>
>
>Another great idea but a much shorter one would be how to configure a single
>box such as a laptop WITH OUT a firewall in the best method of elimination
>intrusions, spam, worms, and other assorted negative inputs.
>
I'm no security guru. My level is clicking "medium" or "high" on the
Mandrake or SuSE security checkbox choices. :)
Probably the most important thing is to make sure you're not starting
server-type services at boot without knowing it. That takes care of most
possible intrustion problems.
Spam and worms are a separate matter. Dealing with them locally through
a dialup is a pain since you have to download them and that takes lots
of time. I solve this problem when I'm on that hotel dialup connection*
by starting my email download, then going to get supper or going for a
swim or some such. Once they're on my machine, I use the Mozilla email
filters to put them where the sun never shines (i.e. my "junk" folder).
Note that a Bayesian filter doesn't "detect spam" or "detect viruses"
per se. All it does is learn *from you* what email you do and don't want
to see in your inbox. If you want to see Nigerian scam email, fine.
Don't declare it "junk" and you'll get it all. If you want to have a
larger penis and want to comparison-shop email offers relating to that
topic, you can easily make an email filter that will put all email
containing the word "penis" into your "happywife" folder**.
If you love viruses, you can collect them in a "virus" folder. It's your
computer, so you can do what you want. I like to get the BoatUS weekly
specials and a few other selected commercial offerings for which I have
actually signed up, so I have them go to my "buystuff" folder. And email
from this list goes to my "lists" folder.
If y'all think this is a worthwhile meeting presentation, I'm willing
to drive to whichever meeting location to give it. A projector would be
good so everyone in a large group can see the screen, but if it's fewer
than 10 people, "gather 'round the laptop" would work.
- Robin
* I am almost always able to find a hotel with high-speed Net access in
the U.S. these days. Very rarely am I stuck with dialup. In other
countries, dialup access is still standard in hotels, even high-priced
ones, and is usually brutally expensive if it's someplace my
corporate-paid UUNet account doesn't work. Solution = find a local
Internet Cafe and hook up there for a couple of hours every day. In
countries where net access is scarce/expensive, the cafes are big-time,
usually priced for locals (so not expensive), and are great places to
meet local computer junkies/Linux users. The one I used in Veracruz, MX,
was wonderful. And suberb coffee for like a dime a cup, too, with
beer/booze available from the bar next door... WAY better thin sitting
in a hotel room, even a nice one.
** In my case, "happywife." For others it might be girlfriend,
boyfriend, favored sheep, etc. And I can never figure out why the penis
spammers fail to target those of us who are too large and too hard. Why
don't *we* get spam, huh? It's like using Linux and being left out of
all the Windows virus fun. It makes you feel unloved. :(
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