How to Protect Yourself From Vandals, Viruses If You Use Windows

The Wall Street Journal - Tech Pages ^ | 9/16/2004 | WALTER S. MOSSBERG

[Swordmaker]

If you use a Windows personal computer to access the Internet, your personal files, your privacy and your security are all in jeopardy. An international criminal class of virus writers, hackers, digital vandals and sleazy businesspeople wakes up every day planning to attack your PC.

And the company that controls the Windows platform, Microsoft, has made this too easy to do by carelessly opening numerous security holes in the operating system and its Web browser. Even if you install the recent Service Pack 2 update to Windows XP, you will still be vulnerable.

As I have said before, I believe Microsoft and the computer makers should be taking care of all these problems with a unified, managed approach that would free users from having to learn about all the threats and constantly manage security. They should take responsibility for shielding users from hackers, spammers, viruses and spyware -- the malicious software that hijacks your browsing and searching, pushes ads into your face, and secretly logs your activities.

[Swordmaker]

Opting out: The single most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows altogether and buy an Apple Macintosh. Apple's operating system, Mac OS X, is harder for the criminals to infect, and the Mac's market share is so small that hackers, virus writers and spies get little thrill, financial gain or publicity from attacking the platform.

There has never been a successful virus written for Mac OS X, and there is almost no spyware that targets the Mac. Plus, the Mac is invulnerable to viruses and spyware written for Windows. Not only is it more secure, but the Mac operating system is more capable, more modern and more attractive than Windows XP, and just as stable.

Macs are as good as, and often better than, Windows PCs at doing the most common computing tasks: Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, photos, music and video. The Mac version of Microsoft Office can handle Windows Office files with ease, and it produces files that Office for Windows handles effortlessly. Apple's computers are also gorgeous.

I see Mossberg buys into the "security through obscurity" canard despite the number of security experts who have demonstrated its falsity. That's all right. He has the most important parts right.

[Swordmaker]

Interesting comments in the Personal Technology section of the Wall Street Journal. Mac Ping List PING!!!

Also includes some very good advice for Windows users on keeping their machines safe.

If you wish to be included or excluded from the Mac Ping list, please Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Oops, forget the Ping List... ah, well it has been a long day.

Mac Ping List, PING!!!

Also good pointers for Windows users.

If you want to be excluded or included on the Mac Ping List, please Freepmail me.

[MaryFromMichigan]

My favorite ping list.
Thanks!

[randog]

Apple's computers are also gorgeous.

I worked at a manufacturing outfit once that had Mac's as the official company computer. They were one of those trendy dotcom outfits where looks trumped functionality.

Unfortunately for us engineers we had to keep two computers at our desks--a PC so we could actually do our jobs and a Mac, AKA "the e-mail machine".

[Tribune7]

I read that article. It looks like Mac is making inroads in corporate thinking.

[ex-Texan]

I use Windows 98 and MSIE 5.5. I have refused every attempt by Microsoft (via automatic links) to adopt MSIE 6 and newer versions of their software. I also use multiple forms of anti-virus and anti-trojan software to elimates "spyware." After months of testing, I have installed a very good firewall software that has resisted all attempts to break into my computer while I am on the web. Also, I only use a good "web mail" system which screens my personal email for viruses and trojans and automatically eliminates them.

I have a news web site up (Click Here) which gets thousands of hits a every day. Visitors come in from 63 countries and many federal government workers come in each day from many states and foreign countries. The biggest problems that I have is from hackers, crackers and "phishers" trying to bring my new site down or to lure me into porno sites and other dangerous web sites.

I have not had any problems with viruses since 2002. My office was burglarized and vandals installed viruses and trojans that caused me to have to reformat my hard drives four times on two computers. 'Nuff said about that.

[randita]

Mac user here for years (way back to Apple IIC). Never had a virus. Never had a crash.

[antiRepublicrat]

I have a news web site up (Click Here)

Which, BTW, is running Apache on FreeBSD. But you are using FrontPage Extensions, which you might want to dump for security reasons.