Quickly spreading Microsoft Windows worm affects CNN, ABC, NY Times; Apple Macintosh unaffected

“A fast-moving computer worm Tuesday shut down computer systems using Microsoft operating software, hitting computer systems across the United States and reportedly in Germany and Asia,” CNN reports.

“Among those hit were offices on Capitol Hill and media organizations, including CNN, ABC and The New York Times. The Caterpillar Co. in Peoria, Illinois, reportedly also had problems,” CNN reports. “While the worm primarily affects Windows 2000, it also can affect some early versions of Microsoft XP, said Johannes Ullrich, director of the Sans Institute… David Perry of Trend Micro, an Internet monitoring firm, said the latest worm may have been derived from the Zotob worm, which was first reported over the weekend.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: For our Windows-only friends: If you’re considering adding a safe, powerful, elegant, and fun Mac OS X machine to your computing arsenal, information about how to do so smoothly, can be found here. For inexpensive entry to the Mac platform, you might want to take a look at Apple’s new Mac mini which starts at just US$499 — it just might be the perfect machine for you.

Related MacDailyNews articles:
‘Zotob’ worm rapidly infects Microsoft Windows; Macintosh unaffected – August 15, 2005
SecurityFocus: ‘Your Windows computer is not to be trusted; buy a Mac and slip under the radar’ – July 06, 2005
Security expert sums up first month with Mac: ‘much safer, more secure, more productive than Wintel’ – June 02, 2005
Windows PC security company’s switch to Apple Mac causes overwhelming reaction – May 28, 2005
Increasing numbers of Windows PC users switching to Apple Mac for improved stability and security – May 27, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
Microsoft Windows Sober.P worm shows ‘epidemic’ spread; Macintosh unaffected – May 03, 2005
Apple touts Mac OS X security advantages over Windows – April 13, 2005
New ‘highly critical’ Office flaw embarrasses Microsoft – April 13, 2005
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
Symantec details flaws in its antivirus software – March 30, 2005
Motley Fool writer: ‘I’d be surprised if Symantec ever sells a single product to a Mac user again’ – March 24, 2005
Symantec cries wolf with misplaced Mac OS X ‘security’ warning – March 23, 2005
Symantec’s Mac OS X claims dismissed as nonsense, FUD – March 22, 2005
Symantec warns about Mac OS X security threat – March 21, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X is virus-free – March 18, 2005
68,736 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – March 12, 2005
Microsoft tries to turn its own security flaw into commercial gain – February 25, 2005
Cybersecurity advisor Clarke questions why anybody would buy from Microsoft – February 18, 2005
Microsoft’s Gates espouses homogenous operating system environments for better security – February 07, 2005
Windows’ mounting security problems make some consumers eager to purchase Macs – January 03, 2005
Windows Media songs and videos found to carry Windows malware payloads – December 30, 2004
Anzae/Inzae worm affects all Windows versions after 3.1; Macintosh unaffected – December 28, 2004
Unlike Windows users, Mac OS X users surf the Internet without a care in the world – December 28, 2004
Multiple unpatched Windows holes crop up; Windows systems compromised within minutes in experiment – December 24, 2004
Windows spyware mess is out of control, get a Mac and surf with impunity – December 21, 2004
New Microsoft Internet Explorer exploit spoofs Web sites on fully patched Windows XP systems – December 17, 2004
Microsoft may charge extra for Windows spyware protection software – December 16, 2004
Detroit Free Press: Windows malware problem getting worse, it’s time to get a Mac instead – December 16, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware headaches? Get a Mac and surf the Internet freely – December 13, 2004
Mossberg: Windows PCs plagued with problems, Apple’s Mac is ‘rock solid, elegant and affordable’ – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Sick of spyware, adware infecting your PC? Don’t fret, just get a Mac – November 01, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Spyware plagues Windows users while Mac users surf Net with impunity – November 01, 2004
Ballmer blames Windows users for not upgrading systems as Microsoft’s biggest security problem – October 22, 2004
Windows users line up to pay for spyware removal; Mac users surf Web with impunity – October 18, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Windows users’ security woes spark interest in Apple’s secure Mac OS X – October 06, 2004
Windows desktop monopoly threatened by secure, safe Apple Mac OS X – October 04, 2004
Even Bill Gates can’t avoid Windows malware; Mac users surf the Web freely – October 03, 2004
Cyber-security adviser uses Apple Macintosh to avoid Windows’ security woes – September 27, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
Mossberg: Apple iMac G5 ‘powerful, affordable, virus-free with better, more modern OS than Windows XP’ – September 23, 2004
USA Today: people are switching from Windows to Mac because of security issues – September 21, 2004
Windows besieged by hackers; number of Windows viruses soars by more than 400% – September 20, 2004
USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Mossberg: Dump your Windows machine and get an Apple Macintosh to free yourself of spyware – August 25, 2004
Tired of patching patches to patch Windows patches? Writer suggests getting a Mac – August 03, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected – June 26, 2004
Gartner: Worms jack up the total cost of Microsoft Windows – May 07, 2004
Spyware, adware plague Windows users online; Mac OS X users surf freely – April 19, 2004
SmartMoney: Long-suffering Windows users can only dare to dream of Mac’s ease-of-use – February 12, 2004
Mac OS X has no viruses; what’s wrong with Windows? – February 11, 2004
Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
Chicago Sun-Times columnist: Windows ‘many holes in its security’ but ‘none of my Macs have ever been affected – August 26, 2003
Sick of worms and viruses? ‘Move to Mac OS X’ suggests Chicago Tribune columnist – August 25, 2003
Virus and worm problems not just due to market share; Windows inherently insecure vs. Mac OS X – August 24, 2003

50 Comments

  1. From CNN:

    “Microsoft has a downloadable patch on its security homepage, Microsoft.com/security, a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson told CNN that Microsoft would not estimate how many users have been affected and described the problem as low-impact.”

    Typical Microsoft BS.

    MW: normal. As in, this is ‘normal” for Microsoft.

  2. It was such low impact that it only affected a couple national news organizations and our nations epicenter of law. You would imagine that the news organizations would be well enough informed as to update their computers to avoid such issues, I mean, of any of them I’d expect Fox to be the first one hit with their apparent lack of interest in actually researching things.
    I’m glad that the article starts by stating which operating systems, sorry, system was affected.

  3. “From CNN:

    “Microsoft has a downloadable patch on its security homepage, Microsoft.com/security, a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson told CNN that Microsoft would not estimate how many users have been affected and described the problem as low-impact.”

    Uh yeah, low impact. That’s why we were scrambling Monday and Tuesday to test the stupid patch and get it deployed. Still had some machines get hit before we could get the patch out.

  4. Shameful. Two things.

    (1) Goes to show that maybe those folks in the IT department aren’t too bright and;

    (2) Windows just plain sucks.

    It would have been cool to have had CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and C-SPAN all go down b/c of a Windows virus. Then maybe someone would make Microsoft accountable for writing such shoddy software.

  5. It’s funny….

    Go to Technorati and see the deluge of people bitching about the virus that hit them today on their blogs…

    MW, Trade, as in, would you trade Windows for a Mac? Hell yeah!

  6. Damn, go to CNet and read the comments from the Windows apologists relating this to Apple’s security update.

    Man, some people are ignorant.

    MW: money. As in, it’s all about the “money” isn’t it Mr. Gates?

  7. Just sit back and think…

    As we gloat over our superior OSX, some overweight schmuck is under his desk unplugging his computer from the Internet in hopes to getting it back to normal.

    What a great day to be a Mac user. Human stampedes, viruses spreading like viruses…

    LOL…stupid Windoze users.

  8. CNN is heavy Mac based. I can just see the fscking smug looks Mac users glance at their goddamm stupid @ss WinPC users.

    CNN should just force all of them over to Mac’s and be done with it.

    The NY Times loves Mac’s so they should have more of their machines go over to Mac as well.

    ABC is a bunch of Microsoft bootlicking b@stards, so expect them to continue to suffer.

  9. AAAAAAAAAaaaHahahahahahehehehehehahahahaheheheh….

    Ooooh! Back now!

    Some alleged IT “professionals” will never learn.

    I am generalist training consultant, and I often do work for global companies, including their IT departments. Whenever half their companies worldwide shut down for a few days due to viruses (frequently hapens and doesn’t make it to the news) I refuse to give them any pity.

    I point out it is their risk to allegedly manage and that even in my home I refuse to have a PC, yet they spend tens of millions every year on “security” measures and look what happens. I am not a security professional, but nooone can hack into my computer, and I don’t even need anti virus software.

    Then I just watch these overpaid goons squirm like worms on sandpaper. Sometimes I love consulting. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />

    MW: WINDOWS: As in you spend so much money on security, so why do you leave all your Windows open???

  10. feeze:

    Yeah that tosser Thurrott still hasn’t posted about it. Which seems really odd, since he’s posted about everything else. Obviously hasn’t figured a way out of another embarrassing catastrophe he’s got himself into.

    Come in spinner.

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.