Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mr.mark who wrote (17466)	3/9/2001 3:25:53 PM
From: shadowman	Read Replies (7) \| Respond to of 110652

Thanks Mark, I downloaded and installed the patch(s). A question....my desktop has had a blue rectangular (shadowbox) about 1 1/2 X 3 inches right in the center of it for about 6 months. It appears to be a ghost remnant left there by my ISP dialer box? I know a couple of other people that have the same problem. It is always there on the desktop along with my program icons. It disappears when I "use" the computer ie...surf...word processing etc. It is only visible when I'm on the desktop. It really doesn't interfere with anything, but it's a nuisance. I installed a new hard drive a couple of weeks ago and changed my OS from W95 to W98Se transferred the contents of my old HD to the new one...consequently it's still there. Anyone have any suggestions about how to send that sucker packing?

To: mr.mark who wrote (17466)	3/11/2001 6:56:58 PM
From: KayCee	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110652

mr. mark, Here is ZA's FAQ. Symantec issue addressed there. grc.com Here is the reply from ZA. A: Symantec requires you to lower certain defenses before you can run their test. In addition, some of their test components seem targeted to identify whether or not you are running a specific product of theirs. If you had to do any of the following in order to run Symantec's test, when you wouldn't ordinarily do so, then Symantec's site is not testing your security software. It's testing your willingness to bypass your security software: * Reconfigure your browser to allow Java applets, ActiveX, active scripting, or cookies * Upgrade to a browser or AOL version that supports Java applets, ActiveX, active scripting, or cookies * Disable or reconfigure your cookie management software * Disable or reconfigure your anonymizing or ad-blocking proxy software * Disable or reconfigure your firewall The following comments apply to various components of Symantec's security test: Personal Firewall Check Symantec does not state how they check to see if you have a firewall, but it appears that one thing they check for is the presence on your system of their firewall. If you are running ZA, does the Symantec report state that you "might" be protected by a "corporate" firewall? This means one of two things: Either they didn't check for any firewall other than their own, and don't want to tell you this or they did probe your ports, but they don't want to tell you the result Web Content Filter Check ZoneAlarm does not claim to prevent your PC from downloading "adult content" from the Internet. "Adult content" is not a security threat or a privacy threat. Antivirus Software Check Zone Labs recommends you use an antivirus program and keep it updated. We don't know whether Symantec's test recognizes any of its competitors' antivirus software. Browser Information Check A firewall is a fundamental method of protecting your computer from intrusions and from unauthorized transmission of data from your computer. It operates at a very low level, examining individual packets of data and comparing them to rules about what is allowed to go through. ZoneAlarm's firewall blocks all communication to or from your computer that is not part of an authorized connection to another computer. Unlike most firewalls, ZA allows you control the firewall by using a very simple interface. ZoneAlarm allows you to control what applications have the ability to access the Internet, and what applications may receive connections from the Internet. The types of information Symantec gathers with this "Browser Information Check" test component are NOT gathered from unauthorized connections to the Internet. They are gathered from an application that you want to connect to the Internet: your browser. Furthermore, your browser software is designed to give up this information if asked. There are ways to prevent most of the browser behavior that Symantec tests for, but Symantec asks you not to implement them when you run their test: You can prevent web sites from accumulating information about you if you disable Java applets, ActiveX, active scripting, and cookies. You will also lose the ability to use these features for other purposes. That is the tradeoff with browser software. You must decide which features you use the most, and whether any privacy or security risks they present are worth the benefits you get from using them. There are some aspects of browser behavior that you cannot control through configuring your browser settings. For example, most browser software is designed to send the URL of the last web site you visited along with its request for another web page. Depending on what other browser features you have enabled, Symantec or another web site may be able to track your browsing history by using this information. There are a number of products on the market that make it easier to configure your browser, or that include features that your browser may lack, such as the ability to withhold or falsify information about sites previously visited or what type of browser you are using, cookie management, ad blocking, additional browser "zones", and so forth. These features are not features of a firewall, although they are useful for some people. Best regards, Zone Labs Support FYI: grc.com