Virus Writers Look Ahead: Target 64-bit Windows 205
Ashcrow writes "A new virus, named W64.Shruggle.1318 by Symantec, is being 'tested' on AMD64 machines running 64-bit Windows. While it is not currently a danger to 64-bit Windows users, it does show that virus writers are looking toward the future. The exploitable software in questions is currently unreleased outside of beta. News.com has the full article."
Re:It's a good thing (Score:1, Insightful)
Bzzt!!
The computing society as a whole is doing just fine, thx.
The retards still running MS software connected to any sort of network are the only ones doing any 'falling down.'
This shows once again (Score:5, Insightful)
After all Windows 64-bit is allready installed on millions and millions of machines so it is only natural that hackers attack it instead of those few machines that run 64-bit Linux.
Oh, wait...
Nevermind.
conspiracy? (Score:4, Insightful)
Ricardo.
Re:I always suspected (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe I am too much into conspicy stuff, but I have the idea that it is in Symantec's best interests that their clients believe that even the new, upgraded OSes need virus protection.
So they are going to look VERY hard to find reasons why 64 bit XP needs new anti-virus tools.
Re:oldschool (Score:3, Insightful)
The general public are stupid and would not even be able to handle that level of security! They'd want to know why their new mouse cursors can't be installed, why their IE search bar needs a password, etc, etc
Re:oldschool (Score:5, Insightful)
The general public are stupid and would not even be able to handle that level of security! They'd want to know why their new mouse cursors can't be installed, why their IE search bar needs a password, etc, etc
Good. It's time for the general public to suck it up.
If the general public can handle OSX (and presumably they can), then they can handle this. OSX installers require the admin password.
Re:oldschool (Score:3, Insightful)
I understand your concern, but this would break compatibility with absolutely everything, which would be enough to make people avoid upgrading. I agree that it would make virus-writers lives more difficult, but its at too high a price on the user's experience.
Maybe an alternative would be an Admin-controlled "install mode" - drop into that, and for the duration of the session anything can be installed, and will automatically marked as 'good'. Disconnecting from the network while that is running would obviously be handy, too.
Re:It's a good thing (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I always suspected (Score:2, Insightful)
typical (Score:2, Insightful)
If it wasn't for the criminals, most windows 'problems' wouldn't be an issue at all.
before you whine at me, and incorrectly call me flamebait for disagreeing with your somehow more enlightened views about the great good those virus writers do with their vandalism
what do you think of grafitti? do you like it when you look outside in the morning and see some bastard's tag painted on your building?
You fools treat viruses the same way that most cities (and those fools that call it 'art') treat grafitti
Re:so what? (Score:2, Insightful)
It's great, isn't it? We set up 3 AMD64 servers before I bought one for myself at home.
I can't imagine anyone wanting to criple themselves with Windows on such a great platform.
Re:oldschool (Score:2, Insightful)
Nobody ever made money with that kind of attitude...
Re:This shows once again (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:I always suspected (Score:2, Insightful)
They will get used to enter the admin password... (Score:1, Insightful)
'How should I know when to enter and when not to enter the admin password?'
So, the user will just be fooled into installing a needed plugin (whatever) and enters the required password...
AMD's compatibility (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:so what? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sheesh, what's with all the OS hate around here? Linux, Windows, BSD, Mac OS, Mac OS X, etc are just tools. Tools that can help you get jobs done. Use the best tool for the job. I wouldn't imagine editing video on anything but OS X, just like I wouldn't imagine playing games on anything but Windows, just like I wouldn't imagine running a dedicated server on anything but Linux.
No one OS is crippling. Limiting yourself due to fanaticism is.
Re:Beta tester not need to apply (Score:3, Insightful)
It won't be idiot proof, it will be idiot dependent
Re:here's the grain of salt (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:well thats great.(Whadd'r we s'pose to do now?) (Score:2, Insightful)
Maybe this cracking and hacking response is just normal. Let it work. SOMEthing has to keep ms in check, right? After all, if a corporation has a status of "entity" or "person", and then it runs amok, trying to be all for everyone and control or destroy all it doesn't like to compete with then it also should have a lifespan, and be subject to human "murderers" or "kneecappers", but it seems ms is morphing itself into a cancer by being:
-voracious (computing, real estate, banking, entertainment...)
-omnivorous (buy up real or file fake patents)
-belligerent (FUD, pre-empt moms & pops)
-bellicose- (funding BSA, (no, not the Boy Scouts))
-obtuse (pricing)
-sprially spawning into numerous markets (see item above... let us hope they don't end up in airline cockpits)
-prevaricators (faked video testimony, ROI, etc...)
Other companies do similar, but it doesn't seem anyone is hell-bent on attacking:
-IBM
-Sony
-Fujitsu
-Kroger
-Marshalls
-SC
Wait, SCO is busy juggling the efforts of cutting it's own jugular...
David Syes