LangaList security item

["Brian Loe" <knobdy () stjoelive com>]

> From the LangaList - pretty sad it has to be said. Posting since it might
have some relevance to previous posts about DSL wireless routers supplied by
ISPs. It's obviously not in AOL's interest to advertise their LACK of
security, all the while advertising their improved security.

4) ISP Security Tools (E.G. AOL's) OK?

     Fred, I've poked through your archives looking for information
     about AOL - which many of my friends use and often ask me
     questions about it.  I don't use it and so generally just say
     "don't know".  One recurring question is about how 'self
     protected' AOL is and so, how necessary is third party software
     (Spybot, Ad-Aware, MS AntiSpyware, Spyware Blaster, etc.) to
     protect it?  In a similar way, is a third party firewall needed
     and antivirus software?  AOL projects this image of taking care
     of it all and being 'safe'.  Any ideas or experience about
     this?   Thanks, Bill Zaydak

Oh, jeez---- if anything, AOL members need more protection than others!
Although some AOL users are quite sophisticated, AOL as a whole tends to
attract (and is advertised to) relative novice users. These are people who
are especially vulnerable to all kinds of hack attacks and scams--- not
because they're bad people or anything like that--- but simply because they
don't yet know any better.

AOL is well-intentioned in trying to offer some protection to these users,
many of whom would never think to install or run security-enhancing tools on
their own. But no external agent (like an ISP) can provide complete local
protection for a PC; and no generalized security service can do as well as
you can do in managing your PC security on your own.

In general, as soon as an AOL user reaches the point of asking "are these
tools any good?" I feel they're ready to start taking control of their own
online experience. I'll then (gently) recommend they get their own security
tools, and maybe explore a standard ISP, which will get them to the internet
for less money and without all the extra baggage and intermediation that AOL
imposes on its users.

Some people really like AOL, and that's perfectly fine. I just like to make
sure that people stay with AOL as a conscious choice, and not because they
weren't aware of alternatives.

But in any case, yes, AOL users need full software protection, regardless of
what AOL says or is doing. If your AOL friends can handle it, you'd be doing
them a favor to set them up with a good collection of security tools, such
as those you mention.


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