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The active state of insecurity in shipped software primarily involves network utilities.

Certain network utilities, when enabled, create serious security risks. Many software

products ship with these options enabled. The resulting risks remain until the system

administrator deactivates or properly configures the utility in question.

A good example would be network printing options (the capability of printing over an

Ethernet or the Internet). These options might be enabled in a fresh install, leaving the

system insecure. It is up to the system administrator (or user) to disable these utilities.

However, to disable them, the administrator (or user) must first know of their existence.

You might wonder how a user could be unaware of such utilities. The answer is simple:

Think of your favorite word processor. Just how much do you know about it? If you

routinely write macros in a word-processing environment, you are an advanced user, one

member of a limited class. In contrast, the majority of people use only the basic functions

of word processors: text, tables, spell check, and so forth. There is certainly nothing

wrong with this approach. Nevertheless, most word processors have more advanced

features, which are often missed by casual users.

For example, how many readers who used DOS-based WordPerfect knew that it included

a command-line screen-capture utility? It was called Grab. It grabbed the screen in any

DOS-based program. At the time, that functionality was unheard of in word processors.

The Grab program was extremely powerful when coupled with a sister utility called

Convert, which was used to transform other graphic file formats into *.wpg files, a

format suitable for importation into a WordPerfect document. Both utilities were called

from a command line in the C:WP directory. Neither were directly accessible from within

the WordPerfect environment. So, despite the power of these two utilities, they were not

well known.

Similarly, users might know little about the inner workings of their favorite operating

system. For most, the cost of acquiring such knowledge far exceeds the value. Oh, they

pick up tidbits over the years. Perhaps they read computer periodicals that feature

occasional tips and tricks. Or perhaps they learn because they are required to, at a job or

other official position where extensive training is offered. No matter how they acquire the

knowledge, nearly everyone knows something cool about their operating system.

(Example: the Microsoft programming team easter egg in Windows 95.)

The Microsoft programming team easter egg: The Microsoft programming team easter

egg is a program hidden in the heart of Windows 95. When you enter the correct

keystrokes and undertake the correct actions, this program displays the names of each

programmer responsible for Windows 95. To view that easter egg, perform the following

steps:

1. Right-click the Desktop and choose New|Folder.

2. Name that folder and now the moment you've all been waiting for.

3. Right-click that folder and choose Rename.

4. Rename the folder we proudly present for your viewing pleasure.

5. Right-click the folder and choose Rename.

5. Rename the folder The Microsoft Windows 95 Product Team!.

6. Open that folder by double-clicking it.

The preceding steps will lead to the