Australian Open Access User Group

3 Jun 08 BCS: Microsoft issues caution [over Safari bug]
4 May 08 PC World: Microsoft Backpedals on Windows Updates - Microsoft has withdrawn Vista SP1 from automatic delivery in the wake of news that XP SP3 can cause data corruption in business apps.
13 Jan 08 BBC: Warning on stealthy Windows virus - Many are falling victim via booby-trapped websites that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to install the attack code, which steals login details for online bank accounts.
21 Sep 07 DownloadSquad: Microsoft allowing PC makers to offer XP downgrade from Vista.
18 May 07 WP: Samba developers quash serious bug - a popular way of allowing Windows clients to print and store files using a Linux or Unix machine.
12 Apr 07 WP: Critical Vista flaw...
7 Apr 07 Computerworld: Researchers question Vista security after ANI exploit - Microsoft Corp.'s failure to spot the animated cursor bug in Windows Vista is, at best, a flag to hackers that old flaws may abound in the new operating system, researchers said today. At worst, it's a disconcerting sign that Vista's security-oriented development process slipped up.
4 Mar 07 Günther Waldbauer: Demo of a web server for an Open Access 4 database - access data directly from a DF file "In the next 2 weeks we provide the Open Access Community with Write Support for databases under PHP..."
2 Mar 07 BBC: Net firms tackle Vista headache Some old installation discs that simplify the task of configuring a PC for broadband have refused to work on machines loaded with Vista...+ Falling into the Vista trap.
17 Feb 07 BBC: Home network security scrutinised + WP: The Dangers of Default Passwords [on routers]
15 Feb 07 BBC: Microsoft fixes 20 security holes - Half of the patches in the update have been rated as critical
2 Feb 07 BBC: Vista has speech recognition hole.
31 Jan 07 Washington Post: At Microsoft, a Sad Software Lesson - In my view, we lost our way," Vista's manager, Jim Allchin, wrote in an e-mail (later posted online) to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and chief executive Steve Ballmer. "I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft." (too credible to be true!)
31 Jan 07 PC World: Symantec warns of new zero-day Word attack
Until the vulnerability is patched, users should avoid opening unexpected Word documents.
18 Jan 07 WP: Do Away With HTML Based E-mail - Last week, Microsoft issued a patch to fix an extremely dangerous flaw in Windows that cyber crooks could use to break into your computer just by getting you to open an e-mail...
6 Jan 07 BBC: Security bug found in [Acrobat] PDF reader [Firefox and Internet Explorer Windows users are vulnerable] + Rivals battle for connected world [Microsoft Vs Apple]
21 Dec 06 BBC: Triple threat targets Word users - Users of older versions of Office are vulnerable...
8 Dec 06 New Scientist: Spam choking the internet again.
5 Dec 06 IT Wire: More problems with Vista final release?
18 Nov 06 PC World: Tips & Tweaks: Put Junk E-Mail in Its Place.
11 Nov 06 CPSC: Sony Recalls Notebook Computer Batteries Due to Previous Fires - Fujitsu, Gateway, Sony and Toshiba notebook computers. About 340,000 batteries in USA (an additional 3,080,000 battery packs were sold worldwide)
27 Oct 06 Scientific American (subs): Malware Goes Mobile - Computer viruses are now airborne, infecting mobile phones in every part of the globe.
19 Oct 06 SMH: Apple blames Microsoft for virus-infected iPods.
19 Oct 06 WP: Patches Available for Bluetooth Flaw [in Toshiba & Dell laptops]
13 Oct 06 waldbauer.com: Now hosts OA4 databases for web-serving purposes - see this site (in German)
3 Oct 06 BBC: Microsoft 'taking security risks' - "Microsoft is stopping security firms from accessing the core of the [Vista] operating system, called the kernel, and is therefore preventing them from releasing third-party security add-ons." - unlike Apple that uses a Unix core.
28 Sep 06 WP: Microsoft Issues Emergency Patch for IE Flaw - a flaw that hackers have been exploiting to install spyware on vulnerable computers.
10 Aug 06 WP: Microsoft Fixes 23 Security Flaws.
3 Aug 06 WP: Hijacking a Macbook [or PC] in 60 Seconds or Less - wireless insecurity.
28 Jul 06 WP: Password-Stealing Trojan Disguised as Firefox Extension + Mozilla Issues Security Updates for Firefox + Microsoft to Push Out IE7 as High Priority Update.
24 Jul 06 SMH: Microsoft warns about PowerPoint virus - CERT advice.
21 Jul 06 WP: Hacked Ad Seen on MySpace Served Spyware to a Million - An online banner advertisement that ran on MySpace.com and other sites over the past week used a Windows security flaw to infect more than a million users with spyware when people merely browsed the sites with unpatched versions of Windows...
14 Jul 06 WP: Adobe Issues [Acrobat] Security Update + Microsoft Patches 18 Security Flaws in Windows, Office.
7 Jul 06 The Register: Windows Genuine [Dis]advantage malware sighted - The Cuebot-K worm spreads via AOL instant messenger in the guise of WGA - thanks Stephen Withers.
6 Jul 06 BBC: Web perils advise switch to Macs. Security threats to PCs with Microsoft Windows have increased so much that computer users should consider using a Mac, says a leading security firm...
4 Jul 06 WP: Microsoft to End Support Of Old Windows Versions - Microsoft will end support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Special Edition (SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (ME). That means users of those versions will no longer have the protection of software fixes issued by Microsoft, potentially leaving them exposed to attack when hackers exploit previously unknown flaws in the operating systems.
30 Jun 06 WP: Exploits Target Multiple Excel, IE Security Holes.
17 Jun 06 WP: Microsoft Warns of Attack Via Unpatched Excel Flaw.
12 Jun 06 SMH: 'Spy' revealed in Microsoft security tool.
31 May 06 WP: Fun With Java Updates + New Winamp Version Fixes Major Security Hole
25 May 06 WP: Critical Microsoft Patches Cause Havoc.
23 May 06 WP: Hackers Exploiting Unpatched Flaw in MS Word - Vulnerability tracking company Secunia rated the flaw "extremely critical," its most dire warning level.
15 May 06 CNet: 'Critical' Windows, Exchange fixes coming [Tuesday] - thanks Stephen Withers.
10 May 06 waldbauer.com: Demo of a web server for an Open Access 4 database. Access data from a DF file (try uploading your own file to test). Please give feedback to Günther Waldbauer.
5 May 06 WP: Duck, It's a Microsoft Patch - can prevent Word & Excel saving to My Documents! Microsoft advice.
2 May 06 WP: Two New IE Flaws Found.
26 Apr 06 WP: MS Office Flaws Ideal Tools for Targeted Attacks + MS Expands Anti-Piracy Program, Reissues Patch (spyware!)
30 Mar 06 WP: Non-Microsoft Patches Issued for [critical] IE Flaw - security experts have identified at least 200 Web sites that are being used to install password-stealing malware on Windows PCs when users merely visit one of the sites with IE. IE: Allowing Only Certain ActiveX Controls to Run in Internet Explorer (thanks Gregory and Sendal).
28 Mar 06 WP: Attacks on Unpatched IE Flaw Escalate. More than 200 Web sites -- many of them belonging to legitimate businesses -- have been hacked and seeded with code that tries to take advantage of a unpatched security hole in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser to install hostile code on Windows computers when users merely visit the sites.
24 Mar 06 SMH: Critical flaw bites IE browser .
15 Mar 06 WP: Apple Issues Another Mac Patch Bundle + Microsoft Patches: Two for Tuesday.
16 Feb 06 WP: Microsoft Issues 7 Patches - Two of the patches fix "critical" problems that could allow the propagation of an Internet worm that spreads on its own to vulnerable PCs without any action on the part of the
user.
9 Feb 06 WP: Microsoft Anti-Virus Pricing Ripples? + Microsoft: Another Critical IE Flaw + A Time to Patch II: Mozilla + Spyware Found Exploiting Winamp Flaw
3 Feb 06 BBC: Nasty Nyxem virus set to strike - A Windows virus is set to unleash its payload and start deleting files at midnight on 3 February.
2 Feb 06 Washington Post: Research: Buggy, Flawed 'ActiveX' Controls Pervasive + Be Careful With Winamp Links
7 Jan 06 BBC: Microsoft rushes out Windows fix.
5 Jan 06 Yahoo: Microsoft Prepares Patch for Windows [image] Flaw
30 Dec 05 BBC: Sites exploit Windows image flaw
15 Dec 05 Washington Post: Opera Browser Users Urged to Upgrade + Microsoft Patches Critical Browser Flaw
7 Dec 05 Washington Post: Document Security 101 - embarassing metadata in public documents
25 Nov 05 BBC: Fake FBI virus catches net users
19 Nov 05 Freedom-to-tinker: Not Again! Uninstaller for Other Sony DRM Also Opens Huge Security Hole.
12 Nov 05 BBC: [Windows] Viruses use Sony anti-piracy CDs
8 Nov 05 BBC: Microsoft warns of latest flaws - Three new security holes have been highlighted by Microsoft and users are urged to download patches.
4 Nov 05 Washington Post: Study of Sony Anti-Piracy Software Triggers Uproar - File-Hiding Technique [for Windows PCs] Alarms Security Researchers; Developer Offers Patch
18 Oct 05 Some tips for using Filemaker Pro 8 - takes me back to 1985 and Open Access 2!
18 Oct 05 CERT: Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, and Exchange Server Vulnerabilities (11 Oct 05) + Apple Mac Products are Affected by Multiple Vulnerabilities (17 Aug 05)
18 Oct 05 SMH: More Microsoft holes pending - security updates for Windows.
16 Aug 05 SMH: Zotob worm hits Windows users.
10 Aug 05 Microsoft: Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification - 15 Sep 05, at least one is rated 'critical' - thanks Stephen Withers.
10 Aug 05 SMH: Spammer agrees to $9m settlement with Microsoft
28 Jul 05 CERT: Vulnerabilities in Mozilla - upgrade to v1.7.10
19 Jul 05 SMH: Mozilla patches Firefox flaws - The Mozilla Foundation has patched several flaws in the Firefox browser and the Mozilla suite of applications, and is advising users to upgrade.
6 Jul 05 Washington Post: Microsoft Warns of [another] Browser Security Hole.
24 Jun 05 SMH: Landmark case says Perth man sent 56 million emails - A Perth man dubbed a spam king could face multimillion-dollar penalties in the first court action taken underAustralia's Spam Act.
16 Jun 05 BBC: Microsoft warns of critical flaws - updates to download
11 Jun 05 BBC: Jackson suicide spam hides virus
11 Jun 05 Washington Post: 10 Microsoft Patches Due Next Week + Apple's Bushel of Critical Fixes.
2 Jun 05 BBC: Bagle virus peril in empty e-mail
27 May 05 Washington Post: Before You Buy That Anti-Spyware Program...
17 May 05 SMH: Sober worm delivers Teutonic spam -A variant of the mass-mailing Sober worm is responsible for the recent flood of spam in German
11 May 05 Washington Post: Apple Releases iTunes Security Update + 'Extremely Critical' Flaws Found in Netscape Browser.
11 May 05 BBC: Critical flaws found in Firefox - Mozilla advice about Firefox.
6 May 05 BBC: IBM to axe 13,000 jobs worldwide
5 May 05 BBC: Ticket trap snares Windows users (World Cup virus)
28 Apr 05 Washington Post: 'Extremely Critical' Flaws Found in Netscape Browser + Microsoft Releases Eight Security Updates for Windows - The TCP/IP flaw, and another critical problem in Microsoft's Exchange e-mail software, are extremely serious because they don't require any user interaction for hackers to exploit them successfully...
8 Apr 05 Washington Post: Radio Silence on Internet Attacks? - the company's DNS servers had been attacked when employees began reporting that their Internet browsers were being redirected to a Web site hawking generic Viagra and other prescription drugs...
1 Apr 05 (no joke!) SMH: eEye finds more holes in Windows
18 Mar 05 BBC: Have hackers recruited your PC? More than one million computers on the net have been hijacked to attack websites and pump out spam and viruses.
10 Feb 05 BBC: Microsoft releases bumper patches fixes some IE flaws + Warning over Microsoft Word files (hidden edits)
25 Jan 05 Sophos: W32/Crowt-A virus - The Crowt-A virus has a very sneaky way of getting people to open its emails: the subject line, content and attachment names are lifted from CNN's site - thanks Stephen Withers.
25 Jan 05 CERT: Microsoft Windows HTML Help ActiveX Contol Cross-Domain Vulnerability + Multiple Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Icon and Cursor Processing + Microsoft Windows LoadImage API integer overflow + Windows XP SP2 HTML Help Local Machine Zone Lockdown bypass + Multiple Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows
25 Jan 05 BBC: Microsoft backs down in EU tussle
23 Dec 04 BBC: Santy worm makes unwelcome visit - Search site Google has inadvertently helped a worm hit thousands of websites.
15 Dec 04 ABC: New Internet worm disguised as e-Christmas card - Internet security experts have warned of a new virulent email worm particularly successful in infecting computers as it is disguised as a multilingual electronic Christmas card.
10 Dec 04 NewSci: Banking site hijacked by fraudsters
4 Dec 04 CNet: Microsoft rushes out [another] critical IE fix - thanks Stephen Withers.
30 Nov 04 BBC: Screensaver tackles spam websites - spam them back!
30 Nov 04 About.com: Mac vs PC - with links to Common Myths About Mac, Mac and PC: A Guide to Peaceful Co-Existence and OS Shootout: OS X vs XP
26 Nov 04 Znet: It can pay to criticise Microsoft.
26 Nov 04 NewSci: Sprawling systems teeter on IT chaos + Spyware floods PCs from a single web page
25 Nov 04 BBC: Hi-tech tools fuel phishing boom + New browser wins over net surfers + Urgent meeting in Microsoft case
22 Nov 04: Snapshot of Open Access 4 running in DOSBOX on a Mac. Use Radnor to launch Dosbox in Mac OS X. Open Access 4 flys on my Mac Powerbook. However, I haven't worked out how to print directly from Open Access (have to save to file and print later from TextEdit). Also there might be some maths errors in this version - try using OA Calculator to check it .
20 Nov 04 BBC: Lazarus-like virus hits computers
17 Nov 04 SMH: Critical W2K bug unpatched after 105 days.
16 Nov 04 BBC: Toxic web links help virus spread+ Computer use link to eye disease
11 Nov 04 BBC: Firefox browser takes on Microsoft. Then there is good ol' Mozilla (formerly Netscape)
10 Nov 04 The Age: EU presses ahead with Microsoft case
5 Nov 04 Enterprise Security Today: Critical IE Security Problem Reported [the bug] can be exploited to cause a buffer overflow via a malicious HTML document containing overly long strings in the "SRC" and "NAME" attributes of the tag. Successful exploitation of the error allows execution of arbitrary code.- thanks Stephen Withers. CERT: IE FRAME/IFRAME buffer overflow
4 Nov 04 Annoyances.org: Windows XP Forum for users' experiences with XP SP2. SP2 Halts 15% of Systems, Survey Says + How do I skip the Product Activation in Windows XP? (you can't!)
4 Nov 04 SMH: Keeping an eye out for the Trojan Horse
30 Oct 04 BBC: Joke e-mail virus tricks users - CERT: W32/Bagle Revisited
28 Oct 04 Consumer reports: DELL LAPTOP ADAPTERS. Nearly 1 million laptop adapters have been
recalled because they could overheat, catch fire, and possibly give users an electric shock + DELL INSPIRON LAPTOP PROBLEM - performance slows when a certain security software (XP2) is installed.
28 Oct 04 BBC: UK report says Linux is 'viable' [alternative to Windows]
25 Oct 04 CERT: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Internet Explorer
24 Oct 04 CNet: Secure your wireless networks, or else (thanks Stephen Withers.)
21 Oct 04 BBC: Users face new phishing threats - Some of the most sophisticated phishing e-mail messages refer people to sites that look exactly the same as the website of whichever financial firm or online company they are targeting... sophisticated attacks could catch out up to 50% of people. Statistics show that a maximum of 3% of people fall victim to current phishing e-mail attacks.
19 Oct 04 WorldTechNews: The internet will collapse in 2006 (from too much spam!)
19 Oct 04 SMH: Nigerian [email] scam fools financial adviser.
15 Oct 04 CERT: Multiple vulnerabilities in Mozilla products - you probably need to update to the latest verison (eg Mozilla 1.7.3)
13 Oct 04 SMH: A new king of the block [Spam] + Origin of the term "spam" to mean net abuse - Monty Python's Spam Skit.
26 Sep 04 BBC: Virus writers focus on [Windows jpeg] image bug - see CERT: Microsoft Windows JPEG component buffer overflow
20 Sep 04 NewSci: [Windows] Software bug raises spectre of 'JPEG of death'
20 Aug 04 ABC: New Microsoft security flaws found - XP2
13 Aug 04 BBC: Concerns over key Windows update - Some users are reporting problems when installing a major security update for Windows XP. For example, Command virus protection must be updated before the Windows update.
7 Aug 04 Bill Bramble: Today I will put on eBay the Software Products International Open Access III Language Calls Reference manual for sale, there may be some people who would like to advance OA to better fields and as this manual is not available today and was US$1000 to purchase at the time of release. I thought his book is of value to anyone that may appreciate OA in the way that you and I do, could use this tool.
4 Aug 04 BBC: Net virus posing as Berg video + PCs hijacked to spew spam
3 Aug 04 BBC: Microsoft fixes big browser bug. The software giant has released a fix for a serious security hole in its Internet Explorer browser.
31 Jul 04 Consumer Reports (USA): Faulty memory could cause laptops to crash - Memory modules in 900,000 Compaq and HP laptop computers have a flawed circuit design that could cause the computer to freeze intermittently... installed on laptops sold from March 2002 to July 2003.
29 Jul 04 BBC: New virus exploits MyDoom success.
16 Jul 04 BBC: Microsoft warns of critical flaws [in IE and Outlook]
5 Jul 04 Daily Telegraph: Net virus could cause chaos - The [Outlook] mass mailer worm, dubbed Evaman, has been likened to the MyDoom worm...messages carrying the virus usually had subject headings like "failed transaction" and "failure delivery".
26 Jun 04 BBC: Web browser flaw prompts warning- IE vulnerability.
16 Jun 04 SMH: First mobile phone virus strikes + Spam king agrees to stop sending unwanted email
14 Jun 04 BBC: Microsoft races to deter hackers - hazard from clicking on "malicious" web links. So do you click on the BBC link??
5 Jun 04 BBC: [Windows] Worm [Korgo] eyes up credit card details + Modern gadgets raise work stress
4 Jun 04 BBC: Potter-mania fuels pesky virus - The Netsky.P [Windows] worm is enjoying a resurgence by disguising itself as a Potter game...
1 Jun 04 The Age: Why Windows is a security nightmare + Mac's great red hope.
25 May 04 BBC: Apple tackles Mac security flaw.(Safari)
19 Apr 04 SMH: The claws of the jungle - Cyber jungle laws mean Jaguar and Panther must give way to the Tiger (Mac OS 10.4 on the way!)
7 May 04 SMH: Microsoft revs up PC protection - People should treat their computers like cars, updating protection programs
as regularly as they fill up with petrol, according to Microsoft Australia. People should treat MS products with caution!
4 May 04 BBC: Sasser net worm disruption grows - A Finnish bank and Taiwan's post office are the latest casualties of a virus attacking Microsoft computers.
25 Mar 04 BBC: Microsoft hit by record EU fine.
4 Mar 04 TerraDaily: Wave of viruses, worms sweep cyberspace: experts.
3 Mar 04 Yahoo: For Windows Users, 'Browser Hijacking' Is Only the Latest Threat + Broken Windows: Will Your PC Ever Be Secure? + File Sharing Vulnerability Discovered in Mac OS X
3 Mar 04 SecurityFocus: Knock, Knock, Knock - Windows email attachments.
27 Feb 04 BBC: More virus misery for mail users - Three new viruses are causing headaches for people using Windows computers...Bizex worm that travels via ICQ + Hackers exploit Windows patches.
22 Feb 04 Yahoo: Netsky.B Tunnels Through Windows Systems
12 Feb 04 BBC: 'Protect PCs' Microsoft users told - another security patch
11 Feb 04 MS: Vulnerability in Virtual PC for Mac - security update for Virtual PC running Windows on Macs.
30 Jan 04 BBC: Virulent worm targets Microsoft - A new strain of the Mydoom worm could spread more widely than its predecessor warn experts.
28 Jan 04 SMH: Latest [Windows] e-mail virus spreads fast - one of its messages reads: "The message contains Unicode characters and has been sent as a binary attachment."
20 Jan 04 BBC: Bagle virus hides as calculator - Many people in Australia look like they have been caught out by the [Windows] virus
14 Jan 04 BBC: Windows 98 wins support lifeline
4 Dec 03 Apple: Mac OS X 10.3: Firewall Unavailable After (Panther) Upgrade Installation
8 Nov 03 BBC: Users face malicious web attacks - Virus attacks on computers which do damage through HTML in e-mails and websites are set to increase, says a security expert. These security threats exploit vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser.
29 Oct 03 BBC: New Windows virus hits computers + First look at future of Windows + Panther - Apple update to OS X.
17 Oct 03 BBC: Microsoft warns of 'critical' flaws - Software giant Microsoft has warned of seven security flaws in its programs, describing five as "critical" + Odd mishaps cause computer grief - data disasters
20 Sep 03 BBC: Virus poses as Microsoft update. A Windows virus masquerading as a security update from Microsoft is spreading via e-mail
12 Sep 03 BBC: Windows faces fresh web worm woe - Microsoft has discovered new vulnerabilities in Windows
20 Aug 03 BBC: New computer virus hits inboxes Sobig F spreads by e-mail and by exploiting unsecured network links between Windows PCs. (this is another Word virus that generates a sender address at random - someone is sending out infected emails with my address!) + Apple fans snap up 'fastest' Mac.
16 Aug 03: Microsoft have taken over Virtual PC for Mac - errgh!
15 Aug 03 NZ Herald: Spammers hit below men's belts - NZ spammer named - get back at him!? Try to remove your name from one annoying list here.
15 Aug 03 BBC: Wiping out the web worm + Designer's dream desk for i[Mac]-things
12 Aug 03 BBC: Worm blasts across the web - seems that people didn't heed the previous warning about a Windows flaw! CERT advice.
25 Jul 03 BBC: 'Critical' flaw found in Windows - Microsoft is warning about a severe security flaw that affects many people who use Windows. Another good reason to switch to Apple!
16 May 03 SciAm: Self-Repairing Computers
13 May 03 BBC: Sneaky virus spreading rapidly. The mass-mailing worm, dubbed Fizzer, is rapidly infecting computers using the Windows operating system.
11 May 03 BBC: Flaw exposes Microsoft ID service.[MSN security...]
5 May 03 BBC: Experts target junk e-mail. + Students get iPods as study aids.
8 Apr 03: Check the screen snapshot. Open Access 4 running in a window of Windows 98 running in a window of OS X on an iMac? Yes I have abandoned WINTEL and bought an Apple. All my old DOS and Windows programs are running fine and I have all the advantages of the OS X system (a STABLE unix-based platform). The iMac will talk to WINTEL PCs on a LAN but I needed to buy a router in order to have both a cable modem and the LAN working (as I would have with a WINTEL LAN and a cable modem linked by Ethernet). The router has cable and wireless support and so now I can wander around the office with my laptop and stay linked to the LAN - including data on the iMac. My advice is that if you are thinking of upgrading to Windows XP then have a serious look at the eMac and iMac instead. Add Virtual PC (~AU$400) and install your old (unused) Windows (95-XP) and you have a system able to run that "legacy" sofware. You have a choice of running Microsoft Office (again your old unused version) under the Virtual Windows or upgrading to the superior MS Office:Mac for OS X (on special ~AU$400). It will read and write files that are fully compatible with WINTEL Office. Why write this today? Well my old WINTEL PC crashed again and I had to do a c: drive restore using Norton Ghost. Mac OS X links.
28 Mar 03 BBC: Government crackdown on spam.
19 Mar 03 BBC: Software bug bites US military - a flaw in Microsoft's Windows 2000 operating system ... A server operated by the US Army has already been attacked via the security hole.
6 Mar 03 NewSci: Email security flaw triggers global worm watch.
4 Feb 03 BBC: Aggressive net bug makes history - The bug targeted a known flaw in Microsoft's SQL database software.
31 Dec 02 Nature: Browsers go back to the future - Computer scientists have redesigned the way the back button works so that it really can retrace your Internet steps. They have replaced the current stacking system, which only records index pages, with one that records every page in the order it was visited. [Of course, in the days when pages couild be cached, this was what happened. Now that most fancy web pages are created on the fly the caching no longer works efficiently.]
31 Dec 02 BBC: Viruses hit new highs - 2002 saw lots of new harmful programs
21 Nov 02 ABC: Software Sucks - each year bugs in software costs the US economy about $60 US Billion
28 Oct 02: Quick reference guide for JVC DVL series digital video cameras.(16K PDF)
18 Oct 02: OpenAccess in a Novell Network and WinXP Workstations - tip from Alfred Unkrig
4 Oct 02 Command.com: W32/Bugbear.A@mm Worm - a mass-mailing worm that arrives as an email attachment with a randomly generated name. The subject line and the message body of an infected email are also randomly chosen, making this worm potentially hard to identity. The email message may contain an exploit that allows the attachment to run automatically when infected mail is viewed; a patch for this vulnerability is available on the Microsoft site
6 Jul 02: Netscape 7.0 - tips and release notes.
28 Jun 02 Opinion by Michael Paine: There is a sinister development with web page designs that are becoming less and less friendly to Netscape Communicator. The web designers reply that Netscape users comprise less than 5% of surfers these days. I am not so sure about that figure, but that attitude is equivalent to a retail store denying access to customers who are left handed. In case of web pages the trend seems to be to have fancy web pages pages (that unfortunatley won't cache so take ages to reload via modem). My bet is that the most frequently clicked link in the world is now "Skip intro" when those annoying home pages load.
3 Jun 02 BBC: Watch out Windows? - Linux fights back!
28 May 02 Command.com: Jdbgmgr.exe Hoax - The hoax email refers to the file "jdbgmgr.exe", a legitimate file that can be found in your system directory. If you receive an email with an attachment named "jdbgmgr.exe", it may be an actual virus.
17 May 02: Please tell us your experiences with using OA or any DOS software under WIN2000.
21 Apr 02: W32/Klez.H@mm ("Klez") virus. Another virus that exploits Outlook. The email subject and message can vary. Also it seems to be able to create a SENDER from the address book! See Semantec advice.
9 Apr 02 BBC: Why one spam could cost £35 - A 2001 survey by the European Commission estimates that spam costs consumers an estimated $8.8bn a year worldwide just in connection costs.
31 Mar 02 Tip: To check and manage all those programs that load when you start Windows 98+: Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information

29 Jan 02 CERT: W32/Myparty Malicious Code -

com

The .com is NOT an internet address - it is a malicous executable file that affects (infects) systems running

Microsoft Windows

. Update 30 Jan - BBC on to it!

18 Jan 02 BBC: Microsoft to tackle security failings - Bill Gates has declared war on Microsoft's insecure software.
10 Jan 02 BBC: Viruses get flashy - Websites that use animation software to create flashing graphics have become the latest target of virus writers. Anti-virus firm Sophos has received a virus that infects Macromedia's Flash files.
7 Jan 02: Block those annoying pop-up ads.
24 Dec 01 ABC: 'Happy New Year' computer virus heading for Australia - A new virus which targets Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express users could be heading for Australia. Reezak, which first appeared in Europe, appears in in-boxes with the subject line "Hi" and a message that reads "I can't describe my feelings, but all I can say is Happy New Year." Command.com: Keyluc virus.
24 Dec 01 BBC: Fix your Windows, says Microsoft - Microsoft is urging users of its new Windows XP operating system to download a fix for a serious security hole.
21 Dec 01 Command.com: Christmas.exeOutlook worm Subject: Happy New Year.
20 Dec 01 BBC: Microsoft closes browser holes - Microsoft has issued a patch for "critical" security holes in its popular Internet Explorer browser. The software giant said that people should apply the patch "immediately" to protect themselves against malicious hackers. Patch here.
10 Dec 01: The last ever Australian Open Access User Group meeting (well - party!) will be held at Judy Jeffery's house tomorrow night (Tue 11/12) from 6pm. Despite the end of formal meetings we plan to keep this website going indefinitely so keep an eye out for User Group news.
5 Dec 01 BBC: Goner virus causing e-mail havoc - seems to be another Outlook problem.
28 Nov 01 BBC: BadTrans computer virus strikes - attempts to spread by exploiting weaknesses in Microsoft e-mail programs. Apparently just opening the email is enough to get infected.
27 Oct 01 BBC: XP keeps consumers guessing - consumers may balk at paying for XP because it offers them little that they do not do already...Windows XP, even more than earlier versions of the operating system, is a resource hog...so far Microsoft has not provided much information about which older programs will work with Windows XP. As yet it is unclear whether files and documents created using older versions of software packages will work with the new version of Windows.
25 Oct 01 BBC: Microsoft's XP extends reach - Some of the most virulent viruses of recent months, such as Code Red, have exploited weaknesses in programs that run on NT and other versions of Windows. A personal firewall is included with XP, but it is not yet clear how effective it is. Microsoft's seeming inability to produce secure programs could foil its grand strategy. Already the US Computer Incident Advisory Capability has warned about the security problems of XP.
23 Oct 01 Scientific American: When did the term 'computer virus' arise? + VMyths.com
15 Oct 01 CERT: Automatic Execution of Macros - An intruder can include a specially crafted macro in a Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint document that can avoid detection and run automatically regardless of the security settings specified by the user. NOTE:A similar exploit exists for Microsoft Word, however the Microsoft Security patch available in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-034 for Steven McLeod's Microsoft Word macro exploit also protects against this exploit. Symantec urges all Microsoft Word users, who have not applied the patch in MS01-34, immediately download and apply that patch as well for maximum protection.
28 Sep 01 Request from Alfred Unkrig: Have you any Information about the File Header Structure and the Table Structure of OA IV? It would be of great help. Our intention is to write a new Converter from OA

26 Sep 01: Zip files (see downloads) updated to a more recent verison of PKZIP (now supported by WINZIP). The previous versions were created using XTGold and may have caused difficulties.
25 Sep 01 CERT: Hidden file extensions can disguise viruses. I was wondering why some email attachments have odd extensions with two dots such as xxxx.htm.vbs. It turns out they are exploiting yet another flaw in MS Windows. When you select the Windows Explorer preference to "show file extensions" not all are shown. This can disguise a virus-containing attachment. To fix the problem see this advice from CERT.
19 Sep 01Commaand.com: W95/Nimda.A@mm is a new mass-mailing internet worm that is spreading rapidly around the world. It proliferates as an attachment named "readme.exe"; it also has the ability to spread using Internet Information Server (IIS). Also SMH: "Computers can also be infected if users visit a corrupted website" (apparently it exploits a weakness in MS Internet Explorer that automatically runs the attachment - this may be why the virus is spreading so effectively) Update 20 Sep: See also CERT advice: Due to a vulnerability any mail software running on an x86 platform that uses Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 SP1 or earlier (except IE 5.01 SP2) to render the HTML mail automatically runs the enclosed attachment and, as result, infects the machine with the worm. Thus, in vulnerable configurtions, the worm payload will automatically be triggered by simply opening (or previewing) this mail message. As an executable binary, the payload can also be triggered by simply running the attachment. CERT/CC recommends that end user systems disable JavaScript. See our news on 2 Jan 2000 foreshadowing the Javascript problem.
5 Sep 01 Command.com: W95/Apost.A@mm is a mass mailing internet worm written in Visual Basic. It arrives as an attachment to an email that contains the following information:

Subject: As per your request!

Message: Please find attached file for your review.

I look forward to hear from you again very soon. Thank you.

Attachment: readme.exe

14 Aug 01: Meeting tonight at Judy Jeffery's house. One topic will be firewalls!
14 Aug 01 BBC: Hackers make house calls - see 9 Aug 01 below (ZoneAlarm). Usually intention is to infect the PC with a trojan virus.
10 Aug 01 ABC: Quantum computing a leap closer. See our article.
9 Aug 01: The Sircam virus (or a variant) seems to be sweeping around Europe at present. I am receiving many large, infected emails from Europe. Take care! Check out ZoneAlarm firewall software (free for personal use - you will be amazed at how many attempts there are to breach your PC each hour!).
4 Aug 01: New UK website dedicated to Open Access.
30 Jul 01 BBC: Internet's 'very real' virus threat - Yet another breach of Microsoft security. Code Red exploits a vulnerability in internet server software from Microsoft on the companies NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems. Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me users are not affected.Command.com advice.
25 Jul 01 BBC: Sircam virus steals files. Not just Outlook! Command.com advice. This is becoming rampant and is sending huge files to random sites!
9 Jun 01: Next meeting on 12 June at Judy's.
9 Jun 01: Miss World Virus. Yet another Outlook worm virus for the gullible!
31 May 01Command.com: Hoax virus encourages you to delete an important Windows system file (SULFNBK.EXE).
17 May 01: Request from Peter Schmidt (email) "Does anyone have a copy of the installation disks for Open Access II? I'd like to view some old files, however my OA II disks have errors on them, being so old and all. If you've got them and are willing to zip them up and e-mail them tome, I'd be much appreciated"
10 May 01 ABC: New Internet (Homepage) virus spreading quickly around the world. See Command.com. Subject: Homepage / Message: You've got to see this page! It's really cool ;0) / Attachment: homeepage.HTML.vbs. When this attachment is double clicked, the worm is executed and will email a copy of itself to every recipient in Outlook's Address Book.
10 May 01 DFP: Leave it (your PC) on or turn it off? The answer is still elusive.
6 May 01 BBC: Computers burnt by CD software - Computers users have been warned about installing the latest version of one of the most popular CD recording programs. The latest version of Easy CD Creator is causing significant problems for computers using the Windows 2000 operating system. The patch.
3 May 01 BBC: Microsoft warns of 'serious' software hole (Windows 2000 server software). Also When paper clips attack (from May 2000!) - Security experts have found a security hole that could be used by malicious hackers to subvert the paper clip and turn it against users. Tip: to permanently get rid of the paper clip rename the Actors sub-directory in the Microsoft Office/Office folder to, say, XACTORS.
14 Apr 01: More great tips for printing from DOS applications under WIN98. From Steve Hayes, UK. Overcome partial printouts and missing pages.
13 Apr 01 Command.com: Virus alert - W95/BadTrans.A@mm. W95/BadTrans.A@mm is a mass-mailing internet worm with a remote access trojan component. When executed, the worm makes a copy of itself named "inetd.exe" and puts it into the Windows directory. It also drops the trojan file, named "kern32.exe", and a keylogger DLL, named "hksdll.dll", into the Windows System directory. When this process is complete, an "Install Error" box with the message "File data corrupt: probably due to bad transmission or bad disk access" will be displayed. The next time the computer is restarted, the worm will use MAPI to reply to all unread email messages by sending itself as an attachment.
6 Apr 01: Article about using Ghost to backup up a partition (posted June 2000 but mentioned in the latest newsletter - due out next week). Also backup tips from Peter Freeman.
5 Apr 01 New Scientist: Smart buffer - A common write error which trashes CDs is solved. Also Easy writer - Software that turns everyday language into computer code could make us all programmers.
4 Apr 01 DISPI: Open Access we feel ourselves obligated to port the Open Access database standard towards the windows environment. We made an earlier attempt with OAWinBase however we think it is a lot easier for Open Access users all around the world to work with old DF/IF/SMK/PMK structures of the good old Open Access with no conversions needed. Therefore our development team is working on a way to work with the old structures of Open Access. We will produce a new Open Access standard called NOAH.
2 Apr 01 SMH: Glitch in Explorer browser - Microsoft warned customers that its Internet Explorer Web browser had a security flaw that could allow hackers to run programs on another user's computer. The glitch causes Internet Explorer to automatically open specially coded attachments in email without warning, possibly unleashing programs that could do anything from sending users a harmless message to deleting files from their computers, the software company warned. Microsoft has developed a patch that can be downloaded from its Web site.
23 Mar 01 The Age: Mac's new system here at last - More from Apple - software available.
7 Mar 01 AusABC: Destructive "naked wife" email virus rapidly infecting US computers - Recipients get an email that says: "My wife never looks like that" and it contains an attachment, NakedWife.exe, that activates the virus when clicked. Commandcom Virus Alerts.
21 Feb 01: OA4 Forum - Waldbauer Buerotechnik
13 Feb 01: Meeting tonight at Judy Jeffery's house. Sorry there was no newsletter for the December meeting (we partied!).

Great tip from Keith O'Donnell

Get rid of the instant print icon in Word and Excel

13 Feb 01 Yahoo: "Onthefly" Worm Uses Anna Kournikova Ruse.
5 Feb 01 The Australian: Now where did I put my mouse? - PCs can cause memory los XXX loose XXX loss!
3 Feb 01 ABC: Internet users spend a fortune on 'spam' Internet users world-wide are believed to be unwittingly paying $20 billion a year in connection costs to receive junk e-mail, or "spam".
27 Jan 01: Back issues of meeting notes added (Feb, Apr, Jun and Oct 2000)
27 Jan 01: Need to repartition a hard disk without reformatting? Have a look at Partition Manager from Paragon Software. Allows you to break one large partition (drive) into smaller ones. Limited demo version available.
19 Jan 01 BBC: Linux virus infection fears.
9 Dec 2000: German Open Access Online Support Forum updated.
27 Nov 2000: More on the vicious MTX virus. Advice from Command Software Systems - ...a trojan file named "Mtx_.exe" is dropped in the Windows directory, and the following registry key (which runs the trojan each time Windows reboots) is created:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\SystemBackup = \MTX_.EXE

If it detects that an e-mail is being sent, it will immediately send a second e-mail to the same recipient. The second e-mail has no subject and no body; merely an attachment which is randomly picked from a list of names within the code

PIF

SCR

23 Nov 2000: New virulent virus spreading fast. Command Software Systems, Inc. today (www.commandcom.com) warned the public that the software virus known as W95/MTX is spreading more quickly and has the capacity to block users from going to certain anti-virus software vendor Web sites thus preventing access to updates. As

Australian Open Access User Group

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