“A Microsoft security report released on Monday warns that cyber crooks are digging into computers for weak spots to penetrate with worms – malicious software that steals control or data,” Glenn Chapman reports for AFP.
“Rogue security software remained the top hacker threat to computers during the first half of this year, but the number of infections was dropping while penetrations by worms doubled, according to the Security Intelligence Report,” Chapman reports. “‘We still see rogue security software in high volume but not on the rise,’ Microsoft Malware Protection Centre principal architect Jeff Williams told AFP. ‘What is on the rise is resurgence of worm activity, particularly Conficker and Taterf.'”
“Worms are programmed to replicate themselves, wriggling from machine to machine by hiding in legitimate applications or piggy-backing on USB drives or other portable data storage devices.,” Chapman reports. “Conficker and Taterf worms have reportedly wriggled into millions of machines.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good thing you “saved” $69 on that shitastic Dell laptop versus that Apple MacBook you really wanted, Skippy.
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While Ballmer is blowing hot air about the BS Apple Tax, the real Microsoft TAX is right there, front and center for all the planet to see. With just two listed, here is the combined cost.
“I Love You” 5.5 BILLION
“Conficker” 9 + BILLION
Yeah thats the MS TAX For REAL!!
Who would willingly put up with that?
Had a Compaq back in 1999, threw the bitch in the dumpster when she collapsed under the weight of 3800+ viruses, even with Norton running.
No more.
Yeah, but the sheeple think thats just a way of life still. When i tell people that a mac doesnt get viruses, they just look at me blankly and bleat.
Too bad I cant cant control sheep like George Clooney.
I tell my die hard PC using brother about this and he just repeats that he’s never had a virus or a worm, doesn’t use security software of any kind, but depends on his router to protect him.
What a maroon.
If you’re a Win-at-work user (like me), watch-out for QBot (http://www.precisesecurity.com/threats/virus/malqbot-b/). It spreads across whole networks easily, logs passwords, and sends the logs to two .cn domains.
“Too bad I cant cant control sheep like George Clooney.”
Are the sheep like George, or does George control the sheep?
Hard to tell in that sentence. Just sayin’.
I made a Sheep Fart once. I bet George can’t do that.
@Stargazer
“Too bad I cant cant control sheep like George Clooney.”
Ha Just too damned funny! Hahahahaahahahaha!!
Stargazer
I thought it was goats that George had a thing for. Sailors like sheep.
I switched my motorcycle mechanic two years ago because his peecee had ground to halt with with worms, viruses etc. He now takes it for granted that his mac mini just works. Another soul saved from the dark side!
Jubel writes, “With just two listed, here is the combined cost.
“I Love You” 5.5 BILLION
“Conficker” 9 + BILLION
Some years ago I was working with a large branch of the US Treasury (yes, that one) when we were hit by the SASSER worm. Tens of thousands of desktops, laptops and servers were out of commission for days while we worked to decontaminate them. Most could do little work in the interim. Such situations should be considered a cost of running Windows.
When I was a kid the adults would tell us that you got worms from swallowing bubble gum. Those lying bastards.
@Raymond in DC
It’s just insane isn’t it? When you ask for a Mac, IT/CIO will say, sorry its not part of our Windows environment and we can’t support a product that we can’t secure properly.
Hellooooo idiots. So you buy Windows PC that gets infected as soon as it pulls down its pants and you lose hundreds, millions of dollars fixing it. Then turn around and say “Macs can’t be added since its not part of our Windows environment that we need to keep secure”. I can understand job security, but this is plain lunacy.
I’m not sure if my comment was deleted or if I forgot to post it. I know Macs are impervious to viruses and worms, but saying: “Mac users unaffected” about something that’s designed specifically to target Windows is like saying: “Windows Explorer glitch crashes Windows 7; Macs unaffected”
Well. I guess it’s Mac related news this way at least.
@ Clown,
Most Windows users don’t even know an alternative OS exists.
At least you are aware of the Mac OS X.
Silverhawk, it’s farmers that like sheep. Sailors like other sailors…
Actually, worms do affect Mac users too. Facebook and Myspace and such “social networking” marketing fronts are merely info-stealing worms by another name.
@ Clown
“I know Macs are impervious to viruses and worms,”
Untrue, and that kind of talk just feeds trolls.
No computer is impervious to attack. Some are just more highly resistant than others.
@Mike –
That’s phishing you’re thinking of…
@ i Quack
Yeah, I know it was goats, but I had to make it work somehow.
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See, its people who are into “abusive relationships” that are willing to put up with this kind of stuff… they be like abusive women about Windows ” Oh it hasnt crashed or had a virus attack in years, its a good boy”. Its call the “Microsoft ball and chain syndrome”.
“Actually, worms do affect Mac users too. Facebook and Myspace and such “social networking” marketing fronts are merely info-stealing worms by another name.” —Mike
Facebook is a worm in sheep’s clothing, but subscribers can only lose their information by clicking buttons that anyone with half a brain would know better than to click. A warning is plainly displayed: By clicking this button, you agree to share your personal info as well as all your friends’ personal info. What kind of moron would agree to those terms if they were paying attention?
I take offense at the negative use of sheep in several posts, my favorite girl friend is a sheep. Back off George I saw her first.
One day we were joking at a TGIF (all graduate students) and we wondered out loud about how people could bang sheep. Assuming they would not particularly like it, we figured it couldn’t happen because they would squirm and move too much…so that this was just an urban myth.
One guy spoke up (a Texan) and said…well….you just put their back legs in boots. They stop squirmin.
He was serious…..
(Apologies to all Texans out there….he was an exception)
I’ve been hearing that “back legs in the boots” thing for at least 25 years. Maybe we know the same Texans…