Anti Virus software

[Stephen Coates]

If we look at past efforts by Hyoperion of Os3.5 and 3.9 then there will be no security at all. What morons. Great you can go on the web but just don't store any personal information or passwords else you're fcuked.

But do all those hackers out there actually know how to, or even care about hacking os4 os 3.9?

I have used internet quite a lot of 3.9, and the last thing I would want slowing the already very slow web browser down would be security software. In fact, I think that woul be more of a problem on the Amiga than it would be on the PC, which continues to have no security software installed and continues to work flawlessly.

[Harrison]

As usual you fail to see the point in security software Steve. But I am guessing that you actually don't yet use that many sites where you give sensitive data, do you? If you were buying things online using a credit card, doing online banking, buying or selling on ebay or logging into many forums than all of this data is easy for a hacker to obtain from your PC and connection if you have no security software installed. A firewall and malware scanner are essential these days, even more so than a virus checker.

[Stephen Coates]

Well, my bank account still hasn't been emptied, and there is no spyware on the system as I checked it a while ago.

[Harrison]

No way of knowing if your system has been infected since that scan.

And how do you know that someone hasn't stolen your personal details and there is now another Stephen Coates living in luxury somewhere devaluing your credit rating into bankruptcy, until suddenly lots of letters come through your door saying you owe lots of people lots of money?

[Stephen Coates]

Is hacking really a problem on the Amiga these days?

Maybe there is another David Watts using your identity somewhere. No firewall or scanner will protect your identify when you give your details to humans.

[Harrison]

The problem isn't related to the Amiga; internet connection hacking is based on intercepting data through insecure ports. Therefore it doesn't matter which OS or system you are using as a hacker can still intercept unsecured data as it passes through the network.

As for there being another with my name, I fully expect there is as it is surprisingly quite a common name. There were two of us in my own school, and don't forget there is even a song written about me!

Joking aside, yes you can still have your identify stolen outside of the internet. Leaving your name and address on junk mail you throw away can be used by people, but worst is disposing of bank, credit card and utility bill statements in the trash without first shredding them. Of course there are also most sophisticated id cloning methods out there and for those we have less protection. But it is best just to be as safe and security concious as we can be.

[AlexJ]

Joking aside, yes you can still have your identify stolen outside of the internet. Leaving your name and address on junk mail you throw away can be used by people, but worst is disposing of bank, credit card and utility bill statements in the trash without first shredding them.

Actually the worst thing of all for avoiding ID fraud is living in the UK, with our governments disregard for basic IT security.

[J T]

There were two of us in my own school, and don't forget there is even a song written about me!

Is it by Scissor Sisters?