Tea-party convention website attacked

[Twoller]

Originally Posted by wetibbe

Just to keep the record clear, computers are composed of two different basic components of operation. Hardware and soft ware.

The hardware is all of the mechanical, physical components such as the hard drive, CD bay, mother board, ...

Software is basically written programs that send messages to the various hardware making them do whatever is desired. The software sends orders and stores data magnetically on disks.

Software doesn't damage hardware. A hacker cannot send some destructive pulses or bolts of lightning to fry any hardware, ...

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I would have mentioned this myself, except there are some significant exceptions. I don't know what progress is like in motherboard technology. My motherboards are at least three years old. But part of what makes a motherboard work is the BIOS, which is a small programable chip in the motherboard that provides controls and settings for components on the motherboard. You might think of the BIOS as being a computer that manages your computer. It is programmable and therefore capable of reading code that will corrupt it. It is vulnerable to viruses and attacks from the network. You can damage hardware with software, in this case.

And also, while it is not possible to directly corrupt the functioning of other hardware components like the CPU or hard drive, it is possible to direct signals to hardware in order to encourage its failure. Hard drives fail because they can overheat and lock up the bearings on the disks and directing code to a system running 24/7 so that its hard drive never gets a break can cause early failure. CPU's can also be confronted this way.

When you start coming under attack from these areas, you know you have attracted the attention of some seriously rotten people. Or some government.

Originally Posted by wetibbe

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When a person buys a new computer with factory installed software they don't get the disk for whatever is installed. So in order to repair - they must buy new disks IF they fail to make the recommended recovery and systems disks as recommended.

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Is that right? The company no longer issues a recovery disk? It is no longer possible to reinstall the operating system on a store bought computer? I have never owned a company manufactured computer (except a couple of old Apples). And never will, by the way. And laptops being the exception here. You can't build your own laptop.

[wetibbe]

Twoller

While I can emphasize with your opinion there isn't any DIRECT correlation between software damage or ardware. Software instructions may direct hardware to wear itself out but it doesn't translate directly.

After sale Windows software can be installed. The thrust was to highlight that buyers of packaged software do not have a use ...

[Twoller]

Originally Posted by wetibbe

Twoller

While I can emphasize with your opinion there isn't any DIRECT correlation between software damage or ardware. Software instructions may direct hardware to wear itself out but it doesn't translate directly.

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To really highlight the vulnerability of motherboards, some BIOS have anti-virus software integrated into the BIOS. You can upgrade the BIOS using software loaded from a disk.

Here's a little tidbit ... The BIOS or firmware on my TV set needed upgrading. I contacted Panasonic who sent me a little USB gizmo that upgraded the firmware by receiving a broadcast signal. I was obliged to send it back when I was done. Is that cool or what? And maybe a little scary. I'd just as soon not have my television set able to communicate via radio without me knowing how or why.