Warning !

[Kip Powick]

This is kinda old....but...it is the first time it landed in my email.... and seeing many relatives are on winter vacations...hmmm... did a little digging ...anyhow you could receive an email like this...

First arrived in the cyber world in May, 2005

DO NOT click on any of the posted links...

Subject: You've received a greeting from a family member!

From: "egreetings.com"

You have just received a virtual postcard from a family member!

You can pick up your postcard at the following web address:

http://www2.postcards.org/?a91-valets-cloud-31337

If you can't click on the web address above, you can also

visit 1001 Postcards at http://www.postcards.org/postcards/

and enter your pickup code, which is: a91-valets-cloud-mad

(Your postcard will be available for 60 days.)

Oh -- and if you'd like to reply with a postcard,

you can do so by visiting this web address:

http://www2.postcards.org/

(Or you can simply click the "reply to this postcard"

button beneath your postcard!)

We hope you enjoy your postcard, and if you do,

please take a moment to send a few yourself!

.

Regards,

1001 Postcards

http://www.postcards.org/postcards/

When you click the link in the email to pick up your greeting card, you are presenting with a link to retrieve your card. By clicking the link, you are really executing postcards.gif.exe, which looks to be a GIF image, but in reality is a virus.

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THIS EMAIL!! DELETE THE MESSAGE INSTEAD!!

If you did click on a link and visit the site, please run a virus scan of your machine with the latest scan engine and signatures, and call your local support person.

[J.O.]

FWIW, my Rogers spam blocker kicked that one out a couple of weeks ago.

[Seeker]

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THIS EMAIL!! DELETE THE MESSAGE INSTEAD!!

Good Advice....or you could get a Mac and click anything you want. I don't know why you guys still put up with such nonsense.

[Kip Powick]

Good Advice....or you could get a Mac and click anything you want. 

8-track or cassettes…….I went cassettes

VHS or Beta………I went VHS

PC or Mac……I went PC

So far, in my little world, I'm batting 1000

[Seeker]

8-track or cassettes…….I went cassettes

VHS or Beta………I went VHS

PC or Mac……I went PC

So far, in my little world, I'm batting 1000

Kip:

Your analogy is off a bit. In any case if a PC is the "better" choice why is it that you're the one wasting time worrying about whether or not a particular email is safe to click? Face it, the Mac is a superior computing platform. I know many people who have switched from owning a PC to owning a Mac and none of them - that's 0% - have regretted it. In fact the most common thing I hear is, "if I'd known how much better a Mac was I would have switched years ago and saved a lot of headache." Now really, you don't actually believe that just because the majority of computers are PCs that that means they're better?

[Kip Powick]

Seeker............

Com'on now, you see the smilies. ??...do you really think I want to get into a urinating contest as to what is the better computer. I don't care what anyone uses as long as they are happy. Wanna drive a GM or a Ford.......?

Really now...who cares? You're happy with your Mac, I'm happy running a network of PCs and nobody here gives a damn, and why should they........was funnin' you guy...you missed it...but then again we both have to admit that it is difficult to be get the emotion in a response with this medium....whether you are using a Mac, or a PC...

[Seeker]

Seeker............

Com'on now, you see the smilies. ??...do you really think I want to get into a urinating contest as to what is the better computer. I don't care what anyone uses as long as they are happy. Wanna drive a GM or a Ford.......?

Really now...who cares? You're happy with your Mac, I'm happy running a network of PCs and nobody here gives a damn, and why should they........was funnin' you guy...you missed it...but then again  we both have to admit that it is difficult to be get the emotion in a response with  this medium....whether you are using a Mac, or a PC...

Kip:

I just can't help pointing out that there is another option when I hear a PC user bemoaning that they have been exposed again to a virus or piece of malware.

It's like that joke - A guy says to his doctor, "it hurts when I do this", the doctor says, "well, don't do that."

I got your joke too, don't you know me well enough after all these years to see that pretty much everything I post is sarcasm?

I think it's hilarious that you take the time and make the effort to post regarding a virus threat to your computer but feel that it's a waste of time to discuss an option that is free from those threats. It's like buying cheap paint and thinking that you're ahead because you saved a few bucks. Anyways, I know that you're very tech-savvy and I'm sure that you've done the research and have decided that you'd rather stick with the devil you know rather than invest the time to learn a new system even if it is better and would pay off in the end. I guess some people just like to repaint more often than others.

seeker

[Kip Powick]

Well, you see my oldest boy and his wife, as well as my daughter and her husband all have PCs...The "black sheep", (youngest boy), and his wife have Macs and I will admit he can turn out some damned beautiful videos from the scuba underwater cam and I know that the vast majority of PCs are not that capable of doing such a good job in such a short time. Yes the Mac video system is far superior to PC, I'll give you that.

You are right though. I got into computers as a necessity, when the kids got into the Commodore 64 and I then slowly worked my way to WinOS-XP but a tech wizard I am not... I thank God each day that the oldest boy owns his own IT company and even though he has banned me from using his 1-800 number to ask for help...again....I would be very reluctant to start over with the Mac OS...not enough time on the planet for this ol' dawg!!

[Seeker]

I would be very reluctant to start over with the Mac OS...not enough time on the planet for this ol' dawg!!

Funny you should say this. I was in the Applestore last week and I happened to overhear a sales rep speaking to a couple who were in the process of buying their first computer (an iMac!). It was interesting because this couple were in their seventies or eighties. The husband knew a bit about computers, the wife knew less. It would be interesting to follow their progress in a few months.

I suspect you'd be surprised at how quick the transition would be. It's like going from owning a car with a carburetor to one with fuel injection; at first you feel lost because you don't know anything about how fuel injection works and then you realize that you just don't need to know. Soon the memory of all those carburetor issues fades away and you're left with a nice reliable machine - no more sticky butterfly valves or coldstart problems at all.

[Guest rattler]

Perhaps of interest to those in this debate. For my part I am leaning towards getting a MAC next time around but only if it comes bundled with the software I need to operate it. And no I don't want to run windows on it, that would be a little bit like tring to fit 15" tires onto 16"rims.

Critical Vulnerability in Apple Mac OS X

From Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP,

Your Guide to Internet / Network Security.

Apple Releases Patch To Fix Flaw

While there have always been and probably always will be debates between the Apple diehards and the Microsoft Windows users about which is a "better" operating system, what determines "better" is largely subjective and open to individual interpretation. Security and stability however is another story.

The security and stability of an operating system is more or less objective- it is either stable and secure or it is not. In this regard, even as a user of Microsoft operating systems a majority of the time, I have to concede that the Apple Mac OS X operating system tends to come out on top. Microsoft is diligently working to improve, but Mac OS X is still superior in these departments for the most part (I know there are vehement differences of opinion on both sides of the fence and fairly logical arguments can probably be made for either stance- this is just my opinion).

Microsoft used to release Security Bulletins detailing new vulnerabilities and announcing new patches on an ad hoc basis that at times was a daily occurrence. They have since moved to a monthly release date for Security Bulletins and usually have two or three new vulnerabilities and patches to announce each month. By contrast, Mac OS X flaws seem to be a rare event so when there is one it is fairly big news. Especially when it is as serious as this latest security hole.

This vulnerability, ranked as "Extremely Critical" by Secunia, could allow an attacker to execute potentially any Unix command they choose on the target system including erasing the entire home directory of the user.

The vulnerability was ranked "Extreme" for primarily two reasons. First, the flaw was proven to exist even on a Mac OS X system which was fully patched up through the recent "help" URI handler vulnerability. Second, because there are working exploits that exist for this vulnerability already.

Apple considered the flaw serious enough that they released their own bulletin, something they don't normally do, and have released a patch for the flaw as well. All Mac OS X users are advised to update their systems and apply this patch as soon as possible. For more information you can see the Mac OS X Flaws article by About.com Antivirus Guide Mary Landesman.

[Seeker]

Perhaps of interest to those in this debate. For my part I am leaning towards getting a MAC next time around but only if it comes bundled with the software I need to operate it. And no I don't want to run windows on it, that would be a little bit like tring to fit 15" tires onto 16"rims.

Critical Vulnerability in Apple Mac OS X

From Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP,

Your Guide to Internet / Network Security.

Apple Releases Patch To Fix Flaw

While there have always been and probably always will be debates between the Apple diehards and the Microsoft Windows users about which is a "better" operating system, what determines "better" is largely subjective and open to individual interpretation. Security and stability however is another story.

The security and stability of an operating system is more or less objective- it is either stable and secure or it is not. In this regard, even as a user of Microsoft operating systems a majority of the time, I have to concede that the Apple Mac OS X operating system tends to come out on top. Microsoft is diligently working to improve, but Mac OS X is still superior in these departments for the most part (I know there are vehement differences of opinion on both sides of the fence and fairly logical arguments can probably be made for either stance- this is just my opinion).

Microsoft used to release Security Bulletins detailing new vulnerabilities and announcing new patches on an ad hoc basis that at times was a daily occurrence. They have since moved to a monthly release date for Security Bulletins and usually have two or three new vulnerabilities and patches to announce each month. By contrast, Mac OS X flaws seem to be a rare event so when there is one it is fairly big news. Especially when it is as serious as this latest security hole.

This vulnerability, ranked as "Extremely Critical" by Secunia, could allow an attacker to execute potentially any Unix command they choose on the target system including erasing the entire home directory of the user.

The vulnerability was ranked "Extreme" for primarily two reasons. First, the flaw was proven to exist even on a Mac OS X system which was fully patched up through the recent "help" URI handler vulnerability. Second, because there are working exploits that exist for this vulnerability already.

Apple considered the flaw serious enough that they released their own bulletin, something they don't normally do, and have released a patch for the flaw as well. All Mac OS X users are advised to update their systems and apply this patch as soon as possible. For more information you can see the Mac OS X Flaws article by About.com Antivirus Guide Mary Landesman.

rattler:

The article you have referenced is from 2004 so any vulnerability has long since been cleared up. My research seems to suggest that even when this was found it was only a theoretical problem anyway, ie, there has been no reported instance of the flaw actually being exploited.

[Guest rattler]

Seeker, you sound like my son but the world of Apple is not without it's worms, much fewer than Windows but that is only because the hackers still concentrate on Microsoft.

eg.

Tuesday, November 28 2006 @ 01:45 PM PST

Apple Security Update 2006-007 released

Apple has released Security Update 2006-007, addressing a number of potentially significant vulnerabilities discovered or reported in the past few months. The update addresses security concerns regarding the following components:

AirPort

ATS

CFNetwork

Finder

Font Book

Font Importer

Installer

OpenSSL

PHP

PPP

Samba

Security Framework

VPN

WebKit

gnuzip

perl

The new release is available through Software Update or via the following download links:

for Mac OS X 10.3.9 Client 33MB

for Mac OS X 10.3.9 Server 46MB

for Mac OS X 10.4.8 Client Intel 23MB

for Mac OS X 10.4.8 Client PPC 11MB

for Mac OS X 10.4.8 Server PPC 12MB

for Mac OS X 10.4.8 Server Universal 25MB

Full contents of this update can be found in Knowledge Base article #304829, but of particular note is a fix for the much-hyped flaw affecting original (non-Extreme) AirPort cards. 

Update procedure recommendation First, avoid performing any other operations (in Mac OS X or third-party applications) while the update process is occurring. In addition, before installing this security update, make sure all Apple-installed applications and utilities are in their original locations. Moving one of these applications to a different location on your hard drive can lead to an incomplete update. Also, disconnect any FireWire/USB devices before applying the update (except for your startup drive, if it is FireWire or USB, and your keyboard/mouse), then re-connect the devices one by one (checking for issues created by any particular device) after the update process is complete and the system has restarted.

Apple has released Security Update 2007-001 in both a Mac OS X 10.4.8 edition and a Mac OS X 10.3.9 edition. This release patches a QuickTime-related vulnerability where visiting malicious websites may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple's …

Date: 01/23/07

My source is: http://www.macfixit.com/search.php?productID=15934

[Seeker]

rattler:

Apple Inc regularly updates it's OS and software. Even though these updates are often called security updates they are almost always done to increase inter-operability between different pieces of software or between Apple software and third-party software. I have been a Mac user for over 10 years and I have never had a security, virus or malware issue with my computer. That's 10 years with 3 different computers. In that time I have explored many dark corners of the internet, used 100s of internet cafe hotspots and downloaded lots of P2P media. I have no Microsoft software on my computer so I'm already miles ahead (there have been a few instances where Macs have been infected with worms through Microsoft software produced for the Mac platform). In addition to avoiding the Microsoft threat I use the security features than are included with all Mac computers - that's it. I neither buy nor install any anti-virus software and I go anywhere my interest takes me. I click any link I'm interested in clicking. I know for a fact that I've downloaded viruses and malicious software. These things do nothing to my computer because they're looking for Outlook or IE or ActiveX or some other glaring hole left open by a Microsoft engineer. I have no fear of what I may find in my inbox!

The security issues that you have listed are theoretical flaws. As far as I know there have been no known occurrences of these actually happening. The website I use is, www.macrumors.com This a huge community of Mac users and also a huge forum for discussion of all things Apple. You may wish to check out the forum if you're considering buying a Mac. If you do check the forum you will find very frank discussion of Apple hardware issues (because we're still talking about electronic equipment) and you will also find that security issues are virtually nonexistent (assuming that you use the security features that are embedded in the OS).

I'd just like to add a comment about your assertion, "hackers concentrate on Microsoft and that's why it has more security issues." I take this to mean that you believe if the hackers chose to concentrate on Mac that it would have the same number of issues as Microsoft? This is not true as there is a fundamental difference in how the user interacts with the OS.

Read this wikipedia reference:

Windows and Unix have similar scripting abilities, but while Unix natively blocks normal users from having access to make changes to the operating system environment, Windows does not. In 1997, when a virus for Linux was released – known as "Bliss" – leading antivirus vendors issued warnings that Unix-like systems could fall prey to viruses just like Windows.[6] The Bliss virus may be considered characteristic of viruses – as opposed to worms – on Unix systems. Bliss requires that the user run it explicitly (making it a trojan), and it can only infect programs that the user has the access to modify. Unlike Windows users, most Unix users do not log in as an administrator user except to install or configure software; as a result, even if a user ran the virus, it could not harm their operating system. The Bliss virus never became widespread, and remains chiefly a research curiosity. Its creator later posted the source code to Usenet, allowing researchers to see how it worked.[7]

[Guest rattler]

Seeker, I am not a MAC user but as I said I am leaning towards making my next computer a MAC. But I think there is a state of denial amongst MAC users when it comes to security. Here is another's opinion on the subject that does not ignore how bad Windows systems are when it comes being vunerable but does raise questions re UNIX.

Mac users 'still lax on security'

Apple Mac users are still too lax when it comes to security matters, an independent researcher has said.

Kevin Finisterre caused ripples in the Mac community when he started a website in January revealing a different bug in Apple systems each day of the month.

http://projects.info-pull.com/moab/

While some observers dismissed the survey, Apple recently issued a patch to plug holes outlined by Finsterre.

Apple owners' attitude to security was "one of the main reasons we started the campaign," he said.

Apple makes great play of the fact that its OSX operating has yet to be attacked by a virus while Windows XP machines are plagued with problems.

Its recent global campaign of adverts pitching Macs versus PCs has focused on security issues.

XP machines are represented by a flu-ridden, sneezing individual while the Mac remains untouched by illness.

Security holes

Many of the problems highlighted by Finisterre are security holes in applications, which are not related to viruses.

Apple recently plugged holes in Mac software such as iChat and Finder and a flaw in the user notification process that could potentially grant system privileges to malicious users.

All three problems were highlighted by Finisterre, and a fellow researcher known only as LMH.

Finisterre said: "Try calling any Apple store and ask any sales rep what you would do with regard to security, ask if there is anything you should have to worry about?

"They will happily reinforce the feeling of 'Security on a Mac? What? Me worry?'."

He said the Month of Apple Bugs (MOAB) project had succeeded in its original aim of raising the level of awareness around Mac security.

"I would really hope that people got the point that there are most definitely some things under the OSX hood that need a closer look," he said.

But Mac experts have pointed out that none of the exploits have ever successfully been used to hijack an Apple computer.

By contrast hundreds of thousands of Windows machines have been taken over as part of so-called bot nets, which use the hijacked machines to deliver millions of spam e-mails around the world. 'Extra efforts'

He said Apple had opened up dialogue about security issues.

"They have certainly given some extra efforts on the backend to open up lines of communication, at least with me.

"That sort of progress is what I am after rather than a particular set of bugs."

He said that Apple had in the past not been open to dialogue about security matters, but things were changing for the better.

"I chat quite regularly with some of the security engineers," he said.

At the moment there are no plans for the MOAB website to continue.

"Real life comes in to play; the cost of living, the fact that we did it all for free.

"If someone wanted to invest some of their own resources I would be more than willing to continue."

[Seeker]

Seeker, I am not a MAC user but as I said I am leaning towards making my next computer a MAC. But I think there is a state of denial amongst MAC users when it comes to security. Here is another's opinion on the subject that does not ignore how bad Windows systems are when it comes being vunerable but does raise questions re UNIX.

rattler:

Let me just point out first that the correct term is "Mac" not "MAC". Mac is short for MacIntosh and is generally used to refer to any computer made by Apple. MAC is an acronym for Media Access Control and refers to a unique address on a network.

Mac users 'still lax on security'

Apple Mac users are still too lax when it comes to security matters, an independent researcher has said.

This guy makes no sense. He states that Mac users are too lax on security but can't find a single case to prove his point.

But Mac experts have pointed out that none of the exploits have ever successfully been used to hijack an Apple computer.

As I said; these are theoretical flaws. I'm not in a state of denial. I understand the security settings on my computer and make sure that they are turned on but until some incident actually happens how can you say that Mac users are "lax"? Buffer overflow, arbitrary code execution etc are a long way away from anything I'm going to worry about.

[yul07]

Folks, I am about to purchase a laptop for travel and have decided on the mac book 2ghz. Not worried about the smallish 60 gig hd since I have a mac comptable firewire drive to dump things off to. I have two questions, am I buying too early with leopard on the horizon, and should I delay to see of Mac puts the quad chips into mac book downstream. I would like to get my new lap top the begining of mid March to early Apr. It should be noted that my desk top at home and work is windows XP. I will boy the student version of office for Mac, which should be comptable with the doz version, and will use the net to txfr files between the two platforms. There are not that many in my case.

thanks

07

[boestar]

8-track or cassettes…….I went cassettes

VHS or Beta………I went VHS

PC or Mac……I went  PC

So far, in my little world, I'm batting 1000  

Back to this analogy. I find the choices interesting as in all of the cases the bettter product was the one not chosen by the mainstream.

VHS or Beta - Beta had better video quality in a more compact design but Sony chose to not licence the technology where JVC did with VHS. VHS won.

8 Track or Casette - Though the size of the cassette was unweildy the 8 track had better fidelity and as we know the ability to quick change tracks. Cassette won as it was more compact.

PC or Mac - Same story here as for the Beta VHS. Apple chose to not licence any hardware for the Mac and was the sole supplier. This drove prices up and led to the success of the PC where hardware was available off the shelf. Again the Mac is the superior product but people look mainly at the bottom line price.

I personally use a PC because I am a hardware tinkerer. I build machines to MY specifications and budget.

It does seem however that the big companies with the great product get too greedy and lose market share or suffer from not being the accepted standard. If sony had have given up some rights to the Beta then that is what we would have been watching all these years. Side Note - Beta is still used for broadcast television as the uality is so much better.

B

[plankspanker]

Folks, I am about to purchase a laptop for travel and have decided on the mac book 2ghz. Not worried about the smallish 60 gig hd since I have a mac comptable firewire drive to dump things off to. I have two questions, am I buying too early with leopard on the horizon, and should I delay to see of Mac puts the quad chips into mac book downstream. I would like to get my new lap top the begining of mid March to early Apr. It should be noted that my desk top at home and work is windows XP.  I will boy the student version of office for Mac, which should be comptable with the doz version, and will use the net to txfr files between the two platforms. There are not that many in my case.

thanks

07

I wouldn't worry about quad core chips and Leopard if I were you. I bought a 1.83 Ghz Mac Book Pro last May before the Core 2 Duo chips were released and I don't regret it one bit. The OS is more efficient because Apple only has to write it for a limited hardware set. As a a result you can do way more with what might be perceived as less if you're used to Windows based machines.

Go ahead and buy that Mac book, you wont look back.

Edited to add: If you were worried about that hard drive size, the one in the Mac book is very easy to upgrade yourself.

[Guest rattler]

Original Tec Support

[Guest rattler]

Yet another Explorer security problem. The mention of firefox being also vulnerable will be of interest to its users.

Critical Flaw Forces Microsoft to Deliver Patch ASAP

Apparently Microsoft discovered a critical flaw in its Animated Cursor files on Windows that allows nefarious people to take remote control over PCs. The exploit is also being used to spread spam via an e-mail that promises viewers naked pictures of "Britiney Speers" in addition to compromising a number of sites in the Asia/Pacific region that are now being used to spread malicious code. For Microsoft, this latest security lapse negates the good will the company earned last month when it released no major security updates, especially when you consider the fact that these attacks are apparently closely linked to similar attacks made during the Super Bowl. But Microsoft shouldn't feel too bad about taking so long to get a fix out because the folks at Firefox are vulnerable to the same type of attacks, while others warn that anything built using AJAX is likely to have its own set of security woes.

SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. released an unscheduled security patch Tuesday meant to plug a hole related to the mouse cursor in some versions of Windows, including Vista.

SECURITY PATCH

Download the patch at microsoft.com/security

The Redmond-based software company told customers last Thursday that a vulnerability in ".ani" files -- used to change the cursor into an hourglass while a program works, or other animation on specially designed Web sites -- allowed hackers to sneak onto personal computers and install malicious software.

Microsoft said it has known since December about the vulnerability, which could affect personal computers running Windows Vista, 2000 Service Pack 4, XP Service Pack 2 and some versions of Server 2003.

Users surfing the Web using Internet Explorer 6 or 7 were the first targets, security experts said. Once a computer is compromised, hackers can install software such as keystroke loggers that record sensitive information like banking passwords.

Customers can download the security update, MS07-017, from a Microsoft Web site. The company gave the patch its most serious "critical" rating, and deemed the issue important enough to fix sooner than its planned update next Tuesday.

The Microsoft patch "will be a significant milestone in this attack," said Ken Dunham, director of the rapid response team at iDefense, the research division of VeriSign Inc.

However, as businesses take time to test and implement the patch, and consumers delay downloading it, hackers will still be at work.

"This week is really still a prime target of attack week," Dunham said.

[Innuendo]

Which ever side of the Mac/Windows argument you favour there is no doubt that Microsoft dominates in terms of market share.

I'm assuming that AppleInsider is being accurate with their numbers.

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2605

"Snip"

The Redmond company was keen to report the positive uptake on its new operating system, claiming that over 20 million copies had traded hands worldwide in the month since the official Vista release on January 30th.

"Snip"

Further emphasizing the challenges faced by Apple are the company's demographics. The computer maker reported 19 million active users of Mac OS X at last year's WWDC gathering -- meaning that Apple's entire user base could fit into less than a single month of Microsoft's most recent OS customers. A reported swelling of the former's ranks to 22 million this month, according to analysts' estimates, would still be overshadowed by Windows.

[Check Pilot]

This idiot worm/virus/trojan tried to hit this computer too. It's a PC.

PC or Mac doesn't matter to me. We are using the Telus anti-"whatever" (virus, spam, hackers) security stuff and it has worked just fine all along. We have a little "gas gauge" that shows how many outside hits we are getting and it's up to 5123 hits right now after 18 hours of resetting it.

The Telus folks seem to know what they are doing in protection from this stuff, even if they do give really crappy customer service at times.

[Seeker]

Which ever side of the Mac/Windows argument you favour there is no doubt that Microsoft dominates in terms of market share.

Yes, and MacDonalds serves 54 million customers a day. Does the fact that MacDonalds hamburgers are cheap and prevalent mean that they are better in any way?

[Kip Powick]

Yes, and MacDonalds serves 54 million customers a day. Does the fact that MacDonalds hamburgers are cheap and prevalent mean that they are better in any way?

Ya ever notice how some Avatars reflect the individual left my self open didn't I ??

[Seeker]

Ya ever notice how some Avatars reflect the individual left my self open didn't I ??

Nothing happens by chance!!!