“How low will spammers go? The latest findings of a Microsoft research project confirm that spammers are routinely hijacking PCs in order to use them as spam relays on a scale that is almost unimaginable,” Al Fasoldt writes for The Syracuse Post-Standard. “Microsoft monitored the activities of a standard Windows XP computer that had an always-on connection to the Internet. The PC was quickly taken over by zombies virus-like invaders sent out by spammers. Microsoft found that the zombies then contacted remote computers to inform them that the PC was available as a relay. Over a 20-day period that single PC received 5 million “pings,” or hits, from other PCs seeking to connect to it, Microsoft says.”
Fasoldt writes, “The company monitored outgoing traffic, too, and discovered that this single PC processed 18 million spam e-mails in that period. (Microsoft blocked all the spam the PC tried to send.)”
“Sophos, a security firm, estimates that half of all spam originates from zombie PCs. The amount of zombie-generated spam is estimated to be at least 15 billion pieces a day,” Fasoldt writes. “Zombies take advantage of lax security in Windows PCs by infecting PCs through malicious e-mail attachments and through direct attack across the Internet. After they burrow into the computer, each zombie sets up a slave server within the PC that receives instructions from its master computer. Each zombie server an infected PC can have many running at the same time can relay spam, viruses and spyware to other computers while the PC is unattended.”
In his full article, Fasoldt lists five ways to try to prevent your Windows PC from becoming a zombie. The first four deal with Windows, but Fasoldt’s fifth method is guaranteed to work: “Consider switching to an Apple Macintosh. Apple’s computers are not vulnerable to zombies.”
Full article here.
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MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft: can’t make a secure OS, but they’re excellent at spreading an OS that’s perfect for clogging up the Net for everybody – even those smart enough to avoid Microsoft products – with exceedingly massive traffic from millions of wtfpwned zombie Windows PCs. Ignorance combined with cheapness is a lethal mixture for Joe and Jane Sixpack – they don’t even realize that their shiny, new Windows box they “got such a great deal on over to the Wal-Mart” is already owned by someone else.
[UPDATE: 10:30am ET: added “the” before “Wal-Mart” as per Mr. Sixpack’s feedback below.]
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Windows switchers, now’s your chance: Apple Mac mini with Mac OS X Tiger for $379 – November 03, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 21, 2003
Example 1:
What do you think?
$3,000 and they build this remote control in the wall to replace my 4 remotes that I keep getting confused about and add a box with 80 gigs that’ll play music, avi’s or dvd’s, and even pictures on my plasma. And it comes with new speakers.
Do you think I should do it? Can you give me all your stuff?
–Wha-at? That’s crazy. You haven’t got any avis or mp3s.
But you do. It’s simply a matter of transferring it over.
–No it ain’t, and $3,000 is overkill. Why don’t you buy a Mac mini instead for $500?
[Glassy-eyed look. Result: saved $3,000 then $500 — did nuthin’.]
chanM writes: “…the new Dell has proven to be so much more trouble than its worth (what with viruses and all) the family simply packed it away in a closet. Their excuse for not getting a Mac was, “Everyone uses PCs and besides Macs are too expensive””
Yep, i can see how it is cheaper to buy a computer you never use. Saved a lot of money there!
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chanM writes: “Another friend and long-time Mac user is constantly at odds with her PC using husband”
Grounds for divorce.
chanM writes: “I have known the third PC friend for at least six years and in all that time he has dropped by almost monthly to ask questions (obviously longingly) about my Macs. But despite all my gentle urging he has yet to take the plunge into Mac. ”
Sounds like a case of MacEnvy with fulfillment anxiety.
Wealthy friends who use windoze … continued.
Example 2:
–You want wha-at? Best way is get a <bleep> account.
What’s that? I don’t pay for nuthin’ on the internet.
Example 3:
–Hell, there’s tons of them on eBay – at least one a week.
eBay? How does that work?
Example 4:
I just pay it on the phone.
–Why don’t you go online and pay [all your bills] like I do once a month? The payments take effect on the bills’ due dates — simple, convenient and foolproof.
[Silent look of irritation.]
I think the main reason a lot of people don’t switch is because they are used to windoze and people like to use what they are used to and resist change. It will take a lot of pain for them to finally be fed up with what they are used to. The hardest time for any switcher is the first few weeks on a Mac. They try and do things the way they have learned and it is highly frustrating to not have them be the same. If they can get over this initial hump of “thinking different” then life suddenly becomes much much easier.
Macs are not perfect, they are just a helluva lot better. With the Mac you expect it to work and are surprised if it doesn’t. With windows you hope it works and are surprised if it does.
BTW, I too am mystified that there hasn’t been a class action suit against Microsoft for making a defective OS. Especially when they have been setting up a mobster-style protection racket with their new subscription based security offerings.
Rainy Day writes: Sounds like a case of MacEnvy with fulfillment anxiety.
Spot on !
Class action suit on microsoft? They have too much monopoly money. (To defend; I’m not saying bribe.)
Ballmer’s last interview in BusinessWeek says it all. The man is in total denial. [Ouch! Is that a flying chair that hit a window?]
The best one yet is —The priest at our church said “I would go with a Mac but the diocese has windows.” Stained glass???
I don’t appreciate your innuendo, ron.
I can’t wait for the day when someone takes advantage of something like this:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,63528,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
to erase all of your hard drives
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WAZZUP: Yes, I am saying my Mac started sending SPAM a couple of months ago. It could only have been my Mac as it shows my Mac’s IP. The only thing I can thing of is that there was an infected Windows machine on the same subnet that was using the Mac as its MTA.
Tom, if you post your email address on forum sites like this, you will have your address hi-jacked and used for Spamming.
My advice: don’t post your email address on the internet! Especially sites like this that have no login/registration (anyone can view these pages).
Wintel PCs wouldn’t be such problems if people simply ran Windows Update regularly to patch their systems. Its as simple as going to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and clicking a few buttons. Once an NT based OS is patched against the few basic attacks used (i.e. DCOM RPC), it will not become a zombie. Virus Protection such as the free Panda antivirus doesn’t hurt either. PCs are usable if treated right, but if users don’t even want to bother with these few steps, a Mac will keep them perfectly secure.
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Those tiny minded Windows users are in my power. Soon the world will come to know the power of THE DARK SIDE OF WINDOWS!
Jamie Kelly: Thanks for the advice which I would agree with except I have gmail so all the spam is automatically filtered with pretty much 0 false positives so I don’t care anymore – hooray!
Again…I’m so proud of our Syracuse, NY tech writer!!!
Mac news: Syracuse Post-Standard
Ron, liked your joke:
The best one yet is —The priest at our church said “I would go with a Mac but the diocese has windows.” Stained glass???
heeh
Had one friend tell me his hard drive was wiped out 4x in a year, but hes still a loyal Dell Dummy.
I’ve started not to send advice to many I’ve preached Mac to. I’m at the point where I’m getting a sick, demented pleasure out of hearing their lastest virus, spyware, etc. HD tragedy. BooHooo….aw, too bad PC user, no, I can’t help you but here’s some Kleenex. There, now go back and reboot your Piece o’ Crap and shut up.