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Windows Security
Ah! Religious debate! Gotta love it!

Yes, there are ways to keep Windows secure. I've managed to do it since Windows came out.

And despite rumors to the contrary, Linux is not 100% secure. Just last week I read about a buffer overflow issue that affected Linux systems, involving the PNG image file library.

Is Linux more secure than Windows? Definitely yes!

Is it completely secure? Definitely no.

And yes, I realize that saying that will get me excomunicated from certain IT religious groups. (Which is okay. I don't tithe to those groups anyway.)

If you want a totally secure system, completely proof against all attacks and virii, with unbreakable protection, I recommend removing the hard drive(s) and/or the CPU. Either one will result in a hackproof system. Turning the computer off or unplugging it is too easy to undo and might result in security issues.

Otherwise, use the system that will perform the function you want, and take care to make it as secure as it needs to be.

Want an entertainment machine that can play video games as well as do word processing and e-mail, run a personal accounting program and browse the net? Windows will do.

Want something on which you are keeping sensitive corporate data and financial records? You might be better off with Linux (unless you're Arthur Anderson, in which case what you probably want is a computer specially made so it can be fed through a shredding machine).

In either case, use a firewall and antivirus and block attachments that contain executable code.

That's my 1 lira worth.
Posted by: gsquared   Posted on: 08/09/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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MS sees the light!  enduser_z | 08/08/04
Outbound blocking  Jomo_z | 08/09/04
There is NO WAY to make Windoze secure !  realitycheck101 | 08/08/04
You're right ..  worknman | 08/09/04
Ech..  sshreve@... | 08/11/04
You're right, but...  friedcow | 08/09/04
"UNIX is basically a simple operating system, but you have to be a genius t  bsfisher | 08/09/04
Sure there is...  rbochan | 08/09/04
You guys are forgetting...  ollie_z | 08/09/04
Not just home users  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
Windows Security  gsquared | 08/09/04
Nope...  Linux User 147560 | 08/09/04
Arrogance or ignorance? BOTH  Squawkbox | 08/08/04
seems you missed the point  zijiang | 08/08/04
Good point HOWEVER  Squawkbox | 08/09/04
Hope you mean metaphorical rats  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
Yes Yes metaphorical rats  Squawkbox | 08/09/04
MS has different requirements than 3rd party vendors  dsnyder_z | 08/09/04
Thanks NOW I understand, that is why I asked  Squawkbox | 08/09/04
Processes  sshreve@... | 08/11/04
Ironic comments  Nigel Johnstone | 08/09/04
Incremental security step  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
No mention of hardware firewalls  wdlists@... | 08/09/04
There you go with that common sense approach again.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
Why not hardware.  donford74@... | 08/17/04
Why outbound blocking is so important  friedcow | 08/09/04
It is "game over"  toadlife | 08/09/04
Answer this then  Taz_z | 08/09/04
Answers  toadlife | 08/09/04
Good answers  Taz_z | 08/09/04
easy  tamuhockey | 08/09/04
I hadn't thought of that.  enduser_z | 08/09/04
Not sure, but I don't think so.  tamuhockey | 08/10/04
Why outbound blocking gives a false sense of security  johnrich | 08/13/04
The "Outbound blocking" myth rears it's ugly head again  toadlife | 08/09/04
Mostly wrong  Taz_z | 08/09/04
All I'm saying is that outbound blocking is an overblown feature  toadlife | 08/09/04
All good answers  Taz_z | 08/09/04
It saved me  enduser_z | 08/09/04
admin is needed  toadlife | 08/09/04
Damned if they do, damned if they don't.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
But half-a$$ed works  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
Al about persecption.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
"... great ..."?  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
Who said anything about selling it?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
You're right; I left out a step.  Anton Philidor | 08/09/04
Except IE an WMP aren't free  voska | 08/09/04
Re:Except IE an WMP aren't free  Michael L Hereid Sr | 08/15/04
Amen, Brother Ax!  ollie_z | 08/09/04
One problem, I don't trust MS  voska | 08/09/04
come again?  tamuhockey | 08/09/04
RE: Microsoft is the reason we need AV software  Scrat | 08/12/04
Forget Windoze, you Lindoze instead  FilledOut | 08/09/04
ANTI-TRUST around the corner?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
Hmmm, and not a single responce.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/09/04
Anti-Trust  blacksheepxlch1 | 08/09/04
Because we all know your right  voska | 08/09/04
UNIX  bsfisher | 08/09/04
It is almost funny!  blacksheepxlch1 | 08/09/04
firewalls  half@... | 08/09/04
Outbound filtering is overrated!  omdguy | 08/09/04
Not that good at all!  htotten | 08/09/04
Sorry, but  richdave | 08/09/04
UNIX hard to use? errm SCO has run on a lot of tills (and so does linux)  hipparchus2000 | 08/09/04
elbow / butt label co-ordination problem.  richdave | 08/09/04
Not perfect, but much better than the alternative.  JonathonDoe | 08/10/04
Competition, no; enterprise/user satisfaction, yes.  Anton Philidor | 08/10/04
it is a freebe firewall  V Sanders | 08/10/04
Ironically this motto  michael-t | 08/10/04
Consiracy Theory  noetze | 08/12/04
Better than nothing... maybe!  jwschull@... | 08/12/04
The average user is the problem.  rwire@... | 08/12/04
hooray!  CheeseToast | 08/13/04
Long Way To Go  isowipe | 08/12/04
Educating the public  Chiatzu | 08/13/04
If they blocked outbound then...  msdead | 08/13/04
ABS FUD  ArturoWeenie | 08/15/04
re "SP2's new firewall: Not good enough"  V Sanders | 08/16/04
Windows Firewall(XP sp2)  coolone1232001 | 12/08/04

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