Security Garden Spolight -- Sandi Hardmeier

Without a doubt, it is time to turn the spotlight on Sandi Hardmeier. Sandi has been a Microsoft MVP since 1999, specializing in Internet Explorer and Outlook express. However, Sandi does not limit her activities there. She also has a strong interest in security and expends considerable energy in that area.

One area in particular that Sandi is known for is her vehemence when it comes to the Messenger Plus! Sponsor Program. Most particularly, she has devoted considerable energy publicizing dangers such as Winfixer that the Messenger Plus! Sponsor Program has been exposing its users to for quite some time. Examples of Sandi's testing and screen shots can be found in her articles published December 17, December 15, December 12, November 12, June 30, June 26, June 25 and April 7.

Major credit belongs to Sandi for her diligent efforts in documenting and publicizing this issue. Through those efforts, as well as her "nagging" the MessengerPlus! developer, Sandi reported that Circle Development has edited the HOSTS file on machines that are running the Messenger Plus! Sponsor Program to block many Winfixer related URLs! This is most definitely a step in the right direction.

If you do not know Sandi, you can find her not only at her blog, Spyware Sucks, but also at her website devoted to IE7, located at IE-Vista. Sandi's original site, devoted to Internet Explorer, remains a valuable resource.

Sandi, it is certainly people like YOU who seriously fit the description of the Time "Person of the Year" for 2006. For anyone interested in joining in the celebration of the Time award and want to take up blogging, Sandi can help you with that too. See Sandi's article, Blogging 101.