|
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
[ Next ]
January 1, 2006
Dear CBCG visitor,
All our audio is now in Mp3 format. If needed, you may download
the free player from Winamp to listen to the audio here: http://winamp.com/player/free.php
If you have any questions or problems, please email the
Webmaster at our Contact Us page, or direct to webmaster@cbcg.org.
-
Special Note: If you need any help hearing these sermons, please email
the Webmaster at Contact the Webmaster
-
These audio files require a player to listen to them. You may use the
one that came with your computer, or you may download the FREE Winamp player
here: http://winamp.com/player/free.php
(NOTE: To store a message on your computer to listen to later,
right-click on the DOWNLOAD link for each message, then choose "save link as" or
"save target as" to load the file on your computer.)
Note: I am posting this letter from my son, Adam, on
what you can do to eliminate the risk from the newest type
"worm" viruses you have been reading about. Please read and act
on the information.
Contact the Webmaster
Hello,
The recent email-spread computer viruses were shockingly preventable. A
security hole in a feature in Windows allowed the viruses to propagate. It
was not an unknown hole that some clever hacker discovered accidentally a
few days ago. This security hole had it's first MAJOR introduction some time
back with the Melissa virus. There is no excuse good enough to explain why
Microsoft and the rest of the world didn't shore up this hole properly a
very long time ago. The solution for stopping viruses like these is very
simple and but a few clicks away. This letter will tell briefly how the
recent viruses like Melissa, ILOVEYOU and others spread through email and
how to SIMPLY fix your computer so you do not have to ever be affected by
THESE TYPES of viruses again regardless if you have antivirus software or
not.
Read the advanced details of this virus and prevention here:
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2000-04.html
How do these recent viruses (Melissa,
ILOVEYOU, etc.) spread? In order for any virus
to spread and cause trouble it must execute, or
run. Just like when you start up your web
browser or email program, these viruses are just
programs with the exception that they do bad
things. How do the viruses like ILOVEYOU or
Melissa execute? They are a special type of
program that exploit a "feature" in Windows
called Windows Scripting Host (WSH). It is not
evil, it is a potential good thing but people
are evil and like to exploit weaknesses in
software for amusement. How can you protect
yourself against being infected with these types
of viruses? Yes, updating your antivirus
definitions is very helpful, but the viruses are
spread due to the weakness with WSH and virus
definitions can't keep up fast enough with these
viruses. In order to be protected from a virus
the antivirus program HAS TO KNOW the virus
exists before they can develop protection from
it. ILOVEYOU and all it's newer manifestations
happen so fast antivirus companies can't keep up
with them. Even if you have just protected
yourself by updating your antivirus definitions
10 minutes ago, you have just protected yourself
with what exists now and are susceptible to what
will come over the hill in 5 minutes. Why not
protect yourself from all viruses of this type?
The best choice is to take the fuel away from
the virus writers; the feature must be disabled.
Most Windows users are susceptible to this
weakness (90%). The ILOVEYOU virus, like the
Melissa virus, spread in the same way. They
exploit the same weaknesses. They execute the
same way. If you want to completely stop viruses
OF THIS TYPE from infecting your computer or
your office network, disable this feature now.
If the program cannot be executed, then the
virus cannot be spread. The recent explosions of
viruses of this type could have ALL BEEN STOPPED
if this feature was disabled. This will not stop
all viruses, just the type listed above. And
another thing, only a few of all Windows users
ever use this feature. There can be no detriment
to disabling it. No programs will crash, your
computer will not have to be repaired in the
future. If by some fluke you do use this type of
scripting in your work and need it, you can just
re-enable it. If you use Windows 95 or Windows
NT 4, you ARE NOT susceptible to this virus
UNLESS you are using Internet Explorer 5.0 or
greater. Below are the directions as to how you
can disable this feature for Windows 98, Windows
2000, Windows NT 4, and Windows 95. In Windows
98 or Windows 2000 (Win2000 directions should be
the same as listed below, ad lib if needed): 1)
Click your Start button
2) Click on Settings
3) Click Control Panel
4) Double-click Add/Remove Programs
5) Click the Windows Setup tab
6) Select Accessories, then click the Details
button
7) The second to last item on that list is the
Windows Scripting Host. Uncheck that option.
8) Click Ok, then Ok at the next window. You may
want to restart your computer, I don't recall if
that is necessary to activate the changes. I'd
just do it to be safe.
(Windows 95, NT 4) Remove the VBS File Type
1) Double-click "My Computer" on your desktop
2) On the Top Menu, select View -> Folder
Options or View -> Options, depending on what
software you have installed.
3) Click the File Types tab. A list of
registered File Types will appear.
4) Scroll down (list is alphabetical) and locate
"VB Script Script File"
5) Highlight it and click "Remove" (or
"Delete"). Answer "Yes" to the confirmation box.
6) If "VB Script Encoded File", extension "VBE"
is also in the list, remove it as well.
7) Click "Close" or "OK", "OK". This last fix
for Win95 seems to work on my computer. Notes:
If you need to use VBS (same as WSH) and only
want to disable rather than remove automatic
scripting, you could try changing the automatic
function to "Edit" rather than "Run", but only
do this if you know what you are doing. Advice
on fine-tuning is beyond the scope of this
document. **(The directions on disabling Win95,
etc. comes from a Usenet article titled 'OT:
A Very Simple Fix For The "Love Bug" and All The
Copy Cat Variations" in the
"uk.rec.fishing.coarse' newsgroup on 05/06/00 found here. I hope the link will remain
intact.)** Now it is not possible to get viruses
LIKE THIS ever again. Now you just have to deal
with traditional viruses. The 10 billion+
dollars lost from this virus was a waste. This
bug even affected the NSA! If the solution is so
obvious, why are so many being affected? If I, a
mere college student, can solve this problem,
why can't the rest of the world do anything
about it? All that will come of this will be
unnecessary laws passed and restrictions placed
by people who don't know any better. We
consumers need to start demanding more out of
our products and telling software vendors to fix
holes like WSH. I don't mean to pick on
Microsoft too much, but more prolific viruses
are spread through these avenues than
traditional means anymore. I don't believe the
solution is more (prospective) laws, it's better
programming and more consumers holding vendors
accountable for their product's weaknesses.
Please spread this information to as many people
as you can.
Good Day,
Adam
Contact the Webmaster
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
[ Next ]
|
