Re: Pop-ups
From: Kevin Davisł (zkevindavisz_at_cfl.rr.com)
Date: 08/11/03
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Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 02:56:54 GMT
On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 09:30:20 -0700, "tshortridge"
<mistwalker2000@adelphia.net> wrote:
> Has anyone found an answer to stopping these permanantly?
>Does microsoft offer any dowmloads against all pop-ups
>through messenger?
Installing only a firewall to stop pop-up messages is a "putting all
your eggs in one basket" approach to computer security.
If the user is a home user there is a likelihood that not only do they
not use the messenger service, but don't even know it exists.
However, there are some popular consumer anti-virus products that use
them like Norton's. The user should find out if they need the service
and shut it off if not needed as well as installing and configuring a
firewall. If there is any doubt, it is probably best to leave it on,
but certainly don't rely only on a software firewall to protect you.
Software firewalls like most software, have been susceptable to
vulnerabilities. Good security advice would have them install an
inexpensive hardware SOHO router/"firewall" (like a linksys or
netgear), a personal software firewall, *and* disable the messenger
service (if not needed).
To be truly as secure as reasonably possible, a mutli-layered defense
is required. Additional actions such as applying critical OS
udates/patches, unbinding NetBeui from TCP\IP, and disabling NetBIOS
over TCP\IP is also highly recommended. An excellent place to start
learning about the various things you can do to secure yourself is
http://www.sans.org/rr/catindex.php?cat_id=26
Turning off the messenger service providesthe user with 2 benefits.
First, it will provide a more secure system in that the user will not
be susceptible to any vulnerabilities that may exist in the messenger
service today or that may be found in the future.
A great example is sendmail. It is (or at least was) installed and
running on Linux systems as a daemon by default and had been regarded
as very secure. Recently they found a serious vulnerability that had
been there for over 15 years. Who knows how long the hackers knew
about it? How many people left themselves vulnerable by leaving that
ervice on and didn't need it?. Relying on one and only one line of
defense (a software firewall) is foolish. You should harden your
system as well as install a firewall. Doing one does not mean that
you shouldn't do the other.
Second, it will return some system resources that were being used by a
service that was useless to the user.
In the case that the user is a corporate user and the messenger
service is being used, then it should not be disabled. However, if
you advise him to install a firewall on his own you could be advising
them to do something that could cause their termination. Many
businesses deal very harshly with this type of behavior. If the user
is a corporate user, they should alert their System Admin of these
pop-ups getting through so they can block the traffic at their border
routers/firewalls and solicit their advice as to what they can do, if
anything, as a corporate user to avoid receiving the pop-ups.
---------------------------------------
What could possibly go wrong?
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