Here we go again....(Facebook virus)

[Default]

the Koobface worm is making the rounds again, this time as freddy49.exe.
Spreads by email from a compromised account directing you to a fake Youtube site where it indicates that you need a flash update. You download it, click install and then are officially boned.

I just spent a total of 5 hours of virus scanning plus hunting through the file system and registry. 246 infected files. Son's computer.
:x

 

[Graham]

Thanks for the heads up Steve.

 

[capnjuan]

Thanks Steve ... ugh!

 

[Bikerdoc]

Another warning just in from Microsoft which I read in the newspaper today is a fix they haven't been able to make on a vulnerability to those who use Internet Explorer with the XP operating system. Seems microsoft wants us to go to their site and learn how to "turn off" some part of their software until they get the fix to keep hackers from accessing our computers. I've switched to Firefox instead.
It never ceases to amaze me that people (hackers) have such an urge to make lives miserable.
Peace

 

[danerectal]

Hackers clearly have intentions that go far beyond our misery. A good amount of sensitive information passes through the average consumer's home machine. Once that information is compromised, the real inconvenience begins. :x

 

[capnjuan]

... It never ceases to amaze me that people (hackers) have such an urge to make lives miserable. Peace

Hi Doc; or that MicroSoft can't figure out how to make its Operating Systems bulletproof before they sell them to the public. The usual sequence has been that once they get the bugs out and patches on, it's time to roll out another OS ... with new bugs ... and new vulnerabilities. :evil: :wink: John

 

[Frosty]

... or that MicroSoft can't figure out how to make its Operating Systems bulletproof before they sell them to the public.

I think it's a deliberate part of the MSFT business model. I can think of a few companies will well-engineered and robust products that are no longer in business... they lost market share to other companies who better understood marketing and the manipulation of consumers.

My $.02 on the topic!

 

[capnjuan]

... or that MicroSoft can't figure out how to make its Operating Systems bulletproof before they sell them to the public.

I think it's a deliberate part of the MSFT business model. I can think of a few companies will well-engineered and robust products that are no longer in business... they lost market share to other companies who better understood marketing and the manipulation of consumers. My $.02 on the topic!

A couple of years ago, I had a root canal done; the guy had this killer app compiling 3D, x-rays, TV tooth pics (sorry, couldn't think of a better way to say it). He and a couple of partners had developed the app and were marketing it to other practicioners in his field. Anyway, it ran under Windows (version unknown). At some point, we'll all get to the fateful junction; ever-increasing dependency by all kinds of people on MS products v. the decline of MS and their swiss-cheese OSs ... will they too be considered too big to fail? What happens when app developers no longer have MS or Apple OSs to write for and instead there are 7, 8, or 9 OSs? I'm doing everything I can not to rant about WinMe ... ( :evil: :evil: ) ... and they used to talk about planned obsolescence in connection with US cars and other consumer products ... I don't think the message was lost on The Bill.

 

[Frosty]

...What happens when app developers no longer have MS or Apple OSs to write for and instead there are 7, 8, or 9 OSs?...

Well, note the prevalence of Java apps - the so-called "machine independent" JVM. Of course, that was a spec from Sun, right? We wouldn't be surprise to see Redmond create a "new standard" would we? :wink: Dot net what now?

 

[fronobulax]

I think it's a deliberate part of the MSFT business model.

All we need is a legal framework that actually holds software producers financially responsible for their products and that will change. To put it another way, Microsoft and others have no financial incentive to improve security.

(Hopefully I'm just paraphrasing security guru Bruce Schneier whose opinions and suggestions make a lot of sense to me).

 

[Graham]

I think it's a deliberate part of the MSFT business model.

All we need is a legal framework that actually holds software producers financially responsible for their products and that will change. To put it another way, Microsoft and others have no financial incentive to improve security.

Not to defend MS or anyone else in that business, but there are always elements in society that work to punch holes in anything. Most manufacturers/producers/creators are going to have to be reactive to the holes that are made. They don't always think like criminals.

 

[capnjuan]

.... Most manufacturers/producers/creators are going to have to be reactive to the holes that are made. They don't always think like criminals.

Hi Graham; I guess I mean this more as ranting than I do argument with you but the problem is that MS has historically rushed PC OSs to the market before they were finished. It being a probable fact that you can write 80% of the code in 20% of the time [by pirating/modifying useful parts of existing OSs] but the finishing stuff; finding/eliminating bugs and security weaknesses and working on crash resistance ... the 20% part ... due to its tedious nature takes 80% of the time/money ... and we certainly wouldn't want MS running over its production budget. They routinely set unmeetable deadlines and when development falls behind schedule, they rush the stuff out anyway and rely on streaming patches, fixes, and repairs to users.

Further, they've sort of given up on the anti-poo thing; why should they bother if Norton, TrendMicro, and AVG are covering the anti-poo waterfront ... let them worry about it. Finally, if MS ever developed a stable, bullet-proof OS, their sales would slow down because all people would ever need would be a copy of WinMiracle OS ... I'm saying it's unfortunately in their economic interests to have users like proverbial squirrels (or beavers au Canada) running in cages ... endlessly buying/upgrading OSs; Win95, Win98, WinMe, XPee, Vista ... I've heard the next OS will be called MS BoneYa'gain :evil: ... there ... I feel better now. :wink: John

 

[Graham]

I agree that they have rushed their programs out and they have eliminated or drastically reduced their programmers from doing the minute details allowing them instead to "copy and paste" much code to speed things up, but they will always be playing catch up to the hacks and spammers.

Could MS do more? Absolutely!

Will they be bullet proof? No!

Is it a make work project? Sure, why not? :shock: :twisted:

 

[capnjuan]

... Is it a make work project? Sure, why not? :shock: :twisted:

They's bastids :evil: :wink:

 

[Graham]

... Is it a make work project? Sure, why not? :shock: :twisted:

They's bastids :evil: :wink:

And we're addicts.

 

[capnjuan]

... Is it a make work project? Sure, why not? :shock: :twisted:

They's bastids :evil: :wink:

And we're addicts.

Well ... to some degree, but captive market is somewhat more accurate. Nine years ago, I bypassed the WinMe/XPee upgrade roadblock by going to NT-based Win2000. Now MS no longer supports Win2000; for example, the current version of IE won't run on a Win2000 machine. More and more websites are giving me grief because I have an out-of-date version of IE; that is, they want to see a particular ActiveX app that's not written for Win2000. Yes, I could go to Mozilla for casual infotainment and probably will but the point is that if I want what I had, problem-free browsing, I have to pay for a new OS so that I can run the current IE.

I did my taxes this year over the web; the service wouldn't let me use my version of IE ... so I used Mozilla; I'm not asking for newer, better, faster, prettier ... I don't download 300meg movie/audio files, I'm not an on-line gamer with a requirement for fast page-loading ... all I want is what I had ... and had bought and paid for and, with all due respect, upgrading to BoneYa'gain will obsolete my apps running under Win2000. BoneYa'gain would cost me several thousand dollars ... so that I can enjoy what I already have ... what's already been paid for and I still wouldn't be materially better off. I don't think that's addiction at least not in my case ... it's closer to MS being addicted to exceeding last year's numbers but at somebody else's expense.

 

[Graham]

MS provides the OS but other apps, ie. Mozilla are better at using the OS than MS. :shock:

Firefox is free, Thunderbird is free, Chrome is free, etc. They run under MS be it Xpee or Vista...

It's like putting after market parts on you classic car. Take an old Chevy, add an Edelbrock manifold, AC Delco distributor, Holley carb, Hooker headers, etc...

You pay for the Chevy and you upgrade it suit your preferences.

My comp came with XP. I have added several other apps and programmes that suit me and disabled several of the MS apps that came with it.

 

[capnjuan]

I get the sense you haven't come personally out of pocket recently for a new OS and compatible OS-enabled apps :wink: and, I'd agree; just buying a new PC and apps would take care of it. J

 

[capnjuan]

Speaking of auto parts, maybe a Google Chrome OS is what I need! J

 

[jp]

Speaking of auto parts, maybe a Google Chrome OS is what I need! J

As I type this on my XP laptop, my Vista machine has a looping fault with a crashing Win Explorer that I cannot seem to fix easily, even with the Admin Tools. There appear to be more than five possible causes for this listed on numerous tech boards, and I'm running through the list. Uggh! I'm a pretty tech savvy guy, but this is pissing me off to no end.

Funny you should bring this up because I was just reading about it Goggle's OS a few minutes before my machine locked into this loop. As far as I'm concerned XP is the only real OS Microshaft ever made. Smart of you to avoid ME because it was a major PITA. My wife has had it and is going MAC in a matter of days. I'm too frugal, but I'm going Chrome as soon as I can. BTW, Firefox was a godsend. I may have to go open source this weekend. I'm fed up.