Re: Blocking threats from USB storage device - *spam*

Thank you so much for your reply, Phil.

I'm beginning, at last, to understand how everything works here, but it's
taken two years to do so! <g>

I first found out about Newsgroups only *after* I had had my identity stolen
and started to look into how it could have happened. Thousands of people
evidently browse the MS Newsgroups looking for help and advice. I'm sure
many are even more naive than I was (am? <g>) and must be highly vulnerable
to being exploited. How many of them do, actually, click on a link - which
might take them to an infected site? I suspect that I did on more than one
occasion! <g>

I admit I had to look here for clarification of your latter comment:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_jure

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WHO CLICKED ON THAT LINK? <G>



"Phil Weldon" <not.disclosed@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BeWoi.10871$Od7.1412@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
'BoaterDave' wrote:
| Do you know if anyone from MS monitors the posts on Usenet servers?
| Does anyone check the links?
| Might 'newbies' (as I once was - still am to a degree! <g>) be
mis-directed
| to, say, an infected site?
_____

Microsoft runs its own servers for the microsoft.public.* newsgroups (and
provides access through its web based interface [look for 'CDO' in the
header of a post, that identifies a message posted directly to the
microsoft.public.* servers through the web based interface]). The
messages
on these proprietary servers are propagated through the Usenet ad hoc (as
in
long standing, set up through RFCs, but decentralized) network. There is
a
'message cancelation' command, but that is only available to the original
poster, and not all Usenet servers honor message cancellations. So
essentially, no, Microsoft has no control over posts once they reach
Usenet
servers. But that is the nature of Usenet (Google search 'Usenet'); one
of
its major strengths - NO Centralized Control.

The best protection is an educated user, someone who uses always on
up-to-date antivirus and other antimalware protection, who keeps the
operating system up-to-date with ALL security patches and service packs,
who
uses a router with NAT, and who uses some discretion in where they go and
what packages they open (as in real life.)

Yes, I am sure Microsoft monitors the posts, but that is certainly no
gauruntee... the greater dangers are perhaps from well meaning but
dangerous
advice - but that is generally kept in check in microsoft.public.*
newsgroups as well as in de jure (as opposed to de facto) Usenet
newsgroups
through the kind of 'peer review' you see in this newsgroup. (At one time
there were numerous posts with Internet Worms as attachment to newsgroups,
but that has dropped to zero, probably because most ISPs now scan email
and
newsgroup posts for malware (Google search 'Swen').

Phil Weldon


"BoaterDave" <BoaterDave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OZLskwLzHHA.4712@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| Thanks for that, Phil.
|
| Do you know if anyone from MS monitors the posts on Usenet servers?
| Does anyone check the links?
| Might 'newbies' (as I once was - still am to a degree! <g>) be
mis-directed
| to, say, an infected site?
|
| BD
| ***********************************************************
| "Phil Weldon" <not.disclosed@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| news:yGMoi.10743$Od7.9140@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > 'BoaterDave' wrote:
| > | On this server, cannot Microsoft remove such posts?
| > _____
| >
| > Not from Usenet servers where you read this.
| >
| > Phil Weldon
| >
| > "BoaterDave" <BoaterDave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| > news:%23QMqVhGzHHA.4476@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > | Hello again Malke :)
| > |
| > | On this server, cannot Microsoft remove such posts?
| > |
| > | BD
| > |
| > | **********************************
| > | "Malke" <notreally@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| > | news:us8L1PGzHHA.5408@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > | > zhengshareware wrote:
| > | >
| > | > spam
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > Malke
| > | > --
| > | > Elephant Boy Computers
| > | > www.elephantboycomputers.com
| > | > "Don't Panic!"
| > | > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|




.

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