[Politech] If you use Microsoft Windows, remember to patch your PC

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Wed Feb 11 2004 - 22:00:20 PST

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    Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 10:02:29 -0800
    From: Marc Perkel <marc@private>
    To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private>
    Subject: Yet another Microsoft Security Flaw
    
    Hey Declan - you might want to pass this on to your list.
    
    
    Virus Warning for Windows Users - Very Serious
    
    Microsoft has yet another very serious security flaw that gives anyone with 
    the right know how total access to your computer. I don't know all the 
    details - but it might be the biggest one yet. If you remember the SoBig 
    and Code Red viruses last fall - this one will similar in that it doesn't 
    require you to get email for you to be attacked or hacked. *Your computer 
    can be hacked into and viruses installed without you doing anything to 
    cause it to happen.
    
    *I say "will be" because right now there is no virus - yet. But the flaw is 
    there and it will be a matter of days before someone writes a virus to take 
    advantage of the flaw. And - your anti-virus software will have no effect. 
    Microsoft has posted a patch and that is how you protect yourself - 
    download and install that patch.
    
    Here's the link to Microsoft's Windows Update:
    
    *http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com*
    
    You must use Microsoft Explorer to install it.
    I am also asking that those of you who have blogs and newsletters and high 
    traffic web sites post this warning on your front page and include it in 
    your newsletters. The best defense to this virus is to stop it before it 
    begins. As you all know - this virus will affect non-windows users in that 
    the new viruses turn windows computer into spam robots and we are still 
    getting the bounce messages from the last virus. Let's see if we can stop 
    this before it starts by first - patch your computer now - then - tell 
    everyone to patch theirs. You can cut and paste this warning into your blog 
    or newsletter.
    
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