Secure Or Not?

My OS is Windows ME. I am using a cable modem with a etherfast cable/dsl router plus I have Zone Alarm Pro on my computer.

I was just on a website (blogger.com) and was checking into doing something like that. I was looking at new blogs and one had an ad that popped up behind it. It was for something like Tracks Eraser - clean up your "tracks ". I closed the ad only for it to pop up with a window that said:

WARNING: Privacy Protection Software NOT DETECTED
Your Internet habits are being recorded.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRIVACY PROTECTION SOFTWARE


---- and in this space was a picture of the folders of my hard drive-


65.27.230.101 - Privacy Protection Software NOT DETECTED

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRIVACY PROTECTION SOFTWARE!






Now how in the heck can I stop someone from doing something like that? And what use is a firewall if they can do that?


Thanks in advance for your replies.

JETS

 

I can't remember where I heard/read this but this is a scare tactic to get you to by "security" software that doesn't realy do much of anything other than lighten your wallet.

Displaying the contents of your C: drive is a fairly simple JavaScript which no anti-virus software or firewall will even look for. This is not a problem because this script (see below) cannot display the contents of a remote computer's hard drive. In other words, the author of this script will view his or her own C: drive contents every time they execute this on their computer and will never be able to view yours, mine or anyone else's.

Here's the script that does the "dirty" work:


<script language= "javascript ">
if (navigator.appName== "Netscape" && navigator.appVersion.split( ". ")[0]==4)
{
document.write(" ");
}
else
{
document.write( "<p align='left'><iframe src='file:///C:/' height=300 width=500 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no frameborder=0 vspace=2></iframe></p> ");
}
</script>

 

Your setup is probably perfectly secure; all the popup ad did (in addition to the process which Scott has correctly described) was to display your IP address which is visible to evey web page that you visit and is nothing to be concerned about.

There a similar ad popping up (excuse the pun) for a "firewall" called internetALERT, brought to you courtesy of the makers of the delightful BonziBuddy, which is available - for a limited time only - for the low, low price of only $49 per year (don't all rush at once!). Here's the text:-

This ad is actually even more obnoxious as it's accompanied by a dialogue box which reads something along the lines of, "Click here to install internetALERT" and then presents you with nothing other than an OK button!!! BTW clicking OK does NOT actually result in the installation of the POS!!!

This type of invasive, scaremongering advertising does, alas, appear to be becoming increasingly common. Ignore it. Totally. Or install some for of popup blocker so that you do not see it at all!!!

If you want to run your browser through some privacy tests, look
here.

 

Thanks to both of you for the info.

I will ignore the ads and surf in peace.