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This doesn't have anything to do directly with trading, but almost everyone
on this list uses web browers, so you may find it interesting.
Hoaxes about how email viruses can damage your computer and other such
things are prevalent on the Internet. Almost all such stories are total
nonsense.
However, there is a significant risk you should be aware of. Microsoft
Internet Explorer Version 3.0 has a major security hole that allows any
webmaster to take control of your Windows desktop - including accessing any
confidential files on your computer. Webmasters can do almost anything you
can do sitting at your computer. They can upload files, download files,
search and replace text in files, delete files, and run programs. They can
leave software that will give them repeated access each time you log back on
the Internet in the future.
The problem was a major embarrassment to Microsoft. Microsoft released
Version 3.01 to fix the problem, but within hours a teenager in California
circumvented their fix and published a work-around on the web. Microsoft
then released Version 3.02 to block his work-around.
If you are using MSIE 3.0, seriously consider updating either to 3.02 (a
small update) or to 4.x (a major upgrade, and one I don't recommend if you
are using Win95 or WinNT). Another option is to switch to a Netscape
browser (my personal preference). You can obtain free Microsoft browsers
from:
http://www.microsoft.com/
and free Netscape browsers from:
http://www.netscape.com/
However, you should know that all HTML 4.0 compliant browsers, including
recent versions of both Microsoft and Netscape browsers, expose your
computer to malicious damage, because they support the automatic downloading
and execution of small computer programs, called applets, that add pizzazz
to many web sites. Simple applet programs do such things as change the
color of a button when the mouse cursor moves over it or display a message
in the status bar to give web site visitors more information about a link.
They can make web pages bounce, shimmy, sing and gyrate. They also are
commonly used to do such things as validate forms before visitors submit
them and to produce sophisticated graphics animation. They provide the
means to do lots of "neat" things, but they also provide the means to
automatically download and execute programs you won't even know about that
can damage your computer.
Restrictions have been imposed on what automatically downloaded applets can
do, but they can be circumvented by knowledgeable programmers. You can
protect yourself from that risk by switching off applet support in your
browser setup options. The terminology is different in different browsers.
Look for JavaScript, Jscript, Java Applet, VB, or ActiveX support. You may
not want to do that if you like the gimmicks on leading-edge web sites, but
it eliminates the risk of potentially nasty consequences.
-Bob Brickey
Scientific Approaches
sci@xxxxxxxxxx
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