Re: 10 minutes to Sasser?

From: Karl Levinson [x y] mvp (levinson_k_at_despammed.com)
Date: 05/04/04 

Date: Mon, 3 May 2004 20:02:21 -0400

"octavius schmalz" <arabesque@web.web> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.05.03.21.05.39.52000@web.web...
> I just heard on the news that if you connect a new computer to the
> internet, you will be infected with the Sasser worm within 10 minutes.
> By new, I am surmising that it is a MS-based PC and doesn't have the
> latest MS patches or the latest AV data updates.
> If this 10 minute figure is true, how can we expect anyone to not have the
> virus?

Lots of people don't have the virus.

For one thing, Microsoft released a patch that prevented it about 3 weeks
before the virus came out. People that configured their Windows 2000 or XP
"Automatic Updates" service to download patches automatically were safe.
It's free.

Also, people running personal firewall software were generally safe.
www.kerio.com, www.zonealarm.com, www.sygate.com are all free. Neither of
these things are new, we've been recommending them for years here.

It's been known for a long time that you should not put your PC onto the
Internet or local network until it's been patched first. PC manufacturers
eventually sell PCs with most of the patches that are needed. Or, use a
different computer that is up to date to download the patches you need to a
CD first.

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