(Full) Agent and Pegasus safety questions

[Francis Marsden]

I have on my system (win98) the full registered version of Agent (not free
agent). For email I use Pegasus. If full Agent is used only for newsgroups,
not email, is it inherently safe, or is some special configuration
necessary? Same question for Pegasus: inherently safe, or needs to be
configured? Thanks

 

[Adam A. Wanderer]

Whatever e-mail client you use, and whatever newsreader client, and no
matter how they're configured, you _must_ have a top-notch, up-to-date
anti-virus program installed and running at all times!!!

 

[Chuck]

I have on my system (win98) the full registered version of Agent (not free
agent). For email I use Pegasus. If full Agent is used only for newsgroups,
not email, is it inherently safe, or is some special configuration
necessary? Same question for Pegasus: inherently safe, or needs to be
configured? Thanks

Agent is a text email and news program. As long as you keep your
system patches up to date, and don't go opening attachments
(especially html) indiscriminately, it should be perfectly safe. For
email OR news.


Chuck
(e-mail address removed)
Spam sucks - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!

 

[null]

I have on my system (win98) the full registered version of Agent (not free
agent). For email I use Pegasus. If full Agent is used only for newsgroups,
not email, is it inherently safe, or is some special configuration
necessary? Same question for Pegasus: inherently safe, or needs to be
configured? Thanks

I use the latest versions of Pegasus and Free Agent. You have little
to be concerned with using the latest versions of these apps. Have you
eradicated IE using IEradicator? Use Mozilla or one of its cousins.
Then your're in excellent shape.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[optikl]

I use the latest versions of Pegasus and Free Agent. You have little
to be concerned with using the latest versions of these apps. Have you
eradicated IE using IEradicator? Use Mozilla or one of its cousins.
Then your're in excellent shape.

There seems to be a differing opinions as to whether or not it's s good idea
to "eradicate" IE.
Why not just recommend using an alternate browser and mail client? If
there's any risk to damaging one's system, I wouldn't think you'd want to be
responsible for a recommendation
that went bad. If you don't use IE, how are you NOT in "excellent shape"? Do
new versions of Pegasus and Agent rely on IE for interpreting something?

 

[null]

There seems to be a differing opinions as to whether or not it's s good idea
to "eradicate" IE.

Oh? From Win 98 which the OP uses? Never heard of any problems and I
certainly never had any with either Win 98 or ME. Quite to the
contrary, my experience has been that the OS behaves better after
using IEradicator.

Why not just recommend using an alternate browser and mail client?

Because eradicating IE is the single most important thing a user can
do for prevention of malware and spyware.

to If
there's any risk to damaging one's system, I wouldn't think you'd want to be
responsible for a recommendation

If I knew of a risk I obviously wouldn't recommend it.

that went bad. If you don't use IE, how are you NOT in "excellent shape"? Do
new versions of Pegasus and Agent rely on IE for interpreting something?

Pegasus will use either your default browser or one you can set under
Options for clickable links in messages. This brower should NOT be IE
or you lose out on security. You can also set Pegasus to use a browser
to render html file attackments, and again, I don't recomment using IE
to render anything


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[Roy]

Whatever e-mail client you use, and whatever newsreader client, and no
matter how they're configured, you _must_ have a top-notch, up-to-date
anti-virus program installed and running at all times!!!

True only if you're very careless, think you might be, or allow another
who is very careless to use your PC.

I consider that I /could/ be in the second category, very occasionally!

Cheers,

Roy

 

[Elly Byrne]

I also use Agent Forte and Pegasus.

They are safe from a virus point of view if your virus checker is up
to date.

I never use Agent for emails although it has that facility. But that
is mainly to avoid SPAM. Spam proof your email address.

I always go back to Pegasus.

I have on my system (win98) the full registered version of Agent (not free
agent). For email I use Pegasus. If full Agent is used only for newsgroups,
not email, is it inherently safe, or is some special configuration
necessary? Same question for Pegasus: inherently safe, or needs to be
configured? Thanks

Tinnitus is a pain in the neck
Elly's Tinnitus Resources
http://www.eebee.net/
http://www.tinnitusrelief.net/

For email: elly at eebee.cjb.net

 

[Nuckfut]

I have on my system (win98) the full registered version of Agent (not free
agent). For email I use Pegasus. If full Agent is used only for newsgroups,
not email, is it inherently safe, or is some special configuration
necessary? Same question for Pegasus: inherently safe, or needs to be
configured? Thanks

Unlike OE, both won't automatically run scripst/programs/ActiveX
controls etc embedded in HTML. BUT they'll still run an attachmentif
you click on it.

 

[null]

Unlike OE, both won't automatically run scripst/programs/ActiveX
controls etc embedded in HTML. BUT they'll still run an attachmentif
you click on it.

Wrong. Pegasus will not.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[Frans Meijer]

Whatever e-mail client you use, and whatever newsreader client, and no
matter how they're configured, you _must_ have a top-notch, up-to-date
anti-virus program installed and running at all times!!!

Nonsense, all you need is good common sense and a reader that doesn't
open attachments, runs scripts etc....

 

[Graeme]

Wrong. Pegasus will not.

Have been following this thread with interest so I am not trying to be smart
when I ask what actual process is required to open an attachment in
Pegasus if it cannot be opened by clicking on it . Perhaps I am missing
something here .
Graeme

 

[null]

Have been following this thread with interest so I am not trying to be smart
when I ask what actual process is required to open an attachment in
Pegasus if it cannot be opened by clicking on it . Perhaps I am missing
something here .

You can't Open an attackment in Pegasus. You have to Save it to some
folder and then either minimize Pegasus or Exit Pegasus. Then you must
Open Windows Explorer, find the folder and file attackment and then
double click to get infested with malware. You see, nothing's
impossible for idiots to accomplish. But Pegasus makes it difficult
for them. You see? That's what sane applications do.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg

 

[FromTheRafters]

There seems to be a differing opinions as to whether or not it's s good idea
to "eradicate" IE.
Why not just recommend using an alternate browser and mail client? If
there's any risk to damaging one's system, I wouldn't think you'd want to be
responsible for a recommendation
that went bad. If you don't use IE, how are you NOT in "excellent shape"? Do
new versions of Pegasus and Agent rely on IE for interpreting something?

In some of my recent reading of Microsoft's Technet articles I have
seen mention of vulnerabilities in IE and a mention of the fact that
the vulnerability still exists if you are not actually using IE but are
using an alternate browser. It seems odd that it is identified as an IE
vulnerability rather than an OS vulnerability if this is the case, but
that is how I remember it.

If I run across that article again, I will let you know.

 

[Chuck]

You can't Open an attackment in Pegasus. You have to Save it to some
folder and then either minimize Pegasus or Exit Pegasus. Then you must
Open Windows Explorer, find the folder and file attackment and then
double click to get infested with malware. You see, nothing's
impossible for idiots to accomplish. But Pegasus makes it difficult
for them. You see? That's what sane applications do.

That's as opposed to Outlook which provides a preview pane which opens
shit automatically before you ask for it.

Agent lets you open stuff from within BUT you have to request it

Pegasus MAKES you work harder by having you open anything outside.
Like to launch a nuclear missile, two soldiers had to press the button
at the same time, after unlocking each button with a separate key.


Chuck
I hate spam - PLEASE get rid of the spam before emailing me!
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[FromTheRafters]

If you don't use IE, how are you NOT in "excellent shape"? Do
new versions of Pegasus and Agent rely on IE for interpreting something?

Sorry, my mistake, it wasn't a technet article, it was this:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-032.asp

Here is the excerpt to which I referred in my other post

===
This vulnerability affects computers that have Internet Explorer
installed. (You do not have to be using Internet Explorer as your
Web browser to be affected by this issue.) You can help protect
your computer by installing this update from Microsoft.
===

 

[Graeme]

You can't Open an attackment in Pegasus. You have to Save it to some
folder and then either minimize Pegasus or Exit Pegasus. Then you must
Open Windows Explorer, find the folder and file attackment and then
double click to get infested with malware. You see, nothing's
impossible for idiots to accomplish. But Pegasus makes it difficult
for them. You see? That's what sane applications do.

Thanks for that explanation.
Graeme

 

[optikl]

In some of my recent reading of Microsoft's Technet articles I have
seen mention of vulnerabilities in IE and a mention of the fact that
the vulnerability still exists if you are not actually using IE but are
using an alternate browser. It seems odd that it is identified as an IE
vulnerability rather than an OS vulnerability if this is the case, but
that is how I remember it.

If I run across that article again, I will let you know.

Thanks.

 

[optikl]

Sorry, my mistake, it wasn't a technet article, it was this:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-032.asp

Here is the excerpt to which I referred in my other post

===
This vulnerability affects computers that have Internet Explorer
installed. (You do not have to be using Internet Explorer as your
Web browser to be affected by this issue.) You can help protect
your computer by installing this update from Microsoft.
===

I hadn't read that bulletin, although I had applied the patch. Good thing,
particularly since IE is glued to XP, whether one likes it or not.

 

[Jason Wade]

Nonsense, all you need is good common sense and a reader that doesn't
open attachments, runs scripts etc....

Please always try to encourage Windows users to get AV software.
Most people use OE (Open Entry) which has never seen a
worm it didn't like

Also, some Windows RPC vulerabilites allow worms to self-install,
so it doesn't matter what mailreader you use.