AOL Offers Security Tool - Active Security Monitor

AOL Offers Security Tool

Free diagnostic tool checks security settings of PCs and home
networks.

Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service
Thursday, June 08, 2006

AOL plans to release today a free application that checks the security
software and settings of PCs and home networks and lets users know
about vulnerabilities it detects.

Called Active Security Monitor, the diagnostic tool is available as a
free download. Users don't need to be AOL subscribers to download the
application.

If the tool is installed on a PC that belongs to a home network, the
tool can also check the network's security configuration and report
its findings to the user.

If all PCs on a home network are outfitted with Active Security
Monitor, the application is also able to provide a comprehensive
snapshot of the general security status of every PC and the network in
a single dashboard-type interface.

Independent Assessment

"This application is designed to give users a good, independent
assessment of their overall security situation," said John McKinley,
president of AOL Digital Services.

The tool is designed to help users keep their security applications
updated and their system's security settings properly configured, he
said.

This is increasingly complicated, because users have to keep track of
a growing variety of security applications, including antivirus
software, security patches, spyware catchers, and firewalls. "You're
only as strong as your weakest link," he said.

By default, the application does a security survey once every day, but
users can modify this to run more often, he said. AOL had been beta
testing Active Security Monitor since mid-May.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/..._dnxnws,00.asp

==
"You have enemies? Good! That means you've stood up for something in your life."
-- Winston Churchill
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Ablang

Ablang wrote:

> This is increasingly complicated, because users have to keep track of
> a growing variety of security applications, including antivirus
> software, security patches, spyware catchers, and firewalls. "You're
> only as strong as your weakest link," he said.

Now, they don't. They really need security patches, but that's it. BTW,
what exactly is a spyware catcher? Is is something that gives you a
decent warning when installing Skype?

Sebastian Gottschalk

Might want to take a look at their "EUL" first, more crap in there then
you can shake a stick at.. I turned it down Gimpy



"Ablang" <> wrote in message
news:...
> AOL Offers Security Tool
>
> Free diagnostic tool checks security settings of PCs and home
> networks.
>
> Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service
> Thursday, June 08, 2006
>
> AOL plans to release today a free application that checks the security
> software and settings of PCs and home networks and lets users know
> about vulnerabilities it detects.
>
> Called Active Security Monitor, the diagnostic tool is available as a
> free download. Users don't need to be AOL subscribers to download the
> application.
>
> If the tool is installed on a PC that belongs to a home network, the
> tool can also check the network's security configuration and report
> its findings to the user.
>
> If all PCs on a home network are outfitted with Active Security
> Monitor, the application is also able to provide a comprehensive
> snapshot of the general security status of every PC and the network in
> a single dashboard-type interface.
>
> Independent Assessment
>
> "This application is designed to give users a good, independent
> assessment of their overall security situation," said John McKinley,
> president of AOL Digital Services.
>
> The tool is designed to help users keep their security applications
> updated and their system's security settings properly configured, he
> said.
>
> This is increasingly complicated, because users have to keep track of
> a growing variety of security applications, including antivirus
> software, security patches, spyware catchers, and firewalls. "You're
> only as strong as your weakest link," he said.
>
> By default, the application does a security survey once every day, but
> users can modify this to run more often, he said. AOL had been beta
> testing Active Security Monitor since mid-May.
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/..._dnxnws,00.asp
>
> ==
> "You have enemies? Good! That means you've stood up for something in
> your life."
> -- Winston Churchill
> _________________________________________
> Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server
> More than 140,000 groups
> Unlimited download
> http://www.usenetzone.com to open account

Gimpy