ALERT: Computer Problems Jan 2006

[GrayBeard Phil]

Some of you may have heard about the high security alert for computers.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/912840.mspx
which is written in MS tech speak.

1. MS security patch is due to be released week of Jan 10th.

2. Until you download and install that patch do not open any Email attachment that has the 'dot extension' of wmf. WMF is a type of graphic file used in windows and stands for Windows Meta File. The most common graphic file format is .jpg, which as far as I know is not affected.

3. It is possible a virus (yet to be discovered) could infecte your computer by opening a .wmf file from an internet web site. Until the patch is released, and System Admin's patch their Windows based Servers, you should be very careful about opening a *.wmf file.

Phil

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Thanks for the heads up Phil. :)

[cranbrook2]

thank you phil :D

[pops-shop]

Phil - always glad to get this kind of info - thanks

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Fred you should post this on your site. I am sure Phil would not mind

[pops-shop]

Check it out - already done - including the proper url

Thanks, Phil

[cranbrook2]

this is what i would do :D

[pops-shop]

That's hysterical :D :eek: :rolleyes: :cool:

[stevefromnfld]

Cranbrook!!!That's Excellant!!!Can I borrow it for wall paper or background for my computer?My wife will crack up when she comes home from work!!LOLOL...Steve, :D :D

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Phil'

Can you fill us in on the happenings of this virus. and was there a problem??? Also I am not sure my computer downloaded this security update. What should it look like and say. I have the automatic update set on my computer but some things do not get downloaded. Glad someone revived this thread for I forgot all about it. Thanks.

[pops-shop]

John

Found out a thing or two regarding "automatic" updates.

1. Not all of them will.
2. If you have a firewall turned on, they probably won't.
3. For several of my applications, I turn off "automatic" updates. I have them send me an email when updates are available, download the files, and then perform the update manually. Has saved me tons of aggrevation.

(just my humber 2% of a dollar)

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Yes I have found that too Fred. For some reason some get through and some do not. Same thing with my Norton. Could be connected som how. That is why I asked for the name of the file that should be downloaded so I can check for it and if I do not have it I will download. The thing with MS is they offer so many differnt options for security updates and half are not needed.

Phil oh Phil where are you?? He is the computer guru. :eek:

[GrayBeard Phil]

Everyone:

As Far As I Know (AFAIK) the expected virus attacks never happened in the vast degree that was expected. Sort of a Fizzed out. Some minor virus, did not spread and were caught.

Big news, BTW, there are some really bad mal-ware advertisements out there. They pop up on your screen proclaiming you have a virus and click OK to remove the virus. (there is no other option, but to click OK) then they demand your credit card number to remove the virus. (A virus / adware that they put on your computer in the first place.)

Here is the catch. The Mal-ware is placed in your boot software, so each time you turn on your computer the problem returns.

It takes me, or one of my co-workers, about 4 hours of dedicated time to remove this mal-ware from a computer at work. That is 4 hours where the normal user is without the tool (computer) to perform the job they are paid to do. Plus I, or one of my co-workers, is taken away from our normal work load. Just take a guess at just how high this gets noticed in Management.

This is technically not a virus since it cannot spread to other computers. Our best guess is it was picked up at a vendor's linked site from an Ebay auction. (Both ladies admitted they were browsing Ebay during lunch looking at 2nd hand wedding dress and jumped to the vendors web page from the link provided.)

You know everyone denies surffing the Web, and everyone proclaims they don't break the company policy, but there are only a handful of computers at work that don't have problems with spyware lately.

aside story: End user claims she got email at home from "Janet" for a "really neat screen saver", and the end user knows two Janets. So end user fowards email to herself at work. Turns out screen saver was cover for a password cracker spy-ware, which in turn allowed all pop-up screen advertisements to bypass security. End-user effectivly lost maybe two days of productive work because of closing out pop-up screens so she could view the database screens.

Well enough for now, this is not part of WoodWorking.

Phil

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Phil

Thanks for filling us in. It is just amazing what people will think of to cause harm to people and businesses. If this much effort was put to good use just think of all the problems we could solve. For every wrong doing someone has to come up with a fix. Now I think it might be a conspiracy. The same people that fix these problems are the ones causing them so you have to run out and buy their product to fix it. Hows that sound.?? Sound like your government at work?? I have a devious mind.