The World'S Most Dangerous Virus
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Nuclear replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 1:25am |
 Coolness: 2749320 | [ www.lindows.com ]
The World's Most Dangerous Virus Date Published: Oct 21, 2003 Imagine if a computer virus emerged that secretly attached itself to one of the most popular software programs ever. Imagine if the largest media outlets unwittingly praised this secret pairing, encouraging millions of people to install it. Imagine if none of the major antivirus programs would detect it. Imagine if once installed, it could alter anything on your computer without your consent or knowledge. Imagine if the virus was at the control of a greedy entity that has repeatedly trampled on consumers and smaller companies to advance its corporate agenda. Imagine if it could force everyone who wanted to communicate with you to also carry the virus so it would insidiously spread person to person. Sound like a scary sci-fi plot? It's not science fiction. This week MO3 will be released on the world. Here's how to detect it in your neighborhood and what you can do to protect yourself: The Trojan Horse Press outlets will blanket the world with stories about Microsoft Office 2003. Most articles will tout seemingly innocuous features and feel good quotes from Microsoft like "this is our most important product release ever." Unfortunately the press won't talk about the dangerous software buried inside this release - MO3. This code will give Microsoft the ability to change anything on your computer at anytime they wish with no notification to you. The Security Ploy Post 9/11, few people question actions taken under the guise of "improved security" and this is how MO3 will be foisted onto computer users - as a feature to 'make you safer.' Computer users have understandably tired of the near daily worm and virus warnings, as well as the time-consuming patch process due to Microsoft's lax software standards and its focusing not on building secure products, but products that secure its monopoly market positions. To improve the predicament which they've created, Microsoft is forcing consumers to accept MO3 embedded into every computer. Listen closely and you'll hear Microsoft mouth pieces speak of "turning software into a service" which really means they will be changing the software on your computer whenever they feel like it. They will slowly limit your ability to run non-Microsoft software. They will restrict choices on your computer to only those products they approve. They will make changes which cripple other software programs or reduce their ability to interoperate with your computer so you will be forced to use exclusively Microsoft approved products. History Repeats Itself Microsoft may use this newfound power to fix some holes in their software, but they will also abuse this power to further their corporate monopoly and increase their control and profits. Microsoft has already embedded the MO3 virus into another operating system they have deployed, called Xbox. They now have the power at anytime to change all existing Xboxes which connect to the Internet, and they are already misusing it. They have deleted files from users' computers without their knowledge or permission. They have added software which has removed the ability to run competitor's software. They have been changing users' systems without their consent and notification. They will do the same on Microsoft Windows based computers once MO3 is installed. Microsoft management has shown to be deceitful and dishonest and will continue this behavior. Twice Microsoft has been found guilty by the Federal government of using illegal tactics to drive competitors out of business and extend their monopoly. December 1st, 2003 a trial will take place in Seattle Washington where more of Microsoft's past behaviors will come to light. Infecting Friends To stop the advance of competing products and to force users into purchasing new software with the MO3 virus, Microsoft is making certain Microsoft Office 2003 files unreadable by all older versions of Microsoft Office and all competing office suites. Products like Sun's StarOffice are getting extremely good at interoperating with Microsoft word processing, presentation and spreadsheet files making it possible for people to spend close to $50 for an office suite instead of giving $400 or more to Microsoft. To blunt this and force users of older versions of Microsoft Office to buy new software, Microsoft has changed the specifications for some files. Again under the umbrella of "security," Microsoft is implementing features which limit who can open and edit documents to further thwart competition. Microsoft Office 2003 gives its users the ability to control who can read and edit certain documents, but only if they use the latest Microsoft software. If one user within an office uses this feature, all others will be unable to use any other office suite to access that document. They will not be permitted to run Linux software, they will be required to purchase and run additional copies of Microsoft Office 2003. Since documents are frequently emailed around via the Internet, this will force others to accept Microsoft's software or be unable to communicate. Microsoft refers to this as IRM for "information rights management," but it's really an "infection relay method" designed to force everyone to adopt MO3. They will be using scare tactics about leaked memos or misdirected emails to persuade unwitting computer users to deploy this technology. Doing so will create a viral growth of MO3 which will give MS unlimited power over every computer. Universal MO3 MO3 will not only come with Microsoft Office 2003, but with future Microsoft products as well. The same technology will be embedded into the next version of Microsoft's operating system software so all users will have to accept it with their new computer. Latest estimates indicate this new software will not ship until 2006, so between now and then, watch for Microsoft to secretly embed MO3 into updates or security patches that they promote for their existing product line. Protect Yourself There are precautionary measures you can take to fend off MO3. First off, do not purchase and install Microsoft Office 2003. Also, discourage those around you from purchasing Microsoft Office as well, since one infection will quickly grow. If you need a new office suite, check out the solid and affordable StarOffice 7.0 which runs equally well on Microsoft Windows or Linux computers, and can be purchased online and immediately downloaded and installed. Encourage those penning articles and reviews to fully inform their readers of the dangers of Microsoft Office 2003. Finally, encourage them to do in-depth reviews of Microsoft Office 2003 vs. Sun's StarOffice 7.0 so people can make informed decisions about the benefits and risks of either product. -- Michael |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 1:31am |
 Coolness: 686270 | Hacked By AOL
Everyone has seen those stupid pop up windows that look like actual system warnings. Most people just go into the control panel / admin tools / services / messenger and shut down this annoying feature themselves and move on. It seems AOL has taken it upon themselves to disable the service for their customers without telling them and now it has a bunch of people up in arms talking about violations of the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act. AOL - along with other Internet service providers and makers of security firewall products - responded by closing many of the Internet ports used, but closing all could disrupt other applications. AOL then developed a tool that users could run to turn off the feature entirely, but few bothered, even though complaints about such messages kept growing, Weinstein said. So two weeks ago, AOL began turning the feature off on customers' behalf, using a self-updating mechanism in AOL's software. But the setting changed is on Windows, not AOL's software. Users are not notified of the change, though they may manually turn the feature back on, and AOL won't change it again. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 1:37am |
| Coolness: 686270 | It's great. The whole reason we're getting this kind of invasion of privacy is because people don't fucking keep their software up to date.
If you move into an apartment, you CHANGE THE LOCKS, because the people who lived there before you may have a copy of the keys. If you have something valuable in your house that you don't want stolen, you PUT IT SOMEWHERE SAFE, you don't leave it out in the open. Fucking n00bs are the REASON that the govt. and software companies are getting all of these powers to completely invade your computer for whatever reason they want in the guise of "better security" . |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 2:08am |
 Coolness: 340345 | some landloards don't allow you to change the locks. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 2:11am |
| Coolness: 686270 | They can't have a say on it. You have to provide them with a copy of the key that opens the door, but it's 100% up to you. If they bitch about it and threaten to evict you, they'll lose their case because of said security reasons. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 4:20am |
 Coolness: 67195 | bitch bitch bitch
unfortunately, there is no alternative OS for the PC that can come close to Windows. There is no alternative desktop publishing suite that can come close to MS Office. Untill someone finally gets the balls to have a viable alternative, then there is no hope is there. And, to top it all off, every attempt made by software companies to fight off piracy or make their software more secure have been undermined. I have no doubts that things like this and Palladium will share the same fate. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 12:37pm |
| Coolness: 340345 | I'm also running OS X 10.2
it's very secure. AND is based on FreeBSD... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 12:39pm |
| Coolness: 686270 | Ian, we're talking about computers, not multi-colored toys made for the computer-illiterate. :) |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Sat Oct 25, 2003 @ 3:09pm |
| Coolness: 340345 | ya yer right, i don't know anything about computers. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 1:03am |
| Coolness: 340345 | ah yes, of course.
All these years sitting behind a keyboard, all i was actually doing was counting the pixels on my 21" monitor. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 1:43am |
| Coolness: 67195 | your usuage of a mac would support that theory. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Zz.ee.vV replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 2:02am |
 Coolness: 194705 | i wonder how much of what robertson says is actually true.
i mean. it benefits him directly to spook people off windows... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 2:11am |
| Coolness: 686270 | Well, I know the xbox thing is true. If you do like some people have and, say, install Linux on your xbox, and connect to xbox live, even if it's by accident, it'll scan your system for "invalid" files and wipe them. It also checks if you have a mod-chip and if you do, it "updates" the OS with a patch that renders the chip useless.
Nothing stoping them from doing that to Windows. "Oh, your using StarOffice, and we've deemed that part of the code is exploitable. We'll remove this security vulnerability for you. Oh, you have Trillian and aren't using MSN Messanger software? We don't allow support for third-party software to use our network, it's against our terms of service. What's this? You have web page software other than front page? Your sites are obviously not compatible with our IE standards. Let's remove the offending program. What's this? A web browser other than IE?" |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Zz.ee.vV replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 2:15am |
| Coolness: 194705 | if its that bad, i bet there will be firewall-like shit out there that will protect you from the "protector" ... people cant sit idle in presence of something like this and microsoft cant keep on releasing patches, or else this turn into war of worlds... or maybe anyone who isnt a noob will finally move ass to unix and gthats that heh |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 2:50am |
| Coolness: 686270 | 've given Linux a shot a few times. I don't think I have the patience to learn a new OS, and there's no port of Fruity Loops to linux. :P
Also, I dunno how many people know about this, but the "security" in Longhorn is what's the scary part. No "need" for firewalls or anti-virus tools. The software will be "designed" to detect and not alow the computer to run "harmful code", such as a virus, or any incoming trafic that my be "harmful". Of course, software will have to go through a screening process and be "aproved" my microsoft for running on windows, or else said software's code might be considered "harmfull" and not alowed to run, admin-privileges or not. Wanna surf a web page not made in FrontPage? Good luck. Wanna use Trillia to connect to MSN? What makes you think you'll even be able to install "potentialy harmful code" on your computer? Welcome to Windows in 2006. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» OMGSTFUDIEPLZKTX replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 4:21am |
| Coolness: 67195 | this of course assuming windows longhorn will actually be a success. It might turn into another Windows ME, only problem is that longhorn is beginnings of the largest project microsoft has worked on since Windows 95 |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Sun Oct 26, 2003 @ 10:43am |
| Coolness: 340345 | if it does turn out to be what you were saying fred, then i'll just go back to using my toy computer then.
i don't need to put up with MS's crap. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Mon Oct 27, 2003 @ 9:44am |
| Coolness: 686270 | [ www.enterpriseitplanet.com ]
At the core of NGSCB is a new operating system module called a "nexus". The module works with the processor, keyboard, display and the operating system to provide new security features for "nexus-aware" or trusted applications. Such software benefits from protected memory, attestation, sealed storage and secure input/output. Protected memory walls off portions of main memory, keeping unwanted processes out while attestation features digitally sign data for integrity and access purposes. Sealed storage keeps data cryptographically secure and out of reach of applications lacking the proper credentials. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Mon Oct 27, 2003 @ 10:09am |
| Coolness: 340345 | no doubt the company will charge to have outside applications inspected and approved. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Mon Oct 27, 2003 @ 10:13am |
| Coolness: 686270 | Yup! And if you don't, your software just "might" not run... |
The World'S Most Dangerous Virus
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