Administrator Tip: Blocking spyware via the ActiveX kill bit

[SearchWin2000.com]

Title: Administrator Tips

June 09, 2004 Published by  SearchWin2000.com Administrator Tips Issue Sponsored By:   > RTO Software   > New Boundary Technologies IN THIS ISSUE:   > Blocking spyware via the ActiveX kill bit   > Use crash dumps to troubleshoot hardware/OS issues   > Patch management is a shared burden, research finds   > Auditing changes to the registry   > Unconsummated Microsoft-SAP merger sets industry abuzz RTO Software RTO Software would like to invite you to download the free white paper: "Conquering Rogue Application Behavior in a Terminal Server Environment" to learn how you can beat the plague of rogue applications to boost end user satisfaction (SLA). Explore the technology hundreds of IT Managers have deployed (TScale) to get up to 30% or more additional concurrent users per server while controlling application behavior! Click Here to get your free copy today! Blocking spyware via the ActiveX kill bit [Serdar Yegulalp] Administrators trying to come up with a proactive way to block spyware from infesting workstations often have to make difficult choices. Restricting the functionality of IE to prevent spyware from taking root can be cumbersome. Third-party programs require installation and maintenance to be useful. Switching to another browser doesn't always resolve the problem, either, as there are now breeds of spyware that operate through Netscape/Mozilla as well. Check out this registry hack which solves the problem without IE changes. Use crash dumps to troubleshoot hardware/OS issues [Serdar Yegulalp] When Windows 2000 and XP encounter a serious system problem, the result is what has become known as the "Blue Screen of Death" or BSOD -- a screen of white text on a blue background that provides information about why the system crashed. Microsoft introduced a special function into the PS/2 keyboard mouse driver that allows the user to manually initiate a BSOD / dump action. Patch management is a shared burden, research finds [Jack Loftus] A Burton Group study finds that when it comes to protecting enterprise IT systems, patching is only part of the solution. Auditing changes to the registry [Serdar Yegulalp] In certain environments you may want to track user-made changes to the registry without explicitly forbidding them. One way to do this is through Windows' own built-in registry auditing function, which logs any registry changes (or accesses) made by a user to the system log. TOPICS: Welcome to the Blooper Zone The May Blooper contest is over and we have a winner! A.S., a former technical support person from Illinois, snagged the top spot. Read his and other hilarious stories here! TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR NETWORK! Register now to read "The Administrator Shortcut Guide to Patch Management," a new eBook sponsored by New Boundary Technologies. Find out how patch management can help secure your network, improve IT efficiency and keep your organization productive. Register now NEWS: Unconsummated Microsoft-SAP merger sets industry abuzz Software industry analysts and legal experts watching the Oracle antitrust case debate the impact of news that Microsoft and SAP talked about a possible merger last year. TOPICS: June Tip Contest: Win a Rio Cali 128 MB sport MP3 player! Have you been thinking about participating in one of our monthly tip contests? Start fresh in June and get your Windows-related IT tips submitted early for a crack at this month's awesome prize: a Rio Cali 128 MB sport MP3 player! Contact Us Sales For sales inquiries, please contact us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Editorial For feedback about any of our articles or to send us your article ideas, please contact us at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Free E-Newsletters! Select e-newsletters you would like to receive via e-mail! SearchWin2000: Active Directory Tip Not a Member? We'll activate your membership with your subscription. ABOUT THIS E-NEWSLETTER This e-newsletter is published by SearchWin2000.com, a targeted Web site from TechTarget, the most targeted IT media and events company. Copyright 2004 TechTarget. All rights reserved. To unsubscribe from "Administrator Tips": Go to unsubscribe: http://searchWin2000.techtarget.com/u?track=NL-120 Please note, unsubscribe requests may take up to 24 hours to process; you may receive additional mailings during that time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent when your request has been successfully processed. Contact Us: SearchWin2000 MemberServices 117 Kendrick Street, Suite 800 Needham, MA 02494