As security solutions go, it probably is an option - just block all Internet access and e-mail, and no viruses will get through. The average PC user could achieve this by unplugging the modem and using the PC like a typewriter.
Or they could download Microsoft`s latest IP Security software update for Windows XP. The update, launched this week, was hurriedly withdrawn after it completely switched off Internet connections for some of the 600 000 users who downloaded and installed it.
It must be said, however, the update certainly achieved its aim - it made PCs secure.
Tracy Burrows, news editor, ITWeb
Apparently, it was incompatible with security firewall software made by other manufacturers. Microsoft says the software thought it was under attack by third-party software, so it responded by blocking all traffic.
It must be said, however, the update certainly achieved its aim - it made PCs secure. This is in contrast with last week`s incident in which Kaspersky Labs criticised Microsoft for having no patch for an Internet Explorer vulnerability exploited by the new StartPage Trojan. Kaspersky warned that with no patch, more viruses could exploit the vulnerability, causing an epidemic that could surpass the Klez drama.
One must ask then whether the security focus is in the right place. And while we`re on the subject of security, remember the Windows 2003 server that was so secure it wouldn`t run earlier Microsoft software?
Ironically, the latest glitch occurred just as US cyber security experts are debating whether the IT industry should be responsible for checking the reliability and security of its updates. It would appear that security experts in US government departments are often reluctant to install security updates, for fear they could cause system problems or expose their departments to hackers and viruses. I wonder why?
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