Non-IE users, don't neglect to update your browsers

[mechBgon]

I was checking out Sunbelt's blog, and they have a writeup on driveby spyware+rootkit installations in FireFox. So remember, no matter what browser you use, update it, and remind friends & family to update as well. There's financial incentive for the bad guys to hijack your computers, so expect them to keep upping the ante.

Also, remember that despite their quirks, Limited accounts are a huge reinforcement to your web/IM/email security strategy because they set aside the power to do major harm. How dangerous is a stolen handgun that has no ammo in it? Eh? a little info on Limited accounts If you have just one user account, you can switch yours to Limited after you create another Admin-class account, there needs to be at least one Admin-class account.

On Win2000 a Limited account is called a Restricted User account, for those of you with Win2k.

 

[Noema]

I agree. Limited Accounts is a great line of defense, specially for the non-computer saavy.

:thumbsup:

 

[ForumMaster]

that's why i use Opera + ZoneAlarm Internet Scurity Suite + Router firewall + common sense.

 

[xtknight]

And what about Opera and non-Windows users? *evil laugh*

As for Limited Users, well I don't know. This here is kind of scary: http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/1...umventing-group-policy-as-limited.html
Can't be worse than running under Administrator all the time though.

On another note, here's a way to execute IE (or others) in limited mode on an Admin account:

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2006/03/running-as-limited-user-easy-way.html

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: xtknight
And what about Opera and non-Windows users? *evil laugh*

As for Limited Users, well I don't know. This here is kind of scary: http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/1...umventing-group-policy-as-limited.html
Can't be worse than running under Administrator all the time though.

If you notice, Mark is saying that if users are trying to circumvent the confines of their non-Admin status, they could defy Group Policy and SRPs. But in the first case, it's not clear that this will get them any additional privileges to the Windows and Program Files directories (which is what spyware/adware and rootkits will be wanting), and secondly, after years of monitoring a fleet of Win2000/XP computers using McAfee ePO, I'm not seeing the slightest signs of any such attempts in the real world, neither from rogue employees nor from the bad guys. So I'll stand by my endorsement of Limited accounts and patch yer browsers too, people.

Also patch your media players (WinAmp, whatever), your Java, your Microsoft Office products at http://officeupdate.microsoft.com and your OS itself, of course. Make the bad guys work their crummy brains out :evil:

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

The more popular a browser gets, the more it is going to be targeted.

Common sense ftw no matter what you use.

 

[mikeford]

If you have common sense what would anyone be doing running IE or outlook?

Seriously.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: mikeford
If you have common sense what would anyone be doing running IE or outlook?

Seriously.

The ability to centrally deploy, configure, manage, patch, uninstall and upgrade, say, 100,000 installations of either one does spring to mind. You're not a sysadmin, I take it And actually, neither IE nor Outlook have proven to be a security problem where I work.

Anyhow, this thread is mostly a reminder to those of you who've been supplying the common sense for mom, dad, siblings, grandma, uncle, gf, etc. You can remind them when their browser needs an update. We need to build some awareness, it seems like every co-worker who brings their home computer to me for a checkup has no concept that software needs routine updating.