WARNING - MAJOR VIRUS TO BE UNLEASHED TODAY

Sorry guys, I meant to post this 5 days ago, but there's a major, computer-killing virus being unleashed today. Microsoft had issued a 250K reward for any hacker/computer whiz to find it and have it brought to their attention.

I don't know all the details of the virus - but this is NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S DAY JOKE!

Gotta love apples

I haven't had any virus trouble since the "I love you" virus.

FYI

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/04/01/conficker-virus.html

I love my apple.. Good luck boys!

For those with Windows OS's, make sure you have the MS08-067 patch installed.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx

If you've been updating regularly, you should be fine as this was issued back in Oct. 2008.

I've been on the internet since the original Mosaic browser; I remember using "FtpMail" to "browse" the nacent web by sending FTP commands to an FTP proxy by e-mail; I remember when they said the theoretical maximum connection speed over your phone line was 14.4.

What I don't remember is *ever* being infected. It takes a special kind of stupid (or to have friends who fit in that category) to become infected. Trouble is, Windows is the tool for the, well, tools.

P.S. Apologies to any who have been infected for the "special" comment but, seriously, don't click on that attachment that says "AnnaKournikova.jpg.exe". Use FF/TB instead of IE/Outlook if you can possibly do so, and disable automatic everything (loading images in e-mails, JavaScript in e-mails, and so on).

Viruses have affected me in a negative way *only* because all employers now insist I used McAfee or some other bloated virus scanner (here are the stats since the last restart: 92360 files scanned, zero issues detected). Applications which should take 3-5 seconds to start up now take 30-45 seconds, becaus McAfee insists on re-scanning all the configuration files and DLLs that the application uses -- again, and again, and again, and ...

What has caused more loss of productivity -- the actual viruses or the virus scanners?

wprager wrote:
What I don't remember is *ever* being infected. It takes a special kind of stupid (or to have friends who fit in that category) to become infected. Trouble is, Windows is the tool for the, well, tools.

wprager wrote:I've been on the internet since the original Mosaic browser; I remember using "FtpMail" to "browse" the nacent web by sending FTP commands to an FTP proxy by e-mail; I remember when they said the theoretical maximum connection speed over your phone line was 14.4.

What I don't remember is *ever* being infected. It takes a special kind of stupid (or to have friends who fit in that category) to become infected. Trouble is, Windows is the tool for the, well, tools.

P.S. Apologies to any who have been infected for the "special" comment but, seriously, don't click on that attachment that says "AnnaKournikova.jpg.exe". Use FF/TB instead of IE/Outlook if you can possibly do so, and disable automatic everything (loading images in e-mails, JavaScript in e-mails, and so on).

Viruses have affected me in a negative way *only* because all employers now insist I used McAfee or some other bloated virus scanner (here are the stats since the last restart: 92360 files scanned, zero issues detected). Applications which should take 3-5 seconds to start up now take 30-45 seconds, becaus McAfee insists on re-scanning all the configuration files and DLLs that the application uses -- again, and again, and again, and ...

What has caused more loss of productivity -- the actual viruses or the virus scanners?

I remember going back to using Lynx to browse the WWW... before the web was "visible" and we used tools like Gopher, Archie, Finger and our modems were rated in baud not kbps.

Ahhh... good times.

Dirt called and it asked if you are attending the high school reunion again ths year?

j/k... couldn't resist...

MurderOnIce wrote:Dirt called and it asked if you are attending the high school reunion again ths year?

j/k... couldn't resist...

HA HA!

Funny thing is, you and I are the same age.

Remember Y2K? In 9 years I'll ask if anyone remembers the 2009 April Fools virus.

Chicken Little

MurderOnIce wrote:Dirt called and it asked if you are attending the high school reunion again ths year?

j/k... couldn't resist...

Thins is, that was only about 15 years ago. I remember my wife coming home and telling me about this exciting new tool/application she just saw called Mosaic. I asked what it was and she said "A browser". And I said < Cosby voice > "What's a browser? < /Cosby voice >

In case you're too young to remember the above reference: