Re: Is SP2 really necessary?

From: plb2862 (plb2862_at_cox.net)
Date: 02/27/05 

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 07:14:27 -0800

SP2 has a cursory security solution. It isn't to par with good firewalls.
It has some trojan and ICMP ports open and no way to close them without the
use of third party tools. It doesn't have a stealth mode available either.
So someone can actually find out among many things what OS you are running.
I've noticed that MS uses this technique in the windows update site where it
checks to see that you have an MS OS and even the browser type running.
When I use the stealth mode on my firewall windows update won't work and
says I need a newer browser. If you support the fact that MS is the popular
business and common home user OS then it makes sense for hackers/hijackers
to want to know what OS you are running so they can defeat your security.
Microsoft is offering their beta spyware remover. I believe that you can
use better products at this time to do what SP2 doesn't do yet. Not that it
won't in the future.

"Happy" <happy@trial.ca> wrote in message
news:_RbUd.10294$oh4.375523@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
> Just helping my brother put an older computer in order to be able to use
> dial up, and word processing. I was considering loading SP2 on, and he
> asked me the question" is it really necessary?" and "why not just a good
> virus checker"? -- and I didn't have a good answer, being one who is used
> to following along and listening to MS, (and sometimes BS!) without
> question!
> What is the real answer?
>
>

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