Comments on: The World of Free Software http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/ Bring your PC back to life Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:05:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Cindy Breeze http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-9838 Cindy Breeze Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:17:04 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-9838 Bruce and Dan, I work for IT also. One of the main reasons we buy our software is for support. Even though some free Software may be superior to paid software we know when we have an support agreement we are able to get someone to help us when we have an issue. If we find the company is not providing the support paid for, we research for another software that provides better support service. When you are dealing with complicated systems which need to provide many types of services and software, you will run into many technical issues and you need an army of experts to help resolve them. Bruce and Dan,

I work for IT also. One of the main reasons we buy our software is for support. Even though some free Software may be superior to paid software we know when we have an support agreement we are able to get someone to help us when we have an issue. If we find the company is not providing the support paid for, we research for another software that provides better support service. When you are dealing with complicated systems which need to provide many types of services and software, you will run into many technical issues and you need an army of experts to help resolve them.

]]> By: BM http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6634 BM Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:31:02 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6634 Contrary to what you said about the script kiddie damaging a windows system I can shut down viruses, trojans, ect through the windows taks manager. What that means is that I can remove a virus by hand which I believe that can't be done on Linux. In fact if I know where a visus is at I prefer to remove it by hand instead of the antivirus. Javascript can be disabled in internet explorer as well. In a windows operating system I can also undo the damager by usig system restore which I don't believe you can. Bruce IT experts have to deal with security ever day so be careful what you say to Dan because I can tell that you know nothing of Windows. Contrary to what you said about the script kiddie damaging a windows system I can shut down viruses, trojans, ect through the windows taks manager. What that means is that I can remove a virus by hand which I believe that can't be done on Linux. In fact if I know where a visus is at I prefer to remove it by hand instead of the antivirus. Javascript can be disabled in internet explorer as well. In a windows operating system I can also undo the damager by usig system restore which I don't believe you can. Bruce IT experts have to deal with security ever day so be careful what you say to Dan because I can tell that you know nothing of Windows.

]]> By: BM http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6633 BM Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:19:28 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6633 That's true if you never download anything. When I download anything from the internet I always save the program file to my desktop and than scan the file with my antivirus. I switched to Avast by the way to see if AVG missed anything and sure enough AVG did. I'm never going back to AVG. Don't take this personally Bruce, but I'd like to ask you a question. Were the computers damaged as if by accident? That's totally relevant to your story by the way. It's very easy to damage a system in process by a hack and only an experienced hacker knows how to avoid that. Unlike some people I value my customer's data enough to do anything it takes to avoid hacks. I'm not scared by that way. I just feel exposing my network to the world isn't worth risk of my customer's credit card numbers being stolen. Companies are having sensitive information being stolen and I wonder why. That's true if you never download anything. When I download anything from the internet I always save the program file to my desktop and than scan the file with my antivirus. I switched to Avast by the way to see if AVG missed anything and sure enough AVG did. I'm never going back to AVG. Don't take this personally Bruce, but I'd like to ask you a question. Were the computers damaged as if by accident? That's totally relevant to your story by the way. It's very easy to damage a system in process by a hack and only an experienced hacker knows how to avoid that. Unlike some people I value my customer's data enough to do anything it takes to avoid hacks. I'm not scared by that way. I just feel exposing my network to the world isn't worth risk of my customer's credit card numbers being stolen. Companies are having sensitive information being stolen and I wonder why.

]]> By: Duane F Wright http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6591 Duane F Wright Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:09:28 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6591 I think it's funny how everybody brags about how good there anti virus software is( paid for or not) I for one, can understand why someone would think there software is great. I have not used anti virus or third party firewalls in six years, and have NEVER, EVER got a virus. Spy ware is handled nicely by Windows Defender. I run Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware(free)and it never finds anything either. No wonder they work so well... You don't need 'em... I think it's funny how everybody brags about how good there anti virus software is( paid for or not) I for one, can understand why someone would think there software is great. I have not used anti virus or third party firewalls in six years, and have NEVER, EVER got a virus. Spy ware is handled nicely by Windows Defender. I run Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware(free)and it never finds anything either. No wonder they work so well… You don't need 'em…

]]> By: mueller[roger] http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6425 mueller[roger] Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:27:36 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6425 free? NOTHING is free! free? NOTHING is free!

]]> By: BM http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6224 BM Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:23:36 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6224 I suppose you program to error handling and handle buffer overflow properly? Buffer flow is a programming security issue by the way. I suppose you program to error handling and handle buffer overflow properly? Buffer flow is a programming security issue by the way.

]]> By: A Treasure Trove of Cool Info Tidbits : Aquarius Advisers http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6221 A Treasure Trove of Cool Info Tidbits : Aquarius Advisers Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:11:19 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6221 [...] by far is the most popular free software on the market, installed on 35 percent of PCs, with AVG antivirus product in second place at 26 [...] [...] by far is the most popular free software on the market, installed on 35 percent of PCs, with AVG antivirus product in second place at 26 [...]

]]> By: Tassie Bryan http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6208 Tassie Bryan Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:33:43 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6208 The freebies I use are Zone Alarm (5.5.094)- works great and have never needed to upgrade, Avira, Spybot S&D, WinPatrol, Spyware Blaster, Webshots, Foxit reader (a million times quicker than Adobe for pdf files), ZipGenius 6, Fresh UI and Fresh Download, CCleaner, System Security Suite, O&O defrag 2000(windows defrag is useless) and many more. My AMD athlon 900 (don't laugh) running XP SP2 hasn't had a virus or bug for years. I tried Firefox 3, but in all honesty, IE6 works better and faster for me. The freebies I use are Zone Alarm (5.5.094)- works great and have never needed to upgrade, Avira, Spybot S&D, WinPatrol, Spyware Blaster, Webshots, Foxit reader (a million times quicker than Adobe for pdf files), ZipGenius 6, Fresh UI and Fresh Download, CCleaner, System Security Suite, O&O defrag 2000(windows defrag is useless) and many more. My AMD athlon 900 (don't laugh) running XP SP2 hasn't had a virus or bug for years. I tried Firefox 3, but in all honesty, IE6 works better and faster for me.

]]> By: Bruce http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6191 Bruce Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:09:24 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6191 Bobbmp, I am not sure what site you went to but Open Office is indeed free. http://download.openoffice.org/ Bobbmp,

I am not sure what site you went to but Open Office is indeed free.

http://download.openoffice.org/

]]> By: Bruce http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2009/01/27/the-world-of-free-software/#comment-6181 Bruce Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:38:35 +0000 http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/?p=4991#comment-6181 A good hacker is capable of many things and hacking most systems given enough time. That said, it takes an experienced and very skilled "hacker" to exploit an open source system. Any script kiddie can exploit a windows/proprietary system lol That would be because an open source system is inherently more secure, patches 100 times faster and they are released before an exploit occurs. Closed code leaves you at the mercy of the hundreds of thousands of exploits out there because holes are not patched by the proprietary systems, and worse because people can't see the code patches can't be produced by anyone other then the company that made the software leaving it wide open to anyone and anything. I personally am not afraid to set up servers that have access to the real world outside of my local network. I am confident of the integrity and security of my systems. SSH is currently running and accepts secure connections from outside my local network, and a secure https server running a mysql database. Been running these services for years. At last years hackfest, three machines were set up, only one was left standing when it was all over. These are some of the best hackers in the world. One system was left standing. A good hacker is capable of many things and hacking most systems given enough time.

That said, it takes an experienced and very skilled "hacker" to exploit an open source system.

Any script kiddie can exploit a windows/proprietary system lol

That would be because an open source system is inherently more secure, patches 100 times faster and they are released before an exploit occurs.

Closed code leaves you at the mercy of the hundreds of thousands of exploits out there because holes are not patched by the proprietary systems, and worse because people can't see the code patches can't be produced by anyone other then the company that made the software leaving it wide open to anyone and anything.

I personally am not afraid to set up servers that have access to the real world outside of my local network. I am confident of the integrity and security of my systems.

SSH is currently running and accepts secure connections from outside my local network, and a secure https server running a mysql database.

Been running these services for years.

At last years hackfest, three machines were set up, only one was left standing when it was all over. These are some of the best hackers in the world. One system was left standing.

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