viruses

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

I used to run an antivirus program on my OS/2 system, but after several
years of nothing harmful being detected I stopped bothering. It detected
a certain amount of harmless stuff - harmless because the malware
required a Windows operating system to run.
The people who design the malware prefer to attack Windows because it's
such an easy target, and because there are so many vulnerable machines
out there.

I've run Windows on line ever since the early '90s, and I've never
suffered a virus infection. [...]

I bought a Windows system the other day, and it came with a virus
(technically a worm rather than a virus) pre-installed. The machine had
been on display for a few weeks, and some browsing shopper had infected
the machine.

[David H. Lipman]

I used to run an antivirus program on my OS/2 system, but after several
years of nothing harmful being detected I stopped bothering. It detected
a certain amount of harmless stuff - harmless because the malware
required a Windows operating system to run.
The people who design the malware prefer to attack Windows because it's
such an easy target, and because there are so many vulnerable machines
out there.

I've run Windows on line ever since the early '90s, and I've never
suffered a virus infection. [...]

I bought a Windows system the other day, and it came with a virus (technically a worm
rather than a virus) pre-installed. The machine had been on display for a few weeks,
and some browsing shopper had infected the machine.

Most likely that worm was an AutoRun worm.

Today the chances of viruses are much lower. However the chances of being infected with
non-viral malware, trojans, is very high. Through Social Engineering, AutoRun/AutoPlay
and the vulnerability/exploitation vector one can easily get infected.

[Peter Moylan]

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

I used to run an antivirus program on my OS/2 system, but after several
years of nothing harmful being detected I stopped bothering. It detected
a certain amount of harmless stuff - harmless because the malware
required a Windows operating system to run.
The people who design the malware prefer to attack Windows because it's
such an easy target, and because there are so many vulnerable machines
out there.

I've run Windows on line ever since the early '90s, and I've never
suffered a virus infection. [...]

I bought a Windows system the other day, and it came with a virus
(technically a worm rather than a virus) pre-installed. The machine had
been on display for a few weeks, and some browsing shopper had infected
the machine.

I have in the past seen a computer peripheral from China where the
pre-installed virus was burnt into a ROM. The virus-mongers will try
anything.

[Mike Lyle]

On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:44:28 +1000, Peter Moylan
Failing, as usual, to attribute the quoted material. Fucking rude.

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

I used to run an antivirus program on my OS/2 system, but after several

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

The people who design the malware prefer to attack Windows because it's

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

I've run Windows on line ever since the early '90s, and I've never

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard
I bought a Windows system the other day, and it came with a virus
(technically a worm rather than a virus) pre-installed. The machine had
been on display for a few weeks, and some browsing shopper had infected
the machine.

I have in the past seen a computer peripheral from China where the
pre-installed virus was burnt into a ROM. The virus-mongers will try
anything.

I really want to know something about the various computer vandals:
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

[David H. Lipman]

Post by Mike Lyle
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:44:28 +1000, Peter Moylan
Failing, as usual, to attribute the quoted material. Fucking rude.

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

I used to run an antivirus program on my OS/2 system, but after several

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

The people who design the malware prefer to attack Windows because it's

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard

I've run Windows on line ever since the early '90s, and I've never

[...]

Post by Peter Moylan

Post by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard
I bought a Windows system the other day, and it came with a virus
(technically a worm rather than a virus) pre-installed. The machine had
been on display for a few weeks, and some browsing shopper had infected
the machine.

I have in the past seen a computer peripheral from China where the
pre-installed virus was burnt into a ROM. The virus-mongers will try
anything.

wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Years ago it was sheer bragging rights.

Now, it is all for profit.
Keyloggers to gather your account names and passwords.
Datastealers for license keys, identity theft and to gather your account names and
passwords.
Data miners, adware, BitCoin miners, etc.
Rogues to con you out of your money, credit card number and PII.

The malicious actors want to make money off of you.

BTW: In the statement you replied to... "virus was burnt into a ROM".
While there may be some cases of the insider threat inserting malicious code into into ROM
of hardware, the chances are EXTREMELY low that it was a virus but much higher in the form
of a trojan. All viruses are malware but not all malware are viruses and all too often
people falsely assume all malicious code are "viruses".

Recently, and I am hard pressed to find the URL, Homeland Security admitted that there is
a growing threat of equipment made outside the US is arriving pre-loaded with malware.

[Peter Moylan]

Post by David H. Lipman

Post by Mike Lyle
On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:44:28 +1000, Peter Moylan

Post by Peter Moylan
I have in the past seen a computer peripheral from China where the
pre-installed virus was burnt into a ROM. The virus-mongers will try
anything.

BTW: In the statement you replied to... "virus was burnt into a ROM".
While there may be some cases of the insider threat inserting malicious code into into ROM
of hardware, the chances are EXTREMELY low that it was a virus but much higher in the form
of a trojan. All viruses are malware but not all malware are viruses and all too often
people falsely assume all malicious code are "viruses".

You're quite right. That was my sloppy use of language, which is
unforgivable on two of the newsgroups this is going to. I forget what
sort of malware it was, but a virus is one of the less likely possibilities.

Post by David H. Lipman
Recently, and I am hard pressed to find the URL, Homeland Security admitted that there is
a growing threat of equipment made outside the US is arriving pre-loaded with malware.

[David H. Lipman]

From: "David H. Lipman" <DLipman~nospam~@Verizon.Net>

< snip >

|
| Recently, and I am hard pressed to find the URL, Homeland Security
admitted that there is
| a growing threat of equipment made outside the US is arriving pre-loaded
with malware.
|

http://www.fastcompany.com/1765855/dhs-someones-spiking-our-imported-tech-with-attack-tools

"A top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official has admitted on the
record that
electronics sold in the U.S. are being preloaded with spyware, malware, and
security-compromising components by unknown foreign parties. In testimony
before the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee, acting deputy undersecretary of
the DHS
National Protection and Programs Directorate Greg Schaffer told Rep. Jason
Chaffetz (R-UT)
that both Homeland Security and the White House have been aware of the
threat for quite
some time.

When asked by Rep. Chaffetz whether Schaffer was aware of any
foreign-manufactured
software or hardware components that had been purposely embedded with
security risks, the
DHS representative stated that “I am aware of instances where that has
happened,” after
some hesitation."

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Mike Lyle
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Because they are Discordians?

That's one possible explanation, anyway. Discordians worship the goddess who
started the Trojan War.

[R H Draney]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Mike Lyle
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Because they are Discordians?
That's one possible explanation, anyway. Discordians worship the goddess who
started the Trojan War.

Can't really hold that against her, though...to Eris human....r

[Steve Hayes]

Post by R H Draney

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Mike Lyle
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Because they are Discordians?
That's one possible explanation, anyway. Discordians worship the goddess who
started the Trojan War.

Can't really hold that against her, though...to Eris human....r

<groan>

[Mike Lyle]

On Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:54:17 +0200, Steve Hayes

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by R H Draney

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Mike Lyle
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Because they are Discordians?
That's one possible explanation, anyway. Discordians worship the goddess who
started the Trojan War.

Can't really hold that against her, though...to Eris human....r

<groan>

You've heard the one about the man who left a discordian on the seat
of his car, and remembered too late that he hadn't locked it?

[R H Draney]

Post by Mike Lyle
On Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:54:17 +0200, Steve Hayes

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by R H Draney

Post by Steve Hayes
Because they are Discordians?
That's one possible explanation, anyway. Discordians worship the goddess who
started the Trojan War.

Can't really hold that against her, though...to Eris human....r

<groan>

You've heard the one about the man who left a discordian on the seat
of his car, and remembered too late that he hadn't locked it?

Hmm, Pandora's squeezebox....r

[Thor Kottelin]

Post by Mike Lyle
wormers, virus-mongers, and such-like sub-humans. Why do they _do_ it?
I can understand aiming some sort of attack at me or some other
particular person; I can see how it might be interesting to knock down
a particular organisation. Even trolls get to see the reaction of
those who take the bait. But I just don't see the rocks-off value of a
general vague attack whose results one will never actually see.

Botnets are big business.

[Jonathan de Boyne Pollard]

I run ActiveX and Java, too, and in the past few years Kaspersky has only
signalled a suspect file on a couple of occasions. If I look at detailed
reports, however, it's beavering away in the background eliminating all sorts of
crap.

They have Kaspersky where I work. They also have Cygwin. Kaspersky
duly warns about *every* *single* *Cygwin* *program* when it is run.
The Cygwin XTERM, for example, is detected as "PDM.RootShell". What the
behaviour of XTERM is, that is "similar to" malware, is mystifying.