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Posted on 12-9-2003
PlaNet
News & Alert
12 Sept 03
Dear PlaNeteers,
Contents:
I. Microsoft users health alert.
II. All users anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-worm advice.
III. PlaNet TV
IV. Webman
I. Computer Worms, Bugs and Viruses
Those of you who use Microsoft proprietary software would be
aware by now
of the not inconsiderable downside of dealing with this company,
certainly
PlaNet is, to the tune of many thousands of dollars a year we
spend on
supporting their software - which of course, being freely given,
adds to
MS's vast profits and diminishes everyone elses. And here we
go again...
Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Servers
Severity of Bug : CRITICAL
Port / Service : Microsoft RPC
Versions Affected :
* Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
* Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
* Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
* Microsoft Windows 2000
* Microsoft Windows XP
* Microsoft Windows Server 2003
3 new bugs have been found in the Microsoft implementation of
RPC. Although
these bugs are also related to DCOM activation, they _are_not_
the same
issue addressed in July. In other words this is not the worm
featured in
previous PlaNet News, these are Bugs, ie. badly written/tested
software.
Microsoft has an end-user write up of the problem here :
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-039.asp
Patches may be downloaded here :
Windows 2000 :
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F4F66D56-E7CE-44C3-8B94-817EA8485DD1&displaylang=en
Windows XP :
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5FA055AE-A1BA-4D4A-B424-95D32CFC8CBA&displaylang=en
Windows 2003
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=51184D09-4F7E-4F7B-87A4-C208E9BA4787&displaylang=en
PlaNet suggests that the patch be applied as soon as possible.
II. Self-defense is best
Spam is ever on the increase and these days the spammers use
ordinary home
PC's and business `proxy server' software that is not behind
a `firewall'.
Nobody can stop this except the home users and businesses like
yourself.
Please install a simple software firewall like ZoneAlarm at
http://www.zonelabs.com
if using MS Windows. Mac users will find the latest
OS releases have firewalls built in and there are installable
firewalls
downloadable from http://www.apple.com
Additionally a firewall will prevent
hacker/cracker/worm attacks and help prevent you getting a virus
via email.
Sure, PlaNet runs anit-virus software and stopped 3 Gigabytes
of it last
month alone! PlaNet could definitely stop all spam, all viruses
and all
worms, but it would also end up stopping a large amount of legitimate
email
and you would not like that at all. The bad people out there
think they are
good, and they are good at one thing, disguising themselves
to look even
more legitimate than your real friends. Nevertheless PlaNet
will be adding
to its existing filtering software yet another addition before
the end of
the month, targetted specifically at the new type of spam you
may have
started receiving over last couple of weeks.
And we block hackable ports, but, by far the most effective
defense is
self-defense, ie. a firewall (ZoneAlarm), anit-virus software
(like
Nortons) and anti-spam software (like mailwasher). Available
by download
from the internet and often free, at least for a trial.
III. PlaNet TV
PlaNet has been making TV programmes for 3 years ... yes, 3
whole years.
Now there is no excuse for not watching them ;-) They're streamed
online
here at www.pl.net
click on PTV in index bar and then choose one of the
articles.
It might be of interest for you to know that PlaNet can make
video from go
to whoa for traditional screening or for online streaming. Interested?
Email office@pl.net
for quote. Also a demo of how a house looks with a real
walk around in full video will be here at www.pl.net
click on `life', as
of next week.
IV. Web Pages
Yours with a spring and a zing,
Alan Marston
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