REPOST: Leaving the NG Scene for awhile......
From: InternetSecurity101 (internetsecurity@my-deja.com)Date: 01/17/02
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Date: 17 Jan 2002 05:26:50 -0000 From: internetsecurity@my-deja.com (InternetSecurity101)
Hello everyone, and goodbye.....
I have decided to call it quits in the NewsGroup scene....for now.
I wish all of you luck, and please be vigilent on Internet Security.
Remember, do your own research, and don't take everyone's word
(including my own) when reading NewsGroup messages. The best way
you can arm yourself against Internet threats, is to do your own
research, and make those decisions based on your lifstyle when using
the Internet.
It has been fun, and I will miss most of you who shared your
experiences and even your arguments....except the trolls of course.
Get a good Firewall, Intrusion Detection, and especially a Packet
Siffer program(s), and READ & UNDERSTAND what they can and can't do
like a religion. On Privacy, just remember, YOU have the right to it,
not the companies that state "....in the publics best interest"
garbage they post. READ & UNDERSTAND the End User License Agreement
(EULA) when you install your software and hardware. You might be
surprised what is in there, and if you agree with it, your battle in
court will be even harder if you pursue it.
Alas, check your cookie folders, both of them, for stuff you don't
want or need for that matter. They reside, BY DEFAULT, IN:
C:\WINDOWS\Cookies
C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files
Delete those files that you are not familiar with. I don't recommend
that you delete any of them related to the software you use or the
hardware you use. Even some web sites that you trust, don't delete those
cookies either. When in doubt, delete the rest, and check them once
again after you visit your favorite sites. This will give you a good
look at what to expect concerning cookies.
As far as ActiveX and JAVA permissions, I recommend you set your
browser up to PROMPT YOU when they are encountered. That way, you can
make a decision to either run them or deny them, based on your trust
concerning the web sites you visit. This can be a royal pain, for some
sites smack you up numerous times for permission, but they do this in
order to make you frustrated enough, that you will get fed up, and
permit those programs to run. If a web site does this continuously, I
would be VERY WARY on their reasons. If you run a Firewall, make sure
you set it up to "PROMPT YOU" when encountering ActiveX and JAVA also.
REMEMBER, NOT ALL COOKIES, ActiveX AND JAVA PROGRAMS ARE BAD. JUST THE
ROGUE PROGRAMMERS OF THE SITES YOU VISIT THAT WANT TO DO DAMAGE. USE
GOOD JUDGEMENT, AND WHEN IN DOUBT, D E N Y THEM.
Firewalls: DO NOT TRUST DEFAULT RULE SETS CREATED BY FIREWALL
PROGRAMS. REVIEW EACH RULE THAT THEY MAKE, BY DEFAULT, AND IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS, CONTACT THE COMPANY, AND ASK WHERE THEY ARE, AND IF YOU CAN
DELETE THE ONES YOU DO NOT NEED OR WANT. SOME COMPANIES STICK IN ROGUE
DEFAULT RULES THAT CATER TO ADVERTISERS AND OTHER "NASTY" PROGRAMS
BECAUSE OF CORPORATE SPONSORING BY THIRD PARTIES. IF THE COMPANY
REFUSES TO COMMENT OR GIVES YOU AN EXCUSE, DO NOT TRUST THEM! SEEK
ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE FIREWALL IF THE COMPANY IN QUESTION AVOIDS
ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS, AND POST THE RESULTS TO WARN OTHERS! MAKE
SURE YOU CAN PROVE IT BEFOREHAND THOUGH! WHEN IN DOUBT, CONSULT THE
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU FOR COMPLAINTS AGAINST COMPANIES.
*** THE DEFAULT RULE SETS YOU [CAN'T SEE] VIA THE PROGRAM, ARE THE ONES
THAT CAN DESTROY YOUR SECURITY POLICIES, BY OPENING SECURITY HOLES IN
YOUR FIREWALL THAT YOU TRUST! ***
Update and maintain your Anti-Virus programs and Operating Systems
via their update programs, or visit their web sites for more
information to keep your programs updated.
Don't use your REAL-NAME in NewsGroups, supply any Personal
Information, and protect your PRIVACY when in CHAT programs or in IRC.
This also holds true to "ALL" Message Boards on Web Sites.
Protect your Social Security Number (SSN), Address, ZIP Code, and any
other personal information when filling out Surveys, Contests, and Forms
via the Internet. Beware of NON-SECURE Web Sites when entering this
information. Credit Card Numbers come into mind here also! If a site is
requesting these, make sure they are using the (https) extension on
their web site when you make purchases, and are reputable! EXAMPLE:
http://blah.blah.com/blah.https
Be aware that some browsers have a small icon displayed with a "LOCK"
that is locked when your on these secure sites. If this lock
is "opened", you are not using a secured web site page. BEWARE!
NIS2000 Firewall states in their help files that when you enter a web
site that is secure, your personal information that you entered into
the program, is not secure anymore. Their reason: If you are on a
secure site, you will want to use this information, thus, it will "NOT"
be blocked from prying eyes on their secure server, and thus, can be
entered. I have a small problem with this, for if a rogue web site sets
itself up as a secure server, in a malicious way, that
information "COULD" be cropped by a talented Hacker/Skript Kiddie in
the ruse to conjure up your confidence to enter it. In other words, use
secure sites that you implicitly "TRUST", and use common sence.
FREEWARE and SHAREWARE programs are really programs to gain your
trust and confidence in their products....and most, if not all, have
serious ties to "Third Parties Interested in Your Personal Habits and
Information.....". Use at your own risk. They need sponsors, and they
will go to any lengths to get their programs out into the world....by
any means possible, to deploy their product to the masses. If these
vendors can't or won't "DISPLAY A DISCLAIMER IN PLAIN SIGHT" stating
that they "...will not sell your personal information, or surfing
habits.....TO THIRD PARTIES, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE", be very careful
when trusting these companies. Money issues have a bad habit of turning
even the most trusted companies into greedy, dirty, and down right
sneaky ways of infiltrating themselves into your beloved computers, FOR
THEIR BENEFIT, AND NOT YOURS, WITHOUT EVEN TELLING
YOU...i.e., "SPYWARE" programs.
This is just the tip on the iceberg, so to speak, but I think you get
the idea. Don't simply trust anyone or any company. Do some research,
and at least "TRY" to protect your familiy, and your business by
researching these issues.
To the TROLLS in this NewsGroup: If you simply took the time and
energy that you do to cause problems in here, by helping the innocent,
you might just get back that "good" in you that you have buried, way
down deep in your soul. Give it a try.....you just might feel good
about it, and you might just possibly like it......after all.
"666?.....maybe it's just WWW after all?" - Internet Security 101
Peace, and I wish you all the best....including the trolls.
Internet Security 101 - "We ARE the PUBLIC!"
fini.....
-- Firewall Information: http://www.robertgraham.com/pubs/firewall-seen.html Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org - Internet Security 101
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