Microsofts NEW Security ploy

Below is a quote taken from the listed web site.

http://news.ists.dartmouth.edu/todaysnews.html#internal7887



MS Takes Hard Line on Security
Source: Wired News
Date Written: November 14, 2002
Date Collected: November 15, 2002

Craig Mundie of Microsoft released a statement on Microsoft Inc.'s Trustworthy Computing initiative. Mundie announced November 13, 2002 "that in response to the threat of terrorist cyberattacks, Microsoft would deploy security fixes to its installed base of hundreds of millions of computers worldwide in the coming year -- even if those fixes break applications in use by customers." He also said that, "We're going to tell people that even if it means we're going to break some of your apps, we're going to make these things more secure. You're just going to have to go back and fix it." Mundie went on to say that increased spending on development and maintenance is necessary to increase security. He also indicated that Microsoft's business model, the push to increase revenue with sales of new software with new features, might have created a situation in which less than secure code was produced. Mundie said that every Microsoft project has a security function portion.

 

Tie that to this article, http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28100.html ,and you see the ride that M$ wants to take the world on.
For years we listened to how safe Windows was, now finally the admission - WE CAN"T MAKE WINDOWS 98 SAFE.
Gee, who woulda believed?
Not the Evil Empire says XP is a must as I'm sure they are going to kill the only good OS they ever made, Win2K, as soon as they can figure out how not to alienate the entire Corporate America, Europe, and Asia.
Then, one day you will hear from BGates and friends, gee, we can't seem to secure XP, so you guys just better start renting from us as you go. We'll keep you safe while you do all your computing on the Internet.
BAH!

 

Looks like M$Update is going to be missing on this computer very shortly.

Of course, one has to wonder if there's a 'backdoor' built-in to every Windows OS that'll allow them to do what they want to to your OS regardless - all in the interest of 'national security', of course!

 

Speaking of backdoors (which I can't do in technical terms, since I'm a permanent newbie), How the heck do I stop these Messenger-type pop ups that I've been getting recently? I read something about it somewhere, before I really started to get buzzed. Wished I had paid more atttention.

I've twice contacted (or attempted to) A1 Tech, maker of Ads Gone (which I bought) to ask them about it, but they haven't responded. Can't say I'm pleased. Unfortunately, I can't un-buy my pop up stopper from them. I don't mind the fact that it doesn't work on this clearly new kind of pop up fiend. What I am miffed about is the fact that they won't talk to me. Later...

 

Hi Arby,

Unfortunately, what you´re experiencing is no regular pop-up that any Popup stopper so far can take care of. It´s a service from Microsoft that is installed and started by default as a service for all their customers (even if they don´t need it, or want it) This is how to disable it:

Windows 2000
Click Start-> Programs-> Administrative Tools->Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button.
Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar
Click OK


Windows XP
Click Start->Settings->Control Panel
Click Administrative Tools
Double click Services
Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties.
Click the STOP button/link.

Regards,

Pieter

 

Thanks. I'll give that a shot. I see there's another poster here, Krusty, who seems to have had problems with the Messenger program as well. Maybe there's a connection, pardon the pun.

 

Should reading:



http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55795,00.html


- Fixed link - LowWaterMark

 

Thanks for that. I actually read it not long ago, but couldn't remember where. I'm disappointed that the author didn't make the solution a little clearer. I'm not saying that the solution wasn't all there. But the author wrote his piece as though everyone reading it were up to snuff, computer smart folks, which isn't the case. When a lot of the material covered in the article is already rather jargony, the solution that was offered, and not emphasized, isn't going to register on a lot of folks - like me.

The same solution got my attention when I asked specifically for a solution, here, and someone was kind enough to offer one. I might have assumed, the first time around, that implementing the solution was beyond me, which it most certainly was not. It's just that so much else 'is' beyond me.

Anywho, Considering that the author and others are expecting this technique to get the attention of more serious trouble makers who will use it for worms and trojans, I would think that someone out there is working on a solution. (Fire Bill Gates?) And I'm surprised to hear nothing about it. I assume that that Messenger service has a purpose. If one wants to use it, but can't find a solution that filters out these nasties, Then what?

 

The normal use of this service is normally restricted to local networks, so most firewalls will be able to distinguish the good from the bad.

A very good explanation on how to disable these services can be found here: http://www.auburn.edu/oit/security/messengerService.html

Regards,

Pieter

 

I followed the instructions, above, for stopping the Messenger pop ups, but I'm still getting them. I went back in and had a look. There's nothing in plain English 'explanation' anywhere, of course. But there was another setting, a drop down menu, that included options like 'diabled' and 'automatic' and something else. I certainly noticed it the first time in. But the instructions above only directed me to click on STOP, which I did. I've just now tried both the STOP and the 'disabled' option.

This is so annoying and distracting. I've got other things to do. George Bush must love Bill Gates.

 

Just to be clear, I appreciate it when folks help me out with these little things. And I appreciate it when they 'attempt' to help me out. It's all the same. No one's perfect. For example, after being directed to click on STOP, with the first suggestion, I assumed that I didn't need to read the article which the last suggestion pointed me to. That was my fault. If I had done that, and normally I'm 'not' lazy when it comes to at least following directions, I would have seen that the addtional setting, namely the one I was wondering about, was indeed important.

In other words, Thanks everyone.

 

Hi Arby,

My sincere apologies for being unclear. My only excuse is I searched for a site where I could find the description for disabling this service in English. I should have noticed there was something missing.

Kind regards,

Pieter

 

Pieter,

Just wanted to tell you that you are doing a GREAT job here at Wilders. Paul knew what he was doing when he snagged you.

John
Luv2BSecure

 

Thnx for the compliment John

There was no snagging involved though

Regards,

Pieter

 

Pieter,

Uh oh. The global village thing again. I hope "snagging" doesn't mean something different in your neighborhood than it does in mine.

I will re-phrase that just in case:

Paul knew what he was doing when he [glow=red,2,300]selected[/glow] you !

That should be safe.

Take care, my friend....

John

 

And I will second that, John.

 

Could be I have a wrong understanding of the word. Snagging in my book would imply he beat someone to it.
As Paul has shown extremely good taste in the past, I will consider it a compliment
Since English is not normally spoken in my neighborhood I will stick to your interpretation.
I will try to live up to the standard you have set.

Regards,

Pieter