Hotmail Alert Update

After further review, this appears to be an old alert which has been taken care of by Hotmail. I am still wary of what has been going on with my account and would caution people as to what sorts of material is contained in their hotmail messages.

Hotmail alert

Hotmail vulnerable to JavaScript exploit | The Register

This article refers to a serious threat to the security of hotmail accounts. So far, no fix is available. If you have hotmail, be sure to read the article. You may wish to move to a different e-mail provider. I am.

Web site announcement

Just a brief blurb for my new web site at http://www.sitekreator.com/sbeshonertor

It's currently called "The Crucified Seraph" for reasons that are apparent on the page but I may change the title later.

Bofra Worm

PCWorld.com - Bofra Worm Spreads by Banner Ads

Warning regarding a new worm that spreads to those who have clicked on certain banner ads on European sites. Those who have downloaded XP Service Pack 2 do not appear to be affected.

Privacy concern regarding laser printers

PCWorld.com - Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track Documents

This article relates that all laser printers leave a particular trace on each printed paage that can be used to trace documents back to their source. The technology was designed to hinder attempts at counterfeiting but could be used by the government for other purposes. Apparently, there is no way to realistically modify your printer to prevent this.

Return of an old worm

PCWorld.com - New Sober Variant Spreads

This is an article about the return of the Sober e-mail worm. It strikes through attachments, so be careful and don't open any attachments from people you don't know or from whom you weren't expecting any. Keep those antivirus programs updated!

More on the new Mydoom worm.

New version of Mydoom worm identified - Nov. 9, 2004

This article also notes that the worm has been going out under fake e-mails claiming to be from Ebay or other suspicious headers. It works not by getting you to download an attachment, but by clicking on web links inside the e-mail.

New threat to Internet Explorer

PCWorld.com - New Mydoom Worm Exploits IE Flaw

This is a new variant of the Mydoom worm which does not appear to affect those who have downloaded XP Service Pack 2. However, I would suggest not opening suspicious e-mail with the headers "funny photos :)", "hello", "hey!" or blank headers.

Internet Archive

Internet Archive

The internet archive allows access to a wide variety of video, text and sound files that are all public domain. This includes full length movies, books, and songs.

NASA World Wind

NASA World Wind

For all you science buffs out there, this is a big program NASA has put together that allows you to look all over the Earth via satellite imagery and photography. The images are amazing however there are problems because the large demand upon their computer servers sometimes means that the more detailed images are not as clear as one might like. Still, not bad for a free program.

Alternatives to Internet Explorer?

Mozilla - Home of the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird and the Mozilla Suite

This is the site for Mozilla Thunderbird and Mozilla Firefox. Thunderbird is an e-mail reader replacement for Microsoft Outlook. Firefox is a web browser replacement for Internet Explorer. The advantage of these programs is a significantly less exposure to viruses and worms. This is not because they are immune, but because only about 5% of internet surfers use them. Virus writers would much rather target the 95% that use Internet Explorer. These programs also have the advantage of being better adaptive to the individual user. Right now I use Firefox as my primary browser and Internet Explorer when necessary - such as getting Windows XP updates or when looking at web pages that Firefox won't read.

Both of these programs are still officially in the "preview" stage which means that bugs are still being fixed. However, I have not had any problems with either of these programs. For more information, check out the site.

Phishing problems

PCWorld.com - Phishers Adopt Scam Tricks From Virus Writers

A new problem for computer users is "phishing". You may have gotten e-mails claiming to come from credit card companies or Ebay and asking for credit card information or social security numbers. This scam is very serious and keeping informed is the best protection.

Ad-Aware

lavasoftusa.com

This is a program for identifying and eliminating adware which, like spyware, can slow down your system. Adware is designed to annoy you by placing "pop-up" advertisements on your computer as you surf the internet. The Ad-Aware SE Personal program is free.

Spybot-S&D!

Home - The home of Spybot-S&D!

Spybot is an excellent and free program for detecting malicious spyware on your computer. Spyware can slow down your computer tremendously and send private information to others without your permission. I haven't found any program that can detect everything, but Spybot does a really good job.

Isidore of Seville

Saints - Isidore of Seville

Here is a site on Saint Isidore of Sevile and why he is the patron saint of the internet.

Zone Alarm

Zone Labs: Download & Buy

This is a free firewall for windows. It does all of the basic stuff very well and was recommended by PCWorld magazine. For more advanced protection you will have to look at a fee based program.

Welcome

Welcome to Isidore's Corner! This is a spin off blog from Friary Notes with a focus on computers. For those of you who are curious, this blog is named for Saint Isidore of Sevile, the patron saint of the Internet.

The focus of this blog will be computer stuff I have stumbled upon and that I think others may find interesting. I make no claims to be a computer expert and I don't do tech support. It is my hope that the information posted here will be helpful to others like me who have a layperson's interest in computers. If you want something more technical you should look elsewhere.

Let me first of all make a plea for everyone to ensure that their computers are well protected from internet nasties. This means up to date anti-virus software and a firewall. Windows XP with Service Pack 2 has a partial firewall, but you might look for a more advanced one. Zone Alarm is a firewall which is both very good and free. You should not run more than one firewall on a computer at the same time.