Suggestion Anyone?

[darkes]

Originally posted here by !mitationRust
Ummmmmmmm., if you don't have the time to invest in locking down XP,nor care about all the tweaks then mac is the way for him to go.IMHO

Another final comment

I'd obviously agree with your remarks, but the problem here is that this seems to be a case of virus(es) jumping from a home PC to a small business environment, due to extremely lax procedures in place at the work environment.
Hmm, letting your daughter have unrestricted access to your work environment, when she has already downloaded infected music files ????

And, I'm not even remotely convinced that masterchief has taken any measures to prevent this happening again in his work environment.

To masterchief (assuming your posts are genuine):

Get some expert advice as to what to do ASAP, and yes this will cost you $$$
In the real world, you cannot do this for free in a business situation, if you don't have the appropriate technical background, which I'm sure you don't have!

If you are are really with it, which a lot of people here are, then you can take steps to secure your PCs, but this takes time and experience.

By all means run a Mac at home, but that is missing the point rather ...

[masterchief]

For the cost of any machine with Win XP - Pro or Home - there should be some modicum of security especially when you buy additional anti virus and firewall software. My understanding about Mac's security level is not due to the lower number in operation, though that's a given. It has to do with the complicated programming that goes into the system and its programs.

I can't figure this out with the new Dell. The only advantage to the firewall is that I now have the IP address of the user who sent the e-mail.

As for fooling about this, I only wish that I was. Sadly, I am not.

[darkes]

masterchief, OK, yes I believe you are genuine - a lot of other posts are not!

But the problem you have is that you need someone who knows what he/she is doing who you pay $$$s to, to come in and inspect your setup in your work environment.
I'm not touting for business, as I think you would find the travel costs rather prohibitive
What you have been saying cannot be correct if you have some competent IT advice, which must include physical access to the PCs involved.

Buying a new PC (either an iMac or a WinXP PC), does not mean they are secure.
Nope, a default WinXP PC as purchased is not even remotely secure.
An iMac is somewhat more so, but that will only last until the hacking/virus community decides that Macs are a worthwhile target.

You will see umpteen threads on this here, like the rest of the net, but I adopt a pragmatic view over this - given that MS has installed its OS software in about 90% of PCs in the entire world, which one would you try to attack ??
Macs, *nix, no not worth it at the moment, but as to the future who can say if MS sorts itself out ??

IMHO I do not believe in the theory that these other OS are more secure - its just that nobody is probing them in depth at the moment.

Hmm, another thought is that when you reinstalled software/backups (other than WinXP) on this PC ru sure the originals were not infected ??

[Wesam]

I 've read the problem and not the replys, ant these are my suggestions:
by default, all operating systems give no access premission to any one, the ways someone could have the access to you system are:
(*)Physically-> well-known method, just ensure that when you are away from your PC, that you have locked it.

(*)By software-> in this case there is a software grant the access to one who want to access your system for some purpose, the idea with software access is to put it in your machine, so the points you have to take care about ->
1-dont downlaod SW that you dont trust the origin.
2-if some one told you that he give you a picture to downlaod, check the extnsion of the file because it may end with .exe or .scr so it is an executable file which may harm your system, (.scr extension reffer to screen savers).
3-some softwares could make backdoor in your system, so be careful.

Well known solution for such problem is to install FireWall software:
-in windows may you like to use Sygate Personal Firewall (http://www.sygate.com/)
-in Linux you may use iptables scripts for firewall.
( firewall will log all the access made accross your machine from inside or to outside, and prevent access as you specify).
-There are also Hardware firewalls like CISCO PIX firewall.

for more info read about firewalls in this powerful website...

[darkes]

Wesam,

err I'll think you will find that a new WinXP PC, as purchased from any reputable dealer like Dell will run the normal WinXP setup process.

Click on the default options and enter no passwords and what do you have?

A WinXP sytem that has no password whatsoever for its administrator account - or more accurately any account with admin authority.

Absolutely begging to be shagged again ....