Do i need to install an antivirus software if....

[Alias]

Even Lindows, aka, Linspire, comes with an anti virus program and firewall.
5.0 looks nice.

Alias

 

[Gilbert]

Geez, Ken, do you treat all apparent newbies that way? I've driven
in THREE countries where there was no need for auto insurance.

No need by whom?
It's precisely that sort of country where you would be wise to have
insurance.
Just as it is wise to protect yourself against the possibility of attack.
Lighten up, Pop!
:O)
Gilbert

 

[Husky]

I seldom download anything from the internet
never open any attachment in e-mails
always update windows from windowsupdate
running xp sp2

You don't have to download anything from the web. The majority of malicious web
pages don't care if you want it or not. And in most cases won't even ask your
permission to stick it on your machine.

Do you know when you're being lied to ?

You could best answer that question if you can ask the same question this time
next year with the same clean machine.

ie: My virus software updated the pattern file yesterday.
It found 1 that I've had on my machine for years.
It also found one in a restore point.
Both items that make them older than a week.
The one in the restore point is so new that it has zero information about it.

I get alerts just by getting email even without opening it. I switched to agent
specifically because OE automatically launched every virus.
A text email reader can't automatically launch anything destructive [yet].

If your times worth less than $40.00 an hour, I'd say go without the virus
software. You can get a reliable virus scanner for that much a year.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Pop

Any computer hooked into either a local or wide area network that is used as
a 'honeypot' such that the user can learn is a menace to any other computer
to which it connects, especially in the hands of a newbie.. it could be
mine, or the computer of another complete newbie, or an older person with no
technical skills who relies on it to stay in touch with family..

If everybody took security as seriously as they should, and that includes
those who feel that they are 100% smart enough at all times, maybe we would
not have so many security issues..

Your 'PS' suggests to me that you don't care who is affected.. that you will
do whatever you want anyway.. thanks for that.. we can all sleep safer
tonight knowing that, I'm sure..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

 

[Testy]

Now that was lame (and before you get upset, check my headers, I'm posting
from a Linux box). Linux is vulnerable to Viruses and Exploits, it's just
not targeted, AT THIS TIME, because it's so easy to target other OS's.

Sure EVERYTHING is vulnerable just some are MORE vulnerable than others.
There are many excellent reasons to use Linux LESS vulnerability is only
ONE of them.

So NO not lame at all.

Testy

 

[Testy]

Utter and complete nonsense.

http://www.viruslibrary.com/virusinfo/Linux.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1123827.stm

http://www.claymania.com/unix-viruses.html

http://www.vnunet.com/news/1127347

http://antivirus.about.com/od/unixthreats/

And thats just the first few results of a Google search that came up
with at least 20 pages of links.

Spoken truly like a man with absolutely no personal experience. Of course
every OS is vulnerable to attacks MS more so partly due to its
"popularity" bur MOSTLY due to poor design and huge gaping holes that have
existed for years.

Testy

 

[news.microsoft.com]

"Linux LESS vulnerability" ?

http://search.cert.org/query.html?col=certadv&qt=Linux&charset=iso-8859-1
Document count 83

http://search.cert.org/query.html?col=certadv&qt=Windows&charset=iso-8859-1
Document count 65

 

[Leythos]

Sure EVERYTHING is vulnerable just some are MORE vulnerable than others.
There are many excellent reasons to use Linux LESS vulnerability is only
ONE of them.

So NO not lame at all.

Wrong, it's completely lame to think that Linux makes your computer safe
from viruses or exploits. There are updates every month for every version
I run to patch exploits. There are plenty of times when you see people
complaining they were running as root (like Windows Administrator) and
were compromised, not to mention the exploits of Apache and even Apple
OS/X and it's apps.

There is nothing I've seen that indicates Linux is secure, only that it's
default mode is mostly more secure to use in some distributions than a
default Windows installation. This statement does not mean that Linux is
safe or that it's immune to viruses - there have been proof-of-concept
viruses for Linux. Thinking that Linux is secure is like assuming that
working in coal mine didn't present any risk of lung infections.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP]

Frank

Do any of your many grandchildren ever get within 6 feet of your
computer?

Heck, no. They don't even get in the same room as my computers.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Leythos]

Heck, no. They don't even get in the same room as my computers.

While many of us have never been compromised (me since 76) I can honestly
state that AV software is a great reactionary tool for the masses. Even
though I consider myself one of the safest network users, protecting my
machines against all known and some imagined threats, I would never setup
a computer without antivirus software for anyone, including myself.

 

[Pop]

Hmm, too bad. You're still painting the world with one pastel color, aren't
you? I'd expect better from you. If you're that frightened of my machine,
then I guess you should get off the net, eh? I guarantee you my machine
could not harm yours or anyone else's. Just because a person is wise enough
to ask questions does not indicate anything more than a niche they need
better information on.
You're a very poor judge.
OK, I'm gone: you're not worth disturbing the ether for any further than
this.
Hope your mind opens someday;
Pop

 

[Pop]

No need by whom?
It's precisely that sort of country where you would be wise to have
insurance.
Just as it is wise to protect yourself against the possibility of attack.
Lighten up, Pop!
:O)
Gilbert

<g>, something you need to understand about me; I respond to others in the
same vein/manner they use. If you seem like an idiot, I'm going to treat
you that way. If you seem like a well rounded, interpersonal skills biased
individual, I'm going to treat you that way. If you deserve respect, I'm
going to give you respect.
You see, it's you who invited that post by attacking a newbie for no good
reason. If you had a good reason, you would have indicated same by now;
you're that kind of person. Had you not treated a newbie unreasonably I
never would have thought a thing about you. But I abhor people who are so
inconsiderate as to whelp-up on a pup like that for no good reason; so I
occasionally whelp-up on them myself. I don't get mad, I'm not worried
about revenge or getting even, I just respond in-kind. Call it education.
No thinking person would behave as you have done.
I'm not going to debate it; you're becoming boring quickly. I'm sure
you'll appreciate that.

Pop

 

[Pop]

Spoken truly like a man with absolutely no personal experience. Of course
every OS is vulnerable to attacks MS more so partly due to its
"popularity" bur MOSTLY due to poor design and huge gaping holes that have
existed for years.

Testy

Ahhh, the comforts of fanaticism.

 

[Gilbert]

<g>, something you need to understand about me; I respond to others
in the same vein/manner they use. If you seem like an idiot, I'm
going to treat you that way. If you seem like a well rounded,
interpersonal skills biased individual, I'm going to treat you that
way. If you deserve respect, I'm going to give you respect.

Try a little less robotic reaction. Think for yourself, instead.
Call it an education in the use of interpersonal skills if you like.
Bye.
:O)
Gilbert

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Frank

How will they learn without the maestro there to teach them safe hex
<shame>. I have just installed a second computer 4 feet from where I am
sitting for my two that live locally.

--


Regards.

Gerry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE]

Frank

How will they learn without the maestro there to teach them safe hex
<shame>. I have just installed a second computer 4 feet from where I am
sitting for my two that live locally.

There are three computers that are not in my office. Oops, four if you
include the Tablet. Besides, they all have computers at home.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE]

While many of us have never been compromised (me since 76) I can honestly
state that AV software is a great reactionary tool for the masses. Even
though I consider myself one of the safest network users, protecting my
machines against all known and some imagined threats, I would never setup
a computer without antivirus software for anyone, including myself.

Hey, I have one running. It just never catches anything. (It doesn't scan
email because that screws up OE). I also have an anti-spyware running. It
doesn't find anything either.

I'm only 66.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[Pop]

Bingo! You figured it out!
Pop