[X4U] OT windows on imac

[TjL]

On 4/12/06, Robert Ameeti <Robert at ameeti.net> wrote:
> At 1:33 PM -0400, 4/12/06, TjL wrote:
>
> >On 4/12/06, Eugene <list-themacintoshguy at fsck.net> wrote:
> >
> >>  Yes, with a Windoze box, you always have to be concerned.
> >
> >Not if you follow some sensible steps for self-protection.
>
> >  > Yes, you must have anti-virus software installed and running at all
> >>  times and also have some firewall (built-in or 3rd-party) enabled.
> >
> >Actually if you don't use Outlook Express and IE, you can pretty
> >much turn off the automatic scanning of antivirus protection
>
> Any email program, Eudora, Outlook, or ANY email program, web
> included, can and will transmit virus infected attachments. It is not
> Outlook Express that only receives email attachments. And email
> attachments from your best friend can and will have infections. The
> only issue that separates Outlook Express from the others is that is
> serves very well as a post office for spam bots that will enable you
> to be the sender of spam to others.

Granted... I was assuming that the end user in question was smart
enough not to open attachments.  Outlook Express has, in the past, had
exploits where you didn't even have to open the message (simply
previewing it was enough).

If you're dumb enough to randomly open/run/execute attachments from
stangers, not even OS X is safe for you.


> >and just scan files that you download.  But since you are only
> >downloading reputable software that you really need from trustworthy
> >sources and certainly are NOT going to download possibly illegal
> >"free" or "cracked" versions of programs from unsafe sources, you're
> >good.
>
> Viruses come from reputable companies as well as others.

Um, what?  I'm not talking about an email virus which was forged to be
from a reputable company, I'm talking about going to a website and
downloading their software.

If they are distributing viruses, they aren't reputable.

> >Indeed... and again I'll say, if you are setting up a user account
> >for your offspring, make it a NON-administrator account.  That will
> >prevent them from installing stuff that can muck up the works
>
> Nope. It will limit the number of things that they can do but it will
> not prevent all installations. Many malwarts have figured out how to
> do drive by installs on non admin accounts.

Fine, nitpick award granted.  You're still miles and miles better off
to have them using a non-admin account.

Of course I don't think you can block access to Internet Explorer, but
you can cripple it if you really want to.

TjL