In mid-September I wrote about the need to have a correct date and time on the computer clock. In addition to being able to properly track and sort files on the computer, it is also necessary to ensure that self-destructing viruses which may have infected our computers, such as the infamous Sobig-F, actually self destruct as scheduled. Unfortunately, someone in our area has not heeded that warning, as I am still getting dozens of Sobig-F emails on a daily basis. The infected emails obviously are coming from a single computer on a dial-up connection, as they bear the same incorrect date, 10 months past. All of the recent Sobig-F emails I have received have come from the same block of IP addresses. Please check the clock and calendar on your computer. If you would like to automate the setting and verification of the clock and calendar on your computer, a variety of software products are available. The local TUCOWS site at tucows.exp.net/sync95_default.html has a variety of computer clock setting utilities available, many of which are free to use. On my computer I am currently using the free “About Time”, which is listed on TUCOWS.
In this column I try to be non-political and non-controversial, but sometimes the relevant news does not stay within those constraints. Some examples are several recent lawsuits against Microsoft. One of the suits was recently filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that Microsoft’s security warnings are too complicated, and also tell hackers about the security holes present in Microsoft products. In recent months there have been several such examples of this, including the Blaster worm which first appeared a month after the Microsoft security announcement and release of an appropriate security patch. This action was filed by a film editor who alleges that flaws in Windows allowed online hackers to obtain her personal information including her social security number and banking information. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages and an agreement that Microsoft will improve its system of notifying users about potential security problems. While there is (as I type this) only a single plaintiff, the lawsuit was designed to become a class action. In a response, Microsoft has said that it will argue against the suit being granted class action status. Microsoft claims that the creation and intentional dissemination of viruses and Trojans is criminal, and that Microsoft has been actively working with law enforcement authorities to track and prosecute the miscreants.
What is different about this suit is the allegation that Microsoft’s “EULA”, or “End User Licensing Agreement”, which says that Microsoft is not liable for product flaws, should not apply because of Microsoft’s near monopoly status. Microsoft’s near monopoly on operating systems leaves little choice for a user to use alternative products, according to the attorney in this case, Dana B. Taschner. He says that Microsoft can not evade liability. Other attorneys quoted in the media disagree with this premise, stating that while Microsoft has an obligation to produce a good quality product, it does not have an obligation to make a product that is secure from all potential future threats. I will keep readers of this column informed as this suit progresses through the legal system.
Other lawsuits against Microsoft currently in the pipeline or recently settled include a recent class action settlement in favor of consumers who purchased software directly from Microsoft’s website or form other direct marketing campaigns prior to April 2003. These consumers will be entitled to a partial refund on their purchase price.
Despite the legal controversy over Microsoft’s patches, I still strongly recommend that users frequently check for, and install, these security patches. Microsoft recently released a cumulative patch for Internet Explorer 6 containing most security updates in a single download. Necessary critical updates can be found at windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Follow the instructions provided online by Microsoft, and the patches are typically installed with few problems, although there have been some well documented problems in the past. Other updates, not listed as critical, should be reviewed for applicability to the users’ individual needs.
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