No software or hardware is perfect. But I've been saying for nearly 10 years,
that the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself while using
the Internet is;
Never use Microsoft software.
Mozilla Thunderbird Mozilla Firefox Open Office Novell
 
July 2nd, 2:30 PM

U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that you DO NOT USE Microsoft Internet Explorer. More...

US-CERT (Computer Emergency Readiness Team) recommends Internet users find alternate browsers. “There are a number of significant vulnerabilities in technologies relating to the IE domain/zone security model ...” More...

Security experts by the masses are recommending users and system administrators alike find alternatives to Microsoft software. It's about time. I guess it takes a massive attack to which there is no defense. More...



June 302th, 5:30 PM EST

WOW! I've had this domain name for over a year, and during the last 6 hours I've had more hits on this page than during the rest of its existence. I assume it is due mainly to a posting of mine on BugTraq.

I was surprised back then that this domain name was even available and snatched it right up. I had some grand plans on what I wanted to do with it, including a world wide “public awareness” campaign. It never happened. For one thing, I can't create good looking HTML content to save my life. And two...well, while I was really fired up at the time that too died down and I found better things to do with my time. As a wise man once said, you have to choose your battles carefully. I work in IT and can do much more good in the fight against the evils of MS one network at a time. What follows below the tear line are just some ramblings of mine. It's all I've ever made of this site over the last year. It does give you something to think about, at least I think so. If any real hard-core ABM'rs want to take over this site and give it the attention it really deserves, please drop me a note with your intentions.




A big HELLO goes out to Microsoft people, I see a few hits from Redmond in the logs already. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves, spreading your disease like you do.



Have you ever heard of a Novell GroupWise virus? A Lotus Notes Virus? Eudora virus? Anything other than a Microsoft Outlook virus? Neither have I. If the world stopped using Microsoft e-mail products, would the term "e-mail virus" quickly become a bad memory?

The security community refers to Outlook as LookOut! and Microsofts back-end e-mail server, Exchange, is called Virus Exchange by many security experts.

There are so many other options, you don't need to use LookOut! To be honest I really don't care much if you use a virus petri dish for e-mail, but I'm getting sick and tired of dealing with the viruses that come out of your machine! If you don't care about your PC being hacked in to, think about the grief you cause others by using LookOut.

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Take a look at this server survey. Netcraft Web Server Survey. You'll notice that Microsoft peaked at about 34% TWO YEARS ago, and has LOST market share since. Why? Punitive licensing and costs? Higher cost of ownership? A perceived lack of any real security? Unstable products? Lack of standards compliance?

Don't go using a Microsoft product just because you think that's the way the industry is going. If you do, that decision is immediately wrong based on flawed data. If for example a product you want to use only integrates with a Microsoft product, either demand from your vendor they support something safe and standards based or find another solution. No excuses!

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On the subject of document macro viruses. As far as I know, there is no such thing! The proper term is Microsoft Office document macro virus. There are no Word Perfect macro viruses, Open Office macro viruses, etc. If everyone stopped using Microsoft Office, there would probably never be a document virus again.



 


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