Chicken and Egg

[Kevin B. O'Brien]

Ronn! Blankenship wrote:
> At 06:35 PM Tuesday 7/15/2008, Lance A. Brown wrote:
>   
>> Ronn! Blankenship said the following on 7/15/2008 7:24 PM:
>>
>>     
>>> Now how about an actually helpful response for those who do not have
>>> access to another computer at home?
>>>       
>> Well, how about this:
>>
>> Before plugging your new computer into a network connection:
>>
>> 1.  Go to Office Depot, Staples, etc. and buy a copy of your favorite
>> Anti-Virus/anti-spam/anti-malware program and install it.  Make sure it
>> is running.
>> 2.  If your favorite package doesn't include a firewall, make sure the
>> Windows Firewall is activated.
>> 3.  Plug in the network connection and wait for the computer to get an
>> address
>> 4  Open Internet Explorer and go to http://update.microsoft.com/ and run
>> the software updates.
>>
>> That should give you a decent chance to get updated before your machine
>> is compromised.
>>
>> Your best bet is still to go out and buy a router or access point so you
>> can just flat out avoid a lot of the scans.
>>
>> --[Lance]
>>     
>
>
>
> None of which means anything to the average non-technical person who 
> is buying a computer for his/her kids to use for school or a 
> grandmother finally buying a computer to view pictures of her 
> grandchildren who live out of state, who is not going to have access 
> to anywhere to read such information before they buy, much less the 
> knowledge or ability to do anything about it.  What do you have for them?
>
>
> . . . ronn!  :)
>   
It has been said several times so far, and it is the #1 best thing you 
can do: get a NAT router. They are cheap, and they will stop all of the 
"Internet Background Radiation", and give you enough time to download 
updates and install a security application. It is a box that goes 
between your computer and the Internet, and even Grandma can understand 
that.

Regards,

-- 
Kevin B. O'Brien         TANSTAAFL
zwilnik at zwilnik.com      Linux User #333216

Si hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes