[TriLUG] O.T.--Anybody know if those WebTV boxes are immune to virus attacks?

[Jeff Tickle]

I do believe Microsoft owns WebTV now... but a WebTV is a lot different
from a computer, and is therefore immune to Windows viruses in the same
way that Linux is immune to Windows viruses; they just don't know how to
execute.

That being said, the WebTV software is written by Microsoft, which
doesn't exaclty have a good security history.  So, there could possibly
be WebTV viruses out there, but none that I've heard of.

But as far as the common viruses that you hear of bringing down
corporate networks and such, no.  Even if WebTV has something like
"Internet Explorer, WebTV edition," the viral code simply isn't
executable on that architecture.

I hope this is a bit comforting, but there could be something I don't
know about.

-Jeff

On Mon, 2004-08-02 at 20:51, ALFRED JOHNSON wrote:
>     We have a cousin in our family who communicates with us via a WebTV 
> box. She wanted to know if her WebTV machine could get infected with a 
> computer virus. I believe that that box has Microsoft software in it, 
> but otherwise I don't know anything about it.--- Al Johnson.
-- 
Jeff Tickle

http://www.jtsoft.net
Security and Digital Video Solutions
Nikken Independent Wellness Consultant
Probably some other stuff, too!