Here’s a cautionary tale from Vmyths, the virus myths website, on how urban legends are born. Vmyths says that Reuters News Agency filed a report from Singapore last week quoting anti-virus manufacturer Trend Micro (makers of PC-cillin) as saying computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003. That’s a lot… Read More »
A program I’ve found highly useful of late is Windows Startup Inspector. It does something Windows XP should do, but doesn’t: Allow you to decide what programs do and don’t start when Windows does. It sounds dumb until you realise that most programs these days — including a lot that should know better — automatically… Read More »
Another Blaster suspect has been arrested. Prosecutors refused to release any information about the suspect, not even the youth’s gender or home state, AP reported. The variant the juvenile allegedly created was known as “RPCSDBOT.” No one yet knows who created the main version. Collectively, different versions of the virus-like worm, alternately called “LovSan”… Read More »
Some of the U.S.’ main technology security experts — including author Bruce Schneier — today issued a report warning that computers and critical technological infrastructure worldwide are increasingly vulnerable to attack because of the security practices and dominance of Microsoft software in desktop computing. As a result of Microsoft’s concerted effort to fortify and expand… Read More »
This from reader Mark N. Metz, CEO of Stop Piracy Now, Inc. I wrote about the just arrested teenager suspected of being the author of a variant of the Master worm: ‘Can’t help feeling sorry for the kid. He is going down.” Mark has this to say: You’re kidding, right? What if the kid’s worm… Read More »