<snip> Bob wrote:
The author makes a big deal about *not* being able to find various "well-hidden" folders and files using Windows Explorer (he doesn't specify the Windows product or build that he's using). But on the contrary, I am able to see all the worrisome "hidden" temporary folders and files using Windows Explorer in both Win98 and WinME. So I don't perceive the need to boot to DOS as the author suggests;
I originally posted the message to the Cyberculture list. Of course I had checked the claims first, as had the Dutch webzine I referred to. I have a Win2k SP2 and a Win98 SE box and both fail to show the files in the Windows Explorer. The files _do_ show up in a DOS-box (which isn't real-mode DOS) and they _do_ show up when using the Windows search on those directories. Windows Explorer is set to show _all_ files, including hidden and system files, so when these files don't show up in a plain vanilla directory listing, I suppose Microsoft doesn't want them to show up. Why they do show up for you, I have no idea, maybe a difference between certain releases, a fluke or maybe the earth's magnetic field, but... The same half-baked hiding of these files applies to Microsoft's general approach of security and disclosure about just what their programs do and don't (especially towards programmers, think API's). Security by obscurity is a bad idea.
when I followed his instructions, I found nothing on my machine that I didn't already know about, and unless I've made a terrible mistake, I fail to see just what the fuss is all about.
If you didn't find anything you didn't already know about, you probably are well informed about the general working of the stuff that goes on in your computer. Commendable, but I'm afraid not really exemplary of the general public. Remains the fact that the files in question _don't_ get deleted when your order those Microsoft programs to delete _everything_ in the cache. Remains also the fact that these files contain a complete log of everything that went through your browser or Outlook client. In a reply to Jeremy you say that a lot of people find Microsoft's added features very useful, but a major problem here is that Microsoft by default enables a lot of features that pose serious security risks. Instead of choosing the safe path and disabling all features such as macros, scripting and file-sharing etc. by default, so that the user has to consciously turn them on if s/he wants to use them, Microsoft just turns everything on by default and exposes the unknowing user to all kinds of dangers. It used to be that you only had to disable filesharing in the TCP/IP settings to eliminate one of the worst security holes, nowadays AFTER disabling filesharing, you have to dig deep into 5 layers of advanced settings to _also_ disable Netbios over TCP/IP to plug the same hole. Instead of learning from their mistakes, Microsoft just leaves the old security problem as it is and on top of that creates another one. That, to me, is something to fuss about.
The author gives us a hint by alluding to possible embarrassment if one's sly visits to pornographic sites were to be discovered, and to the possibility of personal information being retrieved from one's machine over a network. There are ways around those problems which do not involve rants directed at the authors/vendors of particular operating systems and other software tools.
Given Microsoft's position and the fact that hundreds of millions of not so informed people use their programs, the only option here is to rant about it. The more informed people will indeed use other programs and/or operating systems. You're machine being vulnerable to attacks over the internet isn't so far fetched. Please have a read through the message I have appended at the end of this message and use the programs/services to check your machine on vulnerabilities or spy-ware programs that have managed to install themselves on your computer. When I send this message to the Cyberculture list a while back, several people told me they ended up plugging a couple of holes and removing up to 12 spy-ware programs from their computer. I'd say proof that a lot of people have no idea what's going on in their computer and would be better of with a more secure system instead of more bells and whistles in the next equally insecure release. <snip>
Back up the registry before you edit it, because an editorial mistake there can cause the most exquisite of migraines ;>).
and that's some very good advice :) Cheers, Frank. ---excerpt from a message posted earlier to CC--- <snip> on the other hand, a lot of nastiness is going on at all times of the day and the logs of my firewall of people testing just about any imaginable port on my system are testimony to that. right now, I even had to disable the logging function of my firewall because some idiot is hitting my IP address about 4 times per second with Gnutella requests... and has been doing so for that past week, which needless to say creates rather huge logs. this is a relatively benign annoyance and for the most part the internet seems to route around trouble fairly okay. <snip> ...which reminds me: even if you're just dialing up, there's a lot of you can do about your own safety. if you're using a Windows system read this section of Practically Networked (a great site): http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/securnet.htm#Not follow their links to check yourself with the ShieldsUp! service of GRC.com: https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 people sharing their internet at home will find the whole of the Practically Networked site interesting, lots of details how to secure your LAN. then, install the free ZoneAlarm personal firewall: http://www.zonealarm.com it's the best thing I can recommend safety wise. this firewall not only blocks incoming traffic, but regulates which programs you ALLOW to connect to the net. this means that at first you will have to grant every new application that wants to connect to the net permission to do so, but once your trusted applications have permission, you don't even have to think about it anymore... it just works. ZoneAlarm actually caught one shareware program installing 2 different spyware programs on my computer when they tried to 'phone home'. spyware? yes, the latest annoyance. these are little programs that a lot of shareware/freeware authors succumb to getting paid for installing them on your computer, where they monitor all kinds of traffic, sometimes taking care of presenting you with personalized ads, sometimes sending back to homebase all kinds of information about you. think you might have contracted some spyware? use Ad-Aware to cleanse your computer: http://www.lavasoft.de/eintro12.html then use the SpyChecker database every time before you install a new program: http://www.spychecker.com/ and you should be relatively safe... have a safe day on the net :) Frank. -- The Cyberculture, Identity and Gender Resources ==> http://fragment.nl/resources/