XP security patch

[Joe]

Hello,
I just bought a laptop with xp home edition at Best Buy
and they told me that before I get on the internet I
should download a security patch or else I would be at a
significant risk. Is this true or was my salesman trying
to look smarter than he was?
thanks for you help

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Your first priority should be to enable XP's firewall:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

A security issue has been identified that could allow an attacker to
remotely compromise a computer running Microsoft Windows and
gain complete control over it. You can help protect your computer
by installing this update from Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6C-C5B6-44AC-9532-3DE40F69C074&displaylang=en

Afterward, visit the official Windows Update website and
scan your new computer for new updates and install them.
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hello,
| I just bought a laptop with xp home edition at Best Buy
| and they told me that before I get on the internet I
| should download a security patch or else I would be at a
| significant risk. Is this true or was my salesman trying
| to look smarter than he was?
| thanks for you help

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

The salesman was partially correct. (Which puts him head and
shoulders above most Best Buy sales personnel.) You are most
definitely at risk if you access the Internet with an unprotected
computer. But, the first thing you should do is enable WinXP's
firewall, otherwise you'd be likely to in infected with Blaster while
trying to download the necessary patch. ;-}

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

If you were to connect the PC to the Internet without having
first installed the KB824146 Hotfix, without having first installed an
antivirus application with current virus definition files, or before
enabling a firewall, you're very likely to get infected from any of
the thousands of PCs on the Internet that are constantly broadcasting
the Blaster and/or Welchia worms. It only takes a few seconds of
exposure.

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-39
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=824146

What You Should Know About the Blaster Worm
http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp

W32.Blaster.Worm a.k.a. W32/Lovesan.Worm
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.html

W32.Welchia.Worm a.k.a. W32/Nachi.Worm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.welchia.worm.html


Bruce Chambers

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