DoctorBill wrote:
Rickles wrote:
 DoctorBill wrote:
 Paul B. Gallagher wrote:
 DoctorBill wrote:

 Using SeaMonkey 2.6.1 now.

 I am in the process of trying to remove an infection of some Gawd Awful
 Trojan or Virus called "XP Security 2012" that got into my system.

 In looking up methods to remove it, I went to
 http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
 for help.

 One of the sites I was told to go for help says to disable the use of a
 PROXY SERVER....
 "Click the radio button labeled "No proxy". Click "OK" twice. This will
 remove the proxy server settings in Firefox."

 I presume that goes for SeaMonkey also....(?)

 I looked up what a 'proxy server' is....is it necessary to use one when
 on the web in SM 2.6.1 ?

 Not at all. Depending on my ISP, at various times I've used/not used
 proxies and SM never cared either way.

 You can set this for the whole system through Control Panel | Internet
 Options | Connections | LAN Settings, but SM also has an override
 function at Edit | Preferences | Advanced | Proxies where you can accept
 the system settings or not.


 It is not whether SeaMonkey cares or not - does using a "Proxy" open up
 one's computer to being invaded more easily ?

 Is using a "Proxy" like using a servant of the oldest profession on
 Earth and almost surely getting a "Virus" ?

 Who/What is the "Proxy" ? - Who/Whatever is next in line ?

 What MASTER does the "Proxy" answer to ?

 Is the "Proxy" loaded with viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits, dialers,
 spyware, and malware of every kind ?

 How do you know ?

 Who do you call ? Ghostbusters ? lol

 DoctorBill

 A proxy is a sort-of beefed-up firewall. It works like this:
 *-a firewall prevents unaithorised/attacking traffic getting to you by
 denying/ignoring it, but your web request traffic in/out is still your
 traffic. Your request traffic goes through the firewall out to the web,
 and the answers are allowed back in to your PC.

 *-a proxy is still a firewall as regards attacking traffic, but it
 impersonates your PC on the internet for your traffic, which means the
 internet thinks the proxy is the PC asking for the web page. Your
 request traffic goes to the proxy, the proxy requests the web page. The
 proxy receives the answer traffic back, checks it over, and then relays
 back to your PC after deciding that it's safe to do so.

 The differences are down to how the internet traffic is handled, going
 out and coming back in. It's not less secure, it's more secure. But most
 home-based routers with firewalls built-in are just firewalls as opposed
 to proxys. If you haven't bought one and set it up, or had someone set
 it up for you, you haven't got a proxy.

 As previously posted, there is more than one way to configure the
 traffic, if you need to.

OK - now I AM confused....

I do not have a firewall set up - unless XP has one from MicroSoft. (?)
Never bought one.  I use AVG Free as a virus checker.

How much money can one spend to buy a Firewall, a virus checker, a
Maleware Program, etc, etc, etc ?

If I toggle the use of a Proxy on Preferences | Advanced | Proxies,
then a "Proxy" is assigned to me by some unknown 'whatever' - yes?

I mean - where or how is this "Proxy" set up - by some random internet
process in some unknown place ?  China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan ?

All this is complex - but seems totally out of control (at my end) and
looks like each of us is at the 'mercy' of some anonymous benefactor
'out there' in the great electronic wilderness called the Internet.

Who is running the show, may I ask ?

Bewildering !

DoctorBill

I use Online Armor (free) for my firewall. There are others. I use Avira free antivirus. The only problem with a free antivirus is that it pops up every day wanting you to buy the "better" one. But I never do. Never had a virus, worm or trojan so far. Fingers crossed. Never had a proxy server either, just a home network which requires a password to log onto.

--
Gerald Ross

The man who ain't got an enemy is
really poor.--Josh Billings






_______________________________________________
support-seamonkey mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/support-seamonkey

Reply via email to