Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

[quote]Originally posted by Jeff 993TT:
<strong>I received a virus email from Steve Weiner ( porsche@rennsportsystems.com ) this morning. I already notified Steve about this.

I've also received a suspicious email from Robin a few months ago. It looked very close to a virus, but didn't have time to investigate at the time.

Jeff</strong><hr></blockquote>


Like Robin said, someone is using some address books as I did not send you ANY e-mail at all.

I received the same thing two days ago about an e-mail that I supposedly sent to Pelican (I've never posted anything on Pelican) about an attached klez virus.

WTF??

SteveL1

bbeckmann....I recently got cable at home and have not done anything to protect ourselves. Any suggestions? You would think that the cable company would try to sell you something to go with the service?????

Jeff 993TT

[quote]Originally posted by SteveL1:
<strong>bbeckmann....I recently got cable at home and have not done anything to protect ourselves. Any suggestions? You would think that the cable company would try to sell you something to go with the service?????</strong><hr></blockquote>

At the minimum, I'd probably use some type of home router. Check out this link: <a href="http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=23&prid=433" target="_blank">Linksys BEFSX41</a>

At least this way, external people cannot initiate a connection to your computer. You can still initiate any connetions from your computer itself. So assuming that your computer is not infected in the first place, you should be ok. This is a pretty basic firewall.

Another ( cheaper ) option would be to install a software firewall. One that I've used is called Tiny Personal Firewall. It prompts you every time a new connection is made into or out of your comptuer and you can choose to deny it or accept it. You can set up standing rules, so checking your email will not pop up a slew of boxes.

Even with the simple firewall in place, I think most hackers will look elsewhere for easier targets.

Here's a good site to go to: <a href="http://www.hackerwhacker.com/" target="_blank">http://www.hackerwhacker.com/</a> It will perform a scan of your comptuer from an outside source and report the errors that you see.

Hope this helps!

Jeff

Tom W

My $0.02 on the router/firewall issue. I had nothing but hassles with a software firewall. I now use a $40 BaseT router for my cable modem. It's incredible how cheap they are now.

bbeckmann

Linksys is good. I use netgear for all of my bits and pieces. I wouldn't use a software solution (outside of a linux box as a firewall)

More importantly, if you have a wireless network in your house or work, be even more careful. Like I said before, those are way to easy to poke holes into. I've picked up neighbors networks from my backyard.

Randall G.

Okay, internet security is something I'm a novice at, but I'm learning . One thing that I didn't see mentioned, that I understand is important for general users, is to turn off file and print sharing in the control panel/network connections.

What do you experts make of what's written here? In particular, the part about having a dynamic IP address rather than a static, known address, with the computer address being randomly assigned on an ongoing basis.

<a href="http://support.***.net/custsup/safety/securityfaq.shtml" target="_blank">*** Internet Security Page</a>

Thanks!

bbeckmann

That dynamic IP assignment doesn't really do much for security, and depending on the OS to protect you is also doomed to failure. You need to get a router or firewall to protect you.

Providers usually assign dynamic ip addresses so it's harder to provide services using thier service. Without a static IP, it's much harder to run a web server/mail server/etc. They make it look like a security feature, but they are just trying to limit what you do with your service.

Randall G.

[quote]Originally posted by bbeckmann:
<strong>***snip***

and depending on the OS to protect you is also doomed to failure.

***snip***</strong><hr></blockquote>

For example, turning off file and print sharing? In my internet security novice brain, if you turn off file sharing, that should prevent an external request from accessing my computer??

Thanks for the info ...

bocky

Hi 993 group:
I am just visiting from the 996 group. We had experienced the same virus problem about 1 month ago. <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
As for Robin sending virus, as I understand it, the Klez virus, randomly picks a name from an infected computer's address book then places that name (ie: Robin) into the from section then sends the virus to everyone else on the infected computer's address book. Another word, Robin's name is being used without her even knowing it and/or being infected with the virus. <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />
It is a good policy never to open any attachment without first verifying its real source.
Here is a link to a tech support group.
<a href="http://www.techsupportforums.com/" target="_blank">Computer tech support forum</a>
Hope this helps.
Bocky
'02 Carrera C2 coupe
<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />
BTW, some members of the 996 group suspect that it is a Viper,M/B,Mustang,or "Japanese Rocket" owner that got "creamed and smoked" by a Porsche, that is responsible for sending the virus,just to get even with us. <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />

bbeckmann

Randall,

It's not so much the protection from known problems that you need to worry about, it's the unknown problems that get you with the OS. Those are the ones that cause real damage because there are lots of machines out there with false senses of security.

That's why it's better to just prevent anyone from seeing your machine at all.

Randall G.

I just helped a friend switch from dial-up to cable. The Motorola modem (<a href="http://www.gi.com/noflash/sb4200.html" target="_blank">SB4200</a>) the cable company sold him has a stand-by button that disconnects the computer from the modem, while still leaving the modem connected to the provider. Very nice feature, if you have your modem where it's easy to reach--and, if you remember to put the modem in stand-by when you're away from the computer.

tom_993

This is one of the reasons I have NO SPAM in my e-mail address, and try to stay relatively anonymous on these public boards.

Tom
’95 993