 |
 |
 |
           |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Does Microsoft Show Hackers How To Attack?
After another security hole recently surfaced in Microsoft's Windows operating system, the software giant released a patch this past Friday to plug the possibly devastating "back door" which allows hackers to potentially seize control of any pc running Windows. The latest threat, "Download.Ject," infiltrates computers after users surfing with Microsoft's "Internet Explorer" web browser visit websites infected with the virus. This newest security patch covers Windows XP, 2000, and Windows Server 2003. Several factors make this latest development more disturbing than past discoveries of security problems with Internet Explorer, currently the most dominant web browser on the market. First, it demonstrates very clearly that criminals discovered they can use the power of viruses to very profitably steal important bank, personal, and credit data from people on a large scale. Second, it took Microsoft what many would consider a very long time to come up with a patch for this problem. Before a fix appeared, Microsoft told everyone who uses Internet Explorer to stick their finger in the dyke by putting their web browser security settings on high, rendering it impossible to view or use features on many websites and web-based services. Third, expect this to happen again as new holes open in the future when Microsoft makes Windows more complicated, adds layers of code, and generally makes the operating system more complex. This may sound like business as usual, however, I think this story actually points to a much deeper problem, one for which I'm not sure a simple solution exists. Though free and reasonably reliable, many people do not automatically update their Windows operating system through the update service on Microsoft's website. (I won't even get into how many people don't operate up-to-date anti-virus protection.) Whenever Microsoft publishes a security update, especially for a highly publicized and obviously widespread security breach, thousands of people will not immediately download the update. In fact, tens-of-thousands of users will not download these security updates for days, weeks, even months (if ever). So let me ask what seems like a very elementary question: By publishing security updates that point out very obvious flaws in their system, doesn't Microsoft also point the way to exactly where the holes exist? Let me put it another way. Doesn't this rate the same as discovering that the local bank vault won't lock and then announcing the details on the front page of the paper along with the dates and times no bank guard will be on duty? After all, if tens-of-thousands of users won't immediately get the Microsoft Security Patch, don't those patches show hackers exactly which holes get plugged (and which, logically, must already be open without the patch)? It doesn't take a hacker with more than a basic set of skills to recognize where and what holes got fixed and then reverse-engineer how they can get into computers that don't get updated. Now, do I have a concrete, 100% bullet-proof answer to this problem? Unfortunately, I don't have more than a common- sense answer... At this point, your best defense rates staying current on the latest threats and how to defend against them. Keep your anti-virus software current, your firewall up, and your Windows software updated with the latest security patches. Though not a perfect solution, at least you'll have a fighting chance to prevent, or at least minimize, any possible threats. For more information from Microsoft's website, go here http://www.ebookfire.com/download-ject.html About The Author Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links... http://www.TurnWordsIntoTraffic.com © Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
MORE RESOURCES:
Personal-Tech - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Cut Through the Hype and Make the Right Digital Camera Comparisons There are soooo many choices. With all the styles and features, and prices are all over the map, digital camera comparisons can be mind-boggling. Home Electronics: The Facts About Plasma TV Not so many years ago, homes across the country watched their favorite TV shows on a bulky floor model that took awhile to warm up before you could see the picture, didn't offer anything in the way of remote control manipulation and offered a washed out image on the TV's cathode ray tube hosted screen.. Linux Power Tools - Great Tools to Make System Administration Easy World War II - Germany decided to attack Poland. Poland had many great warriors. Font Organizers Review, Part I Do you know how many fonts are currently installed on your PC? What is the difference between OpenType, TrueType, PostScript Type 1 and Printer fonts? If the answer is 'No', it's time to consider getting a font organizer.TypografThis extremely well-done 32-bit app lets you preview, print, and manage TrueType and Type 1 fonts. Getting Started with HTML The basic language of the internet is html. If you can do crossword puzzles, if you can write a report for your teacher or boss, you can be creating web pages in a matter of minutes. Digital Cameras: How Many Pixels Do I Need? With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market, it's increasing difficult to know where to start for your first purchase. One of the major determining factors of the price of a digital camera is the number of pixels. What Exactly are Screensavers? - part I After reading this good article you will know some important information about screensavers and their history. You will find out how screensavers are different from other applications and what advantages you'll have if you use them. How To Increase Computer Speed And Performance - Great Tips & Tricks Many computer users are worried about their computer's performance. After spending lot of bucks, still they cannot have that charm of using PC as they had expected. Occupational Therapy and PDAs Occupational Therapy Made EasierMedical downloads for the pda have improved the life of both patients and doctors of all kinds. These freeware software downloads make many types of medical conditions much easier to manage. Mail-merging: The Principles About mail-mergingMail-merging is the process of merging variable data and fixed text.Using mail-merging, you can create individualised letters, envelopes, labels and other documents without having to laboriously create each individual one. Dynamite Comes in Small Packages - Tiny Personal Audio MP3 Players Pack Powerful Music Enjoyment MP3 players are Hot! Playing music has come a long way since the transistor radio, portable tape and CD player days. Most players are no larger than a deck of cards. Use Your Computer For Your Entertainment Needs By using your computer today you can find a lot of different music and movie programs. From downloading music and movies directly from the internet to buying subscriptions, joining clubs, and even renting, all from the comfort of your home. Got Virus? GOT VIRUS? Your Data is NOT lost forever!In the wake of so many computer viruses running wild, "Hope is not lost"!With the recent release of such viruses as: mydoom; netsky; mofei, lovegate and many more destructive viruses, there is an affordable solution to recover your lost files from your hard drive.Selecting a Data Recovery Service Company can be a challenging and confusing undertaking to say the least. Image Conversion In Computers JPEG, GIFF/JIFF, BMP, and TIFF are the most commonly used formats for storing still image files such as photographs, graphics, and drawings. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a standard for image compression. Portable Technology: Getting to Know the Treo Up until the recent past, those who wanted to take advantage of a mobile phone, data organizer, wireless e-mail with text messaging, web browsing and a digital camera had to have separate units for each. With today's technology comes the Treo - offering all of those features in one small hand-held unit. How To Have Two (Multiple) Copies Of Windows Having two operating systems is not as difficult as many of us consider. It just requires little hard work and some good equipment. Consumer Electronic Information: The Basics of the DLP Projector Projectors have come a long way in the past few decades. The desktop fossils that were once used to show home movies or classroom filmstrips are a thing of the past. Web Standards HTTP ProtocolThe web is run on port 80. You are probably wondering what "port 80" is, right (whether you actually are or not is irrelevant)? Well, the answer is easy (not really). Tips For Finding Great Deals On Computer Accessories & Supplies Tip #1. Do a Google search. Virtual Memory - What is It? I recently got an e-mail asking about virtual memory. The person who sent me the question was getting an error on random occasions from their Windows operating system stating "Your computer is low on virtual memory".
|
 |