On 3/7/2010 6:22 AM, Alias wrote:
> Don wrote:
>>
>> "DanS" <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@r.o.a.d.r.u.n.n.e.r.c.o.m> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9D344D420A8CFthisnthatroadrunnern@216.196.97.131...
>>> "Don" <burnettedclothes@hotmail.com> wrote in
>>> news:t8WdnZyvA_Tpkw7WnZ2dnUVZ_vednZ2d@giganews.com:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.com.invalido> wrote in message
>>>> news:hmus74$ipr$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>>>> Don wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.com.invalido> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:hmup6g$t1k$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>>>>>>> Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 16:29:55 -0500, "Spring Sprung"
>>>>>>>> <spring.sprung@not.an.address.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Just a general comment:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Windows 7 users have a lower malware infection rate than XP users
>>>>>>>>> - mainly because, now, more malware is spread by social
>>>>>>>>> engineering than by frontal attacks and Windows 7 makes social
>>>>>>>>> engineering more difficult. Microsoft / AMD / Intel have closed
>>>>>>>>> many of the vectors of attack malware writers used to depend on,
>>>>>>>>> so they rely more on social engineering now - i.e. tricking users
>>>>>>>>> to run their stuff.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Computer infection is it still is a serious issue - more so even
>>>>>>>>> - as "organized" crime has gotten involved. But I'm not one for
>>>>>>>>> legislation / which means more taxes / then police / which means
>>>>>>>>> even more taxes / etc. etc. ... all of which disagrees with me.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Instead, IMHO, the best way to fight this stuff (other than
>>>>>>>>> through hardware / software improvements), is simply to make sure
>>>>>>>>> people are aware of and informed as to why it is important to
>>>>>>>>> keep one's computer(s) uninfected and how to go about it no
>>>>>>>>> matter what operating system they are running. An ounce of
>>>>>>>>> prevention of worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> My computers here seem to never get infected. I watch out a bit
>>>>>>>>> and have the security settings of my and my family's software
>>>>>>>>> just a notch higher, I use the MVP hosts file on the machines
>>>>>>>>> and it weeds out innumerable and useless 3rd parties from the
>>>>>>>>> websites we visit and so on.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> A tiny bit of effort goes so far has gone a long way. My
>>>>>>>>> infection rate over the last 14 years nears that of Apple uses -
>>>>>>>>> one real infection on one computer (mea culpa -- deliberately
>>>>>>>>> ignored a Windows 2000 IIS patch from Microsoft back in 2001),
>>>>>>>>> maybe a second on XP a few months later (not sure, not my fault,
>>>>>>>>> and didn't take the time to investigate -- just wiped and
>>>>>>>>> reinstalled at the suspicion), yet I've run and enjoyed Windows
>>>>>>>>> on upwards of 20 computers in the house since 1996 (turning off
>>>>>>>>> HTML & JavaScript in email probably did wonders in those days
>>>>>>>>> lol).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Anyway, that's a fair number of computers with four people using
>>>>>>>>> them a lot over 14 years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> People like Alias etc. may not enjoy such a report, but it speaks
>>>>>>>>> of what one can do with Windows, if one puts just a tiny little
>>>>>>>>> effort into looking at security issues -- which should be done no
>>>>>>>>> matter which platform -- UNIX / MacOS / Windows.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I completely agree. At the moment I have five computers here, and
>>>>>>>> I've had at least two over each of the past 23 years. My infection
>>>>>>>> rate has always been zero; there's never been a single infection.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gosh two techies can keep their computers clean and expect us to
>>>>>>> take the leap in logic that their experience is universal.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Alias
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Better make that three pal. Not always been a techie either, but
>>>>>> wait - have never been infected either!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> And you don't know anyone who's been infected either, right?
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Alias
>>>>
>>>> Actually that would be correct.
>>>
>>> That, I don't believe, unless you're only in a group like the TV show
>>> 'The Big Bang Theory'.
>>
>>
>> I personally do not care what you or Alias happen to believe.
>
> If that were true, you would ignore us.
Why are you here?
>
>> And I do know quite a few folks.
>> Of course, that is not to say some whom I know have gotten themselves
>> infected, perhaps they just felt stupid and did not feel it was
>> something they needed to brag to their friends about.
>
> Sure, that must be it.
And you use W 7?
Sure...!
>
>>
>> There will always be the careless few, that do click on that link they
>> receive in an email from an unknown sender, guaranteeing them they
>> will receive untold riches by following their instructions.
>> Most folks I know however, I think are a little brighter than that and
>> know how to practice safe computing.
>
> Never heard of drive by malware, eh? You're probably infected and don't
> even know it.
Doesn't happen with W 7. You're uninformed.
Figures!
>
