Firewall Wizards mailing list archives
RE: The home user problem returns
From: jseymour () linxnet com (Jim Seymour)
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:39:53 -0400 (EDT)
hermit921 <hermit921 () yahoo com> wrote:
[snip]
On the good side, I have a friend who is almost totally computer illiterate, but has never had a virus or spyware or any other malware. Rule #1: never double click any attachment. If you have to open it, choose a program that should open that type of file and do a File -> Open. Blindly following these rules has kept her safe for over 10 years. So I know people can learn, at least by rote, regardless of understanding. Rule #2: never use Microsoft software. This probably helps an immense amount, too.
[snip] Your friend could be my wife. WinXP (home edition) for some three years or so. (She *insisted* on having a 'doze PeeCee.) OE was *immediately* removed from the desktop and replaced with Pegasus. IE was *immediately* de-fanged (turned off all the ActiveTrojan stuff), then used to fetch Mozilla. Wife was told "Use this. Use the other only if this doesn't work.") Computer's behind a "firewall router" (configured by your's truly, naturally). Same aggressive mail server filtering rules as at work. I only a week or two ago finally broke down and put AV software on it, because one of her correspondents insisted my wife was sending her infected JPEGs. (She wasn't.) She has had SpyBot S&D for some time, and uses it religiously. It can be done. I've seen it with my own eyes. Jim _______________________________________________ firewall-wizards mailing list firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com http://honor.icsalabs.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards
Current thread:
- Re: The home user problem returns, (continued)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Brian Loe (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns R. DuFresne (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns lordchariot (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Behm, Jeffrey L. (Sep 13)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Jim Seymour (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Scott Pinzon (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns hermit921 (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Jim Seymour (Sep 13)
- Mitigating MS risks [Was: home users] Tina Bird (Sep 14)
- RE: The home user problem returns StefanDorn (Sep 22)
- RE: The home user problem returns hermit921 (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Paul D. Robertson (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Tina Bird (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns David Lang (Sep 14)
- Re: The home user problem returns Michael Cassidy (Sep 22)
- Re: The home user problem returns Mason Schmitt (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns R. DuFresne (Sep 13)
- RE: The home user problem returns Brian Loe (Sep 22)