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How Much Harm Can One Web Site Do?

Posted by timothy on from the depends-on-what-os-you're-running dept.

Ben Edelman has written extensively on issues including censorship and spyware. He's got a very interesting piece on his site now about who profits from spyware, and how much spyware can be installed on a Windows XP machine when the user simply visits a single Web site using Internet Explorer.

14 of 501 comments (clear)

  1. How much harm? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, if it's Slashdot, it can leave your server a smoldering wreck.

  2. Umm... by telstar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Am I supposed to click that link? Finally, we've found the antidote to slashdotting!

  3. Windows XP? by cyfer2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    how much spyware can be installed on a Windows XP machine when the user simply visits a single Web site using Internet Explorer.

    Am I safe if I am on a win2k machine?

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    1. Re:Windows XP? by bestguruever · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, win2k is much too recent. What you need to do is get a version of windows that is old enough to no longer be targetted. You still want something with a fairly comprehensive feature set, so I'd recommend Windows ME.

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    2. Re:Windows XP? by xsupergr0verx · · Score: 3, Funny

      Honestly, that is the first time I have ever seen someone recommend Windows ME in a serious fashion.

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  4. How much damage can one web site do? by Sensible+Clod · · Score: 3, Funny

    Certain .cx sites are all the evidence needed. I rest my case.

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  5. How much harm can ONE site do?!! by RiscIt · · Score: 5, Funny

    I LOVE the headline

    Apparently we're forgetting the word "slashdot" as a verb.

  6. s.i.c. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    From TFA:

    "warning! you're in danger! all you do with computer is stored forever in your hard disk ... still there and could broke your life!" (s.i.c.)

    Anyone else find the improper spelling of "sic" (used by an editor to mark improper spelling or usage in a quoted piece of text) to be humorous, or is it just me?

    1. Re:s.i.c. by tsg · · Score: 3, Funny

      Do you lie awake at night wondering if anal retentive is hyphenated?

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  7. Re:not much... by willy134 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would be pretty secure I think.

    No network, no spyware!!!

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  8. Rhetorical? by zx75 · · Score: 3, Funny

    How much harm can one website do? This is slashdot. We blow up poor people's servers for fun!

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  9. Re:not much... by Rombuu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Current common wisdom if you are an idiot I guess.

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  10. Re:not much... by Johnny+Mnemonic · · Score: 4, Funny


    You guys on the "don't install SP2!" bandwagon need to wise up.

    You straight up office/cube/lab support guys need to wise up. There's more to life than IE/Outlook/Office. Where I work, we use PCs to analyze genomic data and communicate and control robotic devices that gather DNA information. Often, esp the control software, is written specifically for a version of Win2K, let alone be able to update to XP S2. You heard me right--there's still lots of instances of NT, and even some Mac OS 7.5.3. In many cases, the original vendor is non-existent, hard to reach, or they specifically recommend against updating to a newer version. Often, security updates will break functionality that these applications depend on.

    So thanks for the info. I'm sure XP SP2 makes a good kiosk. However, the guy that decided to run a $300K sequencer off a $700 Dell using some bastardized version of Java, and also can't be upgraded to XP or anything reasonably secure needs to have their head examined. I'm looking at you, ABI.

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  11. Re:not much... by Westech · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, SP2 broke my SuperShopper HappySmiley E-Deals toolbar! Luckily, once I uninstalled it everything went back to normal.