Sept ’03: “I’ve never seen Microsoft send patches out to everyone via e-mail… learn more about how you can help protect your computer.”
Mitch Tulloch: Is This Security Alert Really from Microsoft?
Of course, not every email that arrives in your inbox and purports to be from Microsoft is actually from Microsoft.
The bottom line is that owning and using a computer is slightly more complex than just dropping some dough at CompUSA and rolling a mouse around.
Sure, we don’t have rogue bands of idiots sneaking around and sabatoging automobiles in driveways, but there are precautions you need to take with a car to keep yourself and your family safe. You wear seatbelts, observe and obey traffic control devices, change the oil every 3,000 miles, inspect the tires for wear, lock the doors when you park on the street, etc. Computers are only slightly different.
You don’t drive your kids through “the bad part of town” with your windows open and doors unlocked. On the Internet, just remember, it’s tough to tell which click will take you through “the bad part of town.” That dosen’t mean you don’t drive, just that you keep your doors locked and eyes open.