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.

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50 Comments

  1. so i was just watching CNN….stupid late night tv
    anyways they were talking about the new worm that hit windows today and the interviewer asked this to one of his guest “IT” guys …CNN interviewer “if we all just switched to macs would we still have this problem?”
    Guest IT guy “well..yes these hackers are going to go where the market is….and right now the market is in windows” sadly 98% of the public will beleive this clown.
    stupid tv

  2. Yes, it never fails to amaze me how people fall that nonsensical crap. Truth is they don’t – they just rationalise out their position, they don’t reason out the correct answer, because using Windoze has become a philosophy, a world view, a professional way of life, a paradigm.

    Obviously, if I’m an IT manager and we have the usual sorts of Windows infrastructure, an ERP suite, a few Oracle databases etc. How is me shifting MY single Windows infrastructure over to Mac gonna change the whole world landscape? It’s not, I’m a drop in a vast ocean.

    Everyone knows that, they’re all just spinners for their own personal reasons. But as a professional with corporate duties I don’t think they’re entitled to “they’re own opinions”. If they’re not using Macs, they’re negligent, pure and simple.

  3. Suckers – that’s what happens when you are slave to Microsoft’s inferior OS.

    When are these people gonna learn!

    Unless your company relys on some bespoke windows software there is NO reason why companys should just go over to macs.

  4. Just as macnut states CNN as we know do have Mac’s and are in the process of changing over.

    Being such a huge organisation it will take quite a while, so look out for snippets of news surrounding each departments ‘switch’ to Mac and their testimonials about the switch.

    Mac’s use in the media isn’t new and it would be nice to hear news of say Exxon or another icon of corporate America announce their switch over to Macintosh systems and show just how Windows (sic) users have been conned and blinded by Microsoft’s (sic) rhetoric in the business arena.

    CNN starts the process off, but here’s to hoping that it will catch on in the business place as a whole.

  5. I think ignorance of the Mac is starting to be broken down, through a combination of the iPod’s success and Linux-using technology leaders switching to OS X.

    But the Mac won’t truly make inroads until OS X is available on Dell, Sony and HP computers. Corporations like a choice of vendors.

    It’s inevitable that Mac OS X will be licensed out. Maybe not anytime soon, but it will happen.

  6. “well..yes these hackers are going to go where the market is….and right now the market is in windows”

    That’s the sound a Win IT guy makes to protect his job, feel powerful and needed.

    There is absolutley no truth to it because hackers would love to boast they cracked Mac OS X with a virus, but nothing has occured yet in all these years.

  7. anyways they were talking about the new worm that hit windows today and the interviewer asked this to one of his guest “IT” guys …CNN interviewer “if we all just switched to macs would we still have this problem?”
    Guest IT guy “well..yes these hackers are going to go where the market is….and right now the market is in windows” sadly 98% of the public will beleive this clown.

    And that is a reason (even if it totally ignored the fact that OS X is designed better) that business should start migrating over. You see, if you’re going to convince them to switch, you gotta think like them. If they believe that hackers and script-kiddies are targeting the larger percentage market, then why not switch to the ‘smaller’ market. Since Mac share is so small, that would mean it will forever stay out of the sights of hackers, right? Then the small market share is actually a benefit for security!

    But everyone is probably right. No IT guy in his “right mind” would suggest switching to a computer where their company would hardly ever need them, and thus threaten them with unemployment.

  8. Toledo: After all of this viri stuff, decided to look at a mac since I use them at work… then saw the price… Little too steep for what you get in my opinion.

    Would you care to give us something more specific? What do you use at work? What do you currently have at home? What Mac models did you look at?

    I’m pretty sure that a G5 iMac would suit most home needs, and it compares quite well feature for feature to retail PC alternatives. Apple also has some very good deals on open box models and refurbs.

    MDN had a link recently, here:

    http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/6573/

    As is gospel around here, there is more to look at than just sticker price when comparing Macs to PCs

  9. my IT guy at work asked me what version of windows the new G5 we ordered runs! He didn’t even know that Apple has its own superior operating system

    ummm, I guess i will be setting it up to the network and installing all the programs.

  10. Toledo:

    When purchasing an item, look at your needs, not the price tag. Macs are a little more expensive than PC’s but you get additional hardware features such as Firewire and separate video cards, productive software and a superior OS for your dollar. Add these items to a low end PC and see how much it then costs.

    As for cheap PC’s, just look at the current state of the PC market. Gateway, in financial trouble, purchased low PC maker emachines (Gateway just turned a profit for the first time in about 3 years), HP purchased Compaq and later had their CEO forced out of the company. IBM has sold their PC business and license their name to a chinese company. So today we have DELL, HP, Levono and Gateway.

    And, all these manfs are depended on Windows. An OS that causes people to worry about virus, spy-ware, and ad-ware, fear of upgrading to patches or XP because of software incompatibility and that MS takes years to release new versions of the same crap.

  11. I went to the CNN website and posted a email to their comment line. I asked them a question concerning “recalls.” If a automobile manufacturer or a baby stroller manufacturer can produce a poor product and have the government tell them to issue a recall and repair the problem then why can’t someone go after Microsoft to do the same.

    No response yet. Probably never receive one.

  12. Let’s face it. Microsoft were screaming from the rafters last week that this was going to happen unless everyone patched their computers. The environment I work on at the moment (where I implemented WSUS, BTW) is protected. Any IT guy with any idea knows that when Microsoft scream like that you had better patch by Friday evening or face the consequences.

    But, unfortunately, a lot of IT people don’t know their arse from their elbow. They don’t even read the US-CERT site to see what Microsoft (and Apple) haven’t patched yet.

  13. Toledo:

    Which PC maker bundles productivity (personal and business) apps in a fairly safe environment (as you can delete the contents of your own folders and act as your own virus (in case you want that Windows feeling), starting at $500 using your existing keyboard/mouse and monitor? Never had a computer before, the eMac might be a better choice for you then at $800 with a 17″ monitor/keyboard/mouse if you can’t decide on a monitor/keyboard/mouse to pick to go with the Mac Mini. Yeah, Dell sells desktops starting at $400 with a 17″ monitor/keyboard/mouse but that is AFTER rebates, if you get them. I bought a Dell last year for someone (to configure for them, and never got my $100 from them so I netted $0 for the consulting work). I bought my personal iBook last December and have nothing but great things in my experiences and I know PC’s very well. I worked in PC Support for Executives of a multibillion dollar company (I’ve since moved up in the company), so I am not a Mac biased person because I have only used Macs. I’ve become Mac biased because I own a Mac.

    On a separate note, I have a friend who wants to get a laptop, when I suggested a Mac, the first response was, he “can’t afford it, don’t Macs cost more and are not compatible with the rest of the world?” This is brainwashing at it highest example, this is a complete computer novice saying this. The just don’t know better, until someone shows em. If this is also your expectation, then add in the cost of the software you get with a Mac but need to add with a Windows system, the true Plug and forget(Play) of a Mac (such as my HP all in one that I never had to download anything for) and the greater security (not through obscurity) of the Mac OS. If your computer “just works” and does not waste as much of your time to “protect” it, isn’t your time worth money?

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