disagree with what "Unknown" is saying.

I don't believe that "Unknown" is suggesting that everyone should run
without virus software, but stating the fact that "Unknown" has not yet
gotten a virus and neither has most of their friends/relatives that they
communicate with often gotten them because either they too are computer
literate (more so than most of the populace) or at least follow the advice
that "Unknown" or other "in the know" people have given them.

I know that almost all AV software do use a decent amount of resident memory
when they are running.
I know that there are reports of people having trouble doing one thing or
another because of AV software being incompatible in some way with something
else.
I know that most of the viruses I have seen people catch have been from
opening email attachments, not following common sense rules like using a
firewall or running un-researched software on their machines.

But - on the counter-point - although education is the best way to stop
having to rely on things like AntiVirus software - most people don't use
common sense when they use their computers. It's a tool to do their taxes
easier, write up their grocery list, download free "neat" things, find old
friends on the web, see pictures of their grandkids on, research their
favorite topics.. And the problem is they don't CARE how the computer runs
until they notice it is running badly (like it crashes or shuts down every
30 minutes..) and some of them, even then, would prefer NOT to know what is
wrong and give it to someone else to repair.

"Unknown" is correct in that if you only accept/open attachments from people
you know and trust to be doing the same common sense things you are
(firewall, not opening junk attachments, not forwarding crap emails - like
scams and chain letters, not signing up for random free things on the web,
not installing whatever you think sounds cool, etc), the chances of you
getting a virus in that way is like winning a lotto.. (or any game of
chance) - slim to none. The chance is never eliminated, however - since you
don't control all the factors - but it is so slim that you don't have to
worry about it.

However - even never have gotten a virus - I see people get them all the
time - people like I described earlier. They go to work and expect that
their network admin would never let Aunt Fran or Uncle Bobby send them a
virus via attachment (even though they are getting it via their hotmail
account where their admin has no control, or yahoo, or petscentral, or
hushmail or the hordes of others that may or may not be known about so
thereby not blocked at work.) and so they download it. They don't care
about security, they don't know what a computer virus is beyond, "Bad and
the computer guy sometimes has to take my computer and they look ****ed when
they do", and they have this false sense of security - so they download it
and BAM - the antivirus software pops up telling them something they don't
understand so they get all worried and call their computer tech asking what
"quarantined" means, and how can they get the file their Uncle/Aunt sent
them? Those same people then go home, come back the next day and track down
their computer admin, wondering if they could help them because their home
PC sure is acting funny since they downloaded the other file from their Aunt
last night..

You can TRY to educate them, but all they want is a quick fix and get on
with their lives.. Not to mention that it better automatically "improve
itself" so they never have to worry about this issue again.

So, I still and will continue recommending Firewall, Updates/Patches,
AntiVirus, AntiSpyware and AntiSpam software I have tested in various
environments, researched and found to be somewhat reliable to the people who
come around wondering/whining about "Why their computer got slow? or "Why
does it shut down with something about 'NTAuthority'?" or "Who are these
Nigerians and is their money real?" or "Why do all these porn advertisements
come up when I surf the web?"

Why? Well, I try to throw a little education in my advice. I figure they
came for advice, they must know they did something wrong, so I might as well
use their vulnerable state as a learning tool, but I also think their want
to learn is usually limited - they want enough to fix it and move on - but
if you can tell them they need this all, the chances of them coming back in
a week is slimmer. Not only that - but if they read what I give them,
listen to what I tell them, they might actually, in following the advice,
learn something and come to the same point "Unknown" has gotten to - you
never know...
----

--
- Shenan -
--
The information is provided "as is", with no guarantees of
completeness, accuracy or timeliness, and without warranties of any
kind, express or implied. In other words, read up before you take any
advice - you are the one ultimately responsible for your actions.