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"A tale from the trenches" and "Golden nugget" will be regular features of this news letter to which you can also submit articles for consideration. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ General announcements ===================== This is a special issue of the surfsafety.com news letter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MS Outlook e-mail virus alert. Any who know me and/or have subscribed to this news letter for any length of time know that I am often outspoken in my criticism of Microsoft. My wife, the stabilizing factor in my life, often asks me "Do you think it's a good idea to be so openly critical of Microsoft?" to which I usually reply with something like "Do you think the Justice Department is too openly critical of Microsoft?" But I digress. After examining Outlook Express and being generally impressed with it, my position was beginning to soften. There had been some e-mail virus outbreaks associated with a security hole between Outlook or Outlook Express and early releases of Office 97. Infection became widespread in a matter of only days. But, okay. So what? It was apparently harmless, cleared up fairly quickly and was already becoming a faint memory. It required that the victim open an attached document and, once everyone knew what to look for, was fairly easy to spot ahead of time and avoid infection. And so, I let my guard down. And so, I was actually ready to say something nice about Microsoft. And then came "Bubbleboy." Another e-mail virus first reported to Network Associates, authors of McAfee VirusScan and a product I highly endorse, on 11/8/99. It exploits a VBS security hole between Outlook or Outlook Express and the new Windows 98/2000 operating systems. This one is likely to spread even more quickly and be harder to head off because it does not require that you open an attachment file. Instead, all you have to do is open the e-mail! And, in the case of Outlook Express, you need only view it in the Preview Pane to activate the virus. Very dangerous! Very sloppy programming from Microsoft. Once the virus activates, the next time you restart Windows or log on another user, it sends itself to EVERY contact in EVERY Outlook address book on that computer, in the background, without your knowledge! Not only this, but Microsoft admits this virus can also infect users by simply browsing a web page with Internet Explorer 4.0 or 5.0 running on Windows. Isn't that special? Granted, Microsoft has again responded quickly and a security patch is available for immediate download, but how many of you really care to be concerned about nonsense like this? How much time before Microsoft's carelessness with new software releases really hurts someone? Is it any wonder, then, that I still use Windows 95 as my primary operating system? That I still use Office 95? That I continue to err on the side of caution? That I am so outspoken in my criticism of Microsoft? When is the last time you have seen competing products, or operating systems like those used on the MAC, similarly affected? Knock on wood, I have yet to fall victim to any of Microsoft's carelessly written code due in large part, I think, because I refuse to buy ANYTHING new from Microsoft until I know for sure the wrinkles are out, regardless of the reported benefits. Next to the competition, it is generally mediocre product made for a consuming public that they have lulled into accepting mediocre product. I am as guilty of this as anyone else, and to migrate to anything else has, until only recently, been cost prohibitive. We have all become much too comfortable with Microsoft and the smoothly spoken words of it's chairman, Bill Gates. They built their brand and lulled us into trusting that brand. They have used this to their benefit and our detriment. In rulings issued recently by the Justice Department, it would seem that my concerns are well founded. And, while final action against Microsoft is probably still years away, the face of computing as we know it is about to change. The day of reckoning for Microsoft is coming. We all need to prepare for that. New software companies formerly squashed or swallowed up by Microsoft will arise. Newer, faster, more stable and easier to use operating systems in the home and at work. A level playing field on which Microsoft must compete instead of muscling out the competition. This issue of computer security and vulnerability to outside attack is a serious one. Many who dismiss it lightly often receive rude awakenings when they least expect it and when they can least afford it. Microsoft's nonchalant attitude towards the welfare of the consumer is, in my opinion, very alarming. I can't tell you what to do but I CAN tell you what *I* intend to do. I intend to migrate away from Microsoft as much as possible, starting right now. Not overnight, but very methodically. Products are already surfacing which will allow this to take place seamlessly and painlessly. Most notable among them, for me, is something called VMware. A Virtual Machine layer installed on a computer or server allowing the running of multiple operating systems SIMULTANEOUSLY on the same machine. As software developers port their products to other platforms like Linux, users are able to migrate to it installed on the other platform without any of the former drawbacks. Even more importantly, each operating system on a given machine using VMware is completely encapsulated. This means a virus could crash a copy of Windows on a given machine while allowing the other operating systems, including other copies of Windows, to continue without skipping a single beat. My general advise regarding Microsoft products? Be prepared. Change is coming. Change is good. :) =================================================================== The Microsoft patch is available at http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp Be warned. This is a VERY busy site right now. Keep trying. McAfee's VirusScan update for Bubbleboy is slated for release 11/18/99 at http://vil.nai.com/vil/vbs10418.asp =================================================================== Be informed. Be involved. And be well. Most sincerely, Mark Brasche Owner, New England Webmasters Author, Child Safety-Net