Hi Carol,
We definitely don't allow any executable files to run for precisely the
reasons your corporate team give you. I think I'd run a mile before giving
the general public permission to run executable files on our PN clients.
Some customers would be caught out in all innocence, but there'd be that
nasty small core of people glad of teh opportunity for a bit of malicious
fun (the same herberts who steal the balls from mice and try to get around
the filter so that they can save rude pictures as desktop wallpaper). Many
years ago (pre-People's Network) I was responsible for some internet
workstations and one temporarily didn't have this block on. It was available
to the public for one morning and then we spent two days disinfecting the
viruses from it. Luckily in those days viruses were relatively uncommon and
not very sophisticated and there's only so much can get downloaded quickly
from a dial-up line. With viruses, Trojans, spyware and the like rife these
days I wouldn't like to risk it on a shared PC.
One of those ones where the probable consequences to the many outweigh the
possible benefits to the few, IMHO.
Steven
Steven Heywood
Systems Manager
Rochdale Library Service
Wheatsheaf Library
Baillie Street
Rochdale OL16 1JZ
Tel: (01706) 864967
[log in to unmask]
http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/libraries
-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Woolley [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 23 May 2005 16:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Downloading on PN machines
We currently use filtering software on our PC's and one of the things we
have decided to block is the downloading of EXE (Programme)files. We have
recently had a number of complaints from the public about this as some
sites such as timetabling sites have strated to use an EXE file to create
a search page. Our Corporate team don't want us to unblock EXE files, as
they fear a virus could get into the network- does anyone else allow EXE
files to be downloaded, and has it caused any problems,
Thanks
Carol
Carol Woolley B.Lib.(Hons) MCLIP MCMI
Service Development Manager
Information/ICT, Training, Marketing, & Reader Development.
Worcestershire Library and Information Service,
Libraries Development Team, Sherwood Lane, Lower Wick, Worcester. WR2 4NU.
Tel. 01905 428945
Fax. 01905 748619
Email. [log in to unmask]
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