Some, though, are out to dump the electronic basket of drivers license applications, out to destroy data and hard drives. It's not always possible to tell which are which until they begin to operate, said Pam Homan, who coordinates technology for the Sioux Falls School District. I think things are pretty secure, and we've come through the recent viruses all right. The key thing is, the greater freedom we have and the greater our ability to reach out for information that is beneficial, the more we are vulnerable. Helpful warnings Network specialists for the school system direct efforts to update virus-fighting software, she said.
Vendors are diligent about warning of coming virus attacks and worms, too.
The manager of the Sanborn Telephone Cooperative, an Internet service provider, also praises the way the people who sell software and services jump to warn of coming attacks on the system. Someday in the near future, I expect we'll see filters that automatically eliminate both offensive sites, like pornographic Web pages, and new viruses. That will probably slow things down just a little, because traffic will go through another server, but it would be convenient and secure. Kroell says he's never understood the motive behind the computer vandalism, and he can't understand the people who create worms and viruses. It's senseless, and it's time consuming for the person who is hit.