Ed wrote:

><<I've been accustomed to temporarily disabling my antivirus and firewall 
>software before going to http://update.microsoft.com (Microsoft Update 
>Service) >>


That renders your computer very vulnerable to every sort of malware/virus 
floating around the internet.

I've personally seen 2 computers on ADSL hacked in that situation within 
less than 5 minutes--one was straight after a new install of XP followed by 
a modem installation---which advised taking that same action before 
installing the modem drivers.  What they failed to advise was to disconnect 
the phone line before doing that. The brand-new unprotected computer 
received its first virus within that 3 minutes.

Having received the virus before any a-v software could be updated, any 
further updates were consequently blocked by the virus. Although AVG could 
recognise it, it couldn't precisely identify or remove it. The only remedy 
was a reformat and start all over again, sadder but much wiser.

Since then, I've religiously disconnected the phone line before disabling 
any protective software and would suggest that to do otherwise is highly risky.

Unless there's a problem within the Microsoft site itself, it's quite 
likely that your computer has been compromised. If that is the case, and 
you happen to have caught one of the nastier malwares, any further updates 
of your protection software might be rendered inactive.

I agree entirely with Russ's comments, and I think those figures are real 
enough.  I seem to remember that Fred Langa or somebody tested that theory 
a year or two ago by leaving an unprotected computer for several minutes 
and checking what "net nasties" it had picked up. The 3/5-minute theory 
seemed to be confirmed.

Zone Alarm Pro has a log of alerts where you can see if there is any 
unauthorised internet activity going on, and you can identify its source 
from within your computer.  I'm not sure whether the free version has this 
function.
If you have been hacked, this may pick up something, even if your software 
can't identify or delete it.

Don Penlington




 From the Beach at Surfers Paradise in sunny Queensland.
Computer tutorials, local scenery,  and other things at my website:
http://users.tpg.com.au/deepend/index1.html

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