Do Internet users know how to protect themselves???

[preacher]

I was looking online about the new sobig.f virus going around and found an article based from Birmingham.

Part of the article is the opinion of a group Birmingham Computer Experts and states:

Birmingham computer experts yesterday condemned Internet service providers for failing to supply even basic security advice that could have halted the virus attack.

What I want to know (as a Technical Support Agent for a large ISP) is do the 'general public' actually know the basics of protecting their computers?

Many a time I have had someone call me at work complaining about a virus they have picked up and it always goes one of two ways.

Do they have any anti-virus software - no.......!
Or sometimes they do but have never updated it!!!

So what makes it the role of an Internet Service Provider to explain security to a person?

I bought a house a few weeks ago and would not have expected the mortgage company to say "Don't forget a burglar alarm, oh and a fire extinguisher....and you might want an extra copy of your front door key"
The fact is....if you buy a computer, you check what security requirements you have, same as if you buy a car, you learn how to drive!

Why is it that people, whom are usually perfectly intelligent people, become complete muppets when it comes to PC's?

If their printer dies, they try to reinstall their ISP's internet disk.......why???
I find it very difficult to lower my IQ to such a level as to make that decision appropriate!

So what I want to know is.....those of you who have got PC's, be it having had it for years or having just bought it purely for this ISP, know what you need to make it secure AND do you feel it is the role of the ISP to make sure you are protected??

[sonygeezer]

The answer is most peeps now on line have no idea as an example take my brother & sister in law they wanted to buy a computer for thier children to help with their school work so they asked my advice I worked out what they needed and told them to go to a local computer store with what they wanted and he would build it for them, but no they ended up going to PC World and paying £999 for a package deal not a bad computer but they would have got a lot more for their money at the local store I pointed them too and when they got their new computer I get a phone call to come round and set it up as they don't have a clue as for updating their software well I set the virus protection to update automatic and updated windows but since then they have never updated windows even though I have showed them how to, and when I ask them why they just say it takes to long to download.

[zoombini]

IMO there is too little informatoion being given to the ordinary joe on how to protect thier PC.
They are not stupid, they are not idiots etc, they are just unaware of the problems and the solutions.

Why? Because there is too little information given to them when they get thier PC.

If you went down to PCworld & bought a PC & they also told you that at the same time as getting an internet ready PC that you must protect it because of all the problems, they would lose a few sales (IMO).

The information IS out there, but if people are unaware about it then they just dont get to it.
More needs to be done (like these recent viruses and the media coverage) to make them aware.
NTl putting the info on a channel is a good thing, although I think this needs to be expanded to perhaps more information on general protection as well as that specific virus.

As for the ISP's role, well maybe yes they should give you more information when you join thier network. Although I do not think its thier job to do it for you (but for a fee?) just pointing you to the right website information and telling you a little in a leaflet etc
would help reduce the amount of help calls they get and problems with users who get infected.

[Theodoric]

I agree with your general point that some people make no effort at all to protect their PCs but, in my experience, protecting a PC is not the easiest thing in the world, even for someone like myself who has used computers for quite a while. I'd say it was quite a bit more complicated than your examples of a home or a car.

I currently use Sygate for my firewall. I get a number of warnings about various programmes trying to broadcast to various sites out of my PC. These are normally totally meaningless to me. I suspect that they are benign but I haven't found an easy way to find out. Plugging the URL into the OE address box normally leads nowhere. Using a backtrace and Whois provides me with information that doesn't actually tell me anything; now if it said, "You have now reached ww.satan.org. Flee!!" it might be of some use to me, but it doesn't, it normally mentions some obscure organisation that I've never heard of. An example. I have spent this morning using the Sygate tests against various forms of computer attack. After they had finished I checked the security log which was full of attacks that I knew had come from the Sygate testing. Whois gave me some outfit called Verio. Verio? I don't know them from Adam. So I continue with my belt and braces approach of simply saying, "No", when Sygate warns me, but I am probably stopping something that would be of use to me.

Or take this Blaster worm. I've got Norton Antivirus and I've got a Sygate firewall. Is this good enough protection? I don't know. Warning messages are flying around like Armageddon is expected tomorrow, so I have to play safe and go through all the hassle of downloading and installing whatever protection is recommended.

[birchyboy]

preacher -

I bought a house a few weeks ago and would not have expected the mortgage company to say "Don't forget a burglar alarm, oh and a fire extinguisher....and you might want an extra copy of your front door key"
The fact is....if you buy a computer, you check what security requirements you have, same as if you buy a car, you learn how to drive!

Maybe you didn't have it surveyed for faults, including security?
Would you have a different opinion if your neighbour's house locked you out of your own house for hours, cut off your gas, electricuty and water at random, then wouldn't let the postman deliver any mail ?

[idi banashapan]

well documented, old but this is life (I too work in a call centre as 2nd / 3rd line tech support, but started out as 1st line - this stuff DOES happen and is a good example of a few 'average joes' pc knowledge)....

[EDIT] DISCLAIMER - when I said this stuff happens, I didn't mean the agents reply to the situation, I was refering to the type of knowledge and naivety that is out there!!!!!


This guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the HelpDesk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "Termination without Cause". Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee (now I know why they record these conversations!)

"Ridge Hall computer assistance; may I help you?"

†œYes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

"What sort of trouble?"

"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went
away."

"Went away?"

"They disappeared."

"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"

"How do I tell?"

"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"

†œWhat's a sea-prompt?"

"Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"

"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I
type."

"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

"What's a monitor?

"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV."
"Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."

"Yes, it is."

"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

†œNo."

"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other
cable."

"Okay, here it is."

"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

"I can't reach."

"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

"No."

"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."

"Dark?"

"Yes -the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

†œWell, turn on the office light then."

"I can't."

"No? Why not?"

"Because there's a power failure."

"A power ... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now." "Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."

"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

"Really? Is it that bad?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

"Tell them you're too f**king stupid to own a computer."

[MadGamer]

These are the basic steps you need to take when protecting your PC.

1. Make sure your Virus definations are up to date
2. Download the latest updates from Windows Update
3. Make sure you have a firewall installed (Even for Dial Up)

This is the same for the W.32 Blaster Worm

[MadGamer]

Yes i do think they should protect our PC's as well as having our own security as a backup.

Originally posted by Bender
...This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline...

Not entirely true...

http://www.snopes.com/humor/business/wordperf.htm

[idi banashapan]

Originally posted by XFS03
Not entirely true...

http://www.snopes.com/humor/business/wordperf.htm

Probably not entirely true, but my point was that IT support Helpdesks DO have to deal with people with that level of computing knowledge. There really are people out there who have absolutely NO idea what they are doing.

[marcsparks2002]

Originally posted by WNA
Yes i do think they should protect our PC's as well as having our own security as a backup.

who should

judging by the number of port 135 scans my router has logged today (about 10 a minute), there are still people out there getting hit with the blaster worm, even after all the publicity it's had.

So the maxim "you can lead a horse to water....." would seem to apply.

[MadGamer]

Our ISP's

[Rara Avis]

Originally posted by Bender
Probably not entirely true, but my point was that IT support Helpdesks DO have to deal with people with that level of computing knowledge. There really are people out there who have absolutely NO idea what they are doing.

What do you expect? Unlike driving a car, you don't have to be qualified or pass examinations to own, use a pc, or surf the net. The govt has pushed, and rightly so, the policy of trying to make everyone information/I.T literate and have access to the internet. If you have the cash, and it doesn't take a huge amount these days, you can get access to the net, but becoming I.T literate takes longer. Let me see, there is the ECDL, but for anyone that's done it and knows, even the advanced exam is cursory and is by no means enough. But it's a start.
Working on a help desk is just just that, a 'help' desk. In my last job, I was helping people off the street with basic I.T issues and this could mean anything from how to set up an email account to web design. Sometimes it was easy and at other times it required a hell of a lot of patience. Not everyone is aware that a simple reboot might solve the problem To a novice, when the pc isn't responding, it's BROKEN and they need help.
It's a tough job, but if you can't hack it, excuse the expression *lol* get one that doesn't deal with any ordinary joes.
We were all them at one point

This is probably more aimed at the thread starter, sorry Bender DOH!

[kronas]

you cant put the blame on ISP'S because they are there to provide the net connection its up to the user to adequatly secure there pc with firewall and antivirus software especially on broadband