Security expert Q&A: The virus writers are winning

Grok Headline matches for Security expert Q&A: The virus writers are winning

Security expert: Virus writers are
winning

Security expert: Virus writers are
winning 08/07/2004 03:35 AM

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An interesting interview with the Director of Anti-Virus Research from F-Secure, Mikko Hyppönen. I’m not keen on their products, but I like what he says, especially his response to the question, “What responsibility do ISPs have in protecting these home users in the first place? It’s irresponsible to sell Internet connections without telling the users of the risks. If you go out and buy an (Asymmetric DSL) box and connect it to your computer and…

Virus writers winning the war, says
Microsoft

Virus writers winning the war, says
Microsoft 12/04/2003 06:02 PM
Creators of computer viruses are winning the battle with law enforcers and getting away with crimes that cost the global economy some US$13bil (RM49bil) this year, a Microsoft official said Wednesday. David Finn, Microsoft's director of digital integrity for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, cited estimates by BusinessWeek that financial damage this year from bugs like the Blaster worm and the SoBig.F e-mail virus, which crashed systems and disrupted Internet traffic around the world, would total some US$13bil. The cost of protecting networks against such cyberattacks was put at US$3.8bil (RM14.4bil).

Microsoft Creates Anti-Virus Bounty To
Help Track Down Virus Writers

Microsoft Creates Anti-Virus Bounty To
Help Track Down Virus Writers 11/05/2003 10:59 AM
What do you if you're in an unchartered area with no reasonable law enforcement, and criminals are running rampant? You convince everyone to become the "enforcement" arm and find someone rich enough to pay them to help fight crime. Microsoft can't be bothered to fix a few of the holes in their programs that make it incredibly easy to pass on viruses, so instead, they're setting aside $5 million for anti-virus bounty hunters who can track down anyone responsible for worms, trojan horses or viruses. The rewards will be given out in $250,000 wads of cash from Bill Gates wallet increments. So, now, who's going to round up an anti-virus posse?

Virus writers look for work

Virus writers look for work 09/13/2004 08:50 AM

Virus writers in the wild

Virus writers in the wild 04/28/2004 10:29 AM

Virus Writers Stuck In A Rut?

Virus Writers Stuck In A Rut? 11/03/2003 12:21 PM
Anti-virus companies love to get people worked up into a lather about all the virus threats out there, because it helps them sell more product. So, it wasn't much of a surprise that, following the "big" virus and trojan horse problems in August, the anti-virus "experts" started warning that this was just a prelude to something worse, and that we should expect even more virus problems as soon as the current viruses died out. While it is good to keep users vigilant about virus things, these announcements served more to make people ignore the real problem: the anti-virus companies failed. Of course, you don't hear them speaking up now about the fact that their original predictions of "the next wave" of viruses immediately following the last wave appears not to have come true. Especially with the SoBig virus, we were told that the next version was supposed to appear in September sometime, but that never happened. Of course, it's good when we don't have virus outbreaks - and I have no doubt that they will come again - but once again we have a situation where the anti-virus folks seemed to hype things up beyond necessary.

Virus writers have girlfriends -
official

Virus writers have girlfriends -
official 04/15/2005 12:14 PM
And some don't even need inflating

Gizza job, virus writers ask AV industry

Gizza job, virus writers ask AV industry 09/10/2004 01:02 PM
Hidden message in latest MyDoom worm

First Thing, We Kill All The Virus
Writers...

First Thing, We Kill All The Virus
Writers... 05/26/2004 07:41 PM
Over at Slate, Steven Landsburg has come up with something of a "modest proposal" that doesn't actually seem all that tongue in cheek where he tries to make an economic argument that we should just kill all virus writers - arguing that this makes more economic sense than killing murderers. He even admits that his numbers are rough estimates, and unfortunately, it looks like he's using some of the hyped up virus damage estimates that have no basis in reality. There are ton of other incorrect assumptions in the piece (including how evenly distributed both the costs and the benefits of getting rid of viruses would be) that make it kind of silly all around. However, Ernest Miller makes the best point when he wonders why Landsburg doesn't advocate killing some of those scamming company executives that have become so popular these days, who, you could argue did a lot more damage. And, that, in general is the problem with this argument. You could find plenty of actions that appear to have "cost" the industry billions of dollars and then suggest we execute those responsible - but it's a narrow view of what factors are actually impacting the "economy" involved. For example, Landsburg leaves out the fact that if we got rid of all the virus writers, it would kill the anti-virus/security industry, which seems to contribute plenty of money to the economy as well. Where Landsburg is right is the importance of trying to quantify the costs and benefits to various actions. However, where he sets a dreadful example is in focusing so narrowly that he doesn't admit that there are other consequences to his proposal that play into those costs and benefits.

Virus writers have a price on their head

Virus writers have a price on their head 11/06/2003 08:51 AM
vnunet.com Nov 6 2003 8:14AM ET

No Summer Vacation for Virus Writers

No Summer Vacation for Virus Writers 06/28/2004 01:33 PM
A new development in virus evolution reared its ugly head last week.

Learning From Virus Writers Instead Of
Killing Them

Learning From Virus Writers Instead Of
Killing Them 05/27/2004 12:11 PM
While yesterday we wrote about the econo mic argument for killing virus writers, today, we've got a piece by Michael Schrage discussing th e economics of learning from virus writers. He discusses the difference between "compete with" and "compete against" competition - the first being where the two sides compete in the marketplace to try to offer better and better products (leading to increased value for the consumer) and the second being where (at least) one side tries to compete by killing off the other side (that is, negative value creation). Thus, instead of just trying to kill off virus writers (perhaps both literally and figuratively), we should learn how to compete with them - not against them. That is, even if it's for bad reasons, they are being very innovative in how they go about creating their malware. The trick is to turn that around and use it to build better products that can keep out the malware, rather than focus in on stomping out those behind the attacks.

Strategies to beat the virus writers

Strategies to beat the virus writers 01/16/2004 11:27 AM

The Economics of Executing Virus Writers

The Economics of Executing Virus Writers 05/27/2004 10:35 AM

Virus writers focus on image bug

Virus writers focus on image bug 09/24/2004 05:16 AM
BBC Sep 24 2004 9:33AM GMT

Sober judgement for virus writers

Sober judgement for virus writers 12/03/2003 12:41 AM
Personal Computer World Dec 3 2003 0:05AM ET

Microsoft offers $500,000 bounty for
virus writers

Microsoft offers $500,000 bounty for
virus writers 11/05/2003 03:36 PM
Irish Times Nov 5 2003 3:20PM ET

Microsoft puts bounty on virus writers

Microsoft puts bounty on virus writers 11/05/2003 04:46 PM
ZDNet Nov 5 2003 3:41PM ET

Microsoft bounty to disrupt virus
writers?

Microsoft bounty to disrupt virus
writers? 11/05/2003 09:24 PM
CNET Nov 5 2003 8:36PM ET

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks 07/27/2004 06:29 PM
MyDoom.O could not have reached critical mass at a worse time for Google. The high anticipation for its IPO was darkened by the worm's ability to shut down the No.1 search engine temporarily.

Microsoft offers $500,000 to catch virus
writers

Microsoft offers $500,000 to catch virus
writers 11/05/2003 05:58 PM
The unprecedented lure of cash was seen as a way to generate new leads for a cyber dragnet aimed at snaring the bug-writers.

Microsoft Offers A Bounty On Virus
Writers

Microsoft Offers A Bounty On Virus
Writers 11/05/2003 07:32 AM

Are Virus Writers Creating a Super Worm?

Are Virus Writers Creating a Super Worm? 06/06/2005 12:13 AM
Virus writers responsible for the recent rash of Mytob worm variants could be working on creating a super worm, a security researcher warns. The "HellBot" group behind the Mytob worms write programming instructions in their code that mirror the way developers work, says Sophos Security Consultant Carole Theriault. "The only conclusion we can come up with is that they are working on a big super worm," Theriault says.

Since its discovery in February, the Mytob mass-mailing worm has spawned dozens of variants, each just slightly different, according to researchers. However, each variant turns off an infected machine's security settings and blocks the user's access to security Web sites, Theriault says. This makes it difficult to get help once a machine has been infected, and Trojan programs accompanying the worms could leave a backdoor open for attack, she says. One recent version included spyware and adware, which could be used to reap monetary benefits, according to U.K. antivirus company Trend Micro.

News source: PCWorld.com

Read full story...

Virus writers are obsessed
girlfriendless geeks

Virus writers are obsessed
girlfriendless geeks 03/19/2003 10:46 PM

Microsoft Offers $500,000 Bounty for
Virus Writers

Microsoft Offers $500,000 Bounty for
Virus Writers 11/05/2003 12:04 PM
Reuters Nov 5 2003 10:26AM ET

The meagre living of Linux virus writers

The meagre living of Linux virus writers 06/17/2005 03:37 PM

Microsoft Offers Bounty on Virus Writers

Microsoft Offers Bounty on Virus Writers 11/05/2003 10:33 PM

Microsoft to Place Bounty on Virus
Writers

Microsoft to Place Bounty on Virus
Writers 11/05/2003 01:23 PM
New York Times Nov 5 2003 11:59AM ET

Virus writers add network sniffer to
worm

Virus writers add network sniffer to
worm 09/14/2004 07:24 AM
Hybrid risks from potent malware

Virus writers hit home PCs as companies
get tough

Virus writers hit home PCs as companies
get tough 09/24/2004 12:05 PM
vnunet.com Sep 24 2004 3:54PM GMT

Microsoft offers $US500,000 to catch
virus writers

Microsoft offers $US500,000 to catch
virus writers 11/06/2003 03:01 AM
stuff.co.nz Nov 6 2003 1:59AM ET

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks
(NewsFactor)

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks
(NewsFactor) 07/27/2004 02:43 PM
NewsFactor - MyDoom.O could not have reached critical mass at a worse time for Google. Around the same time that the search engine megastar estimated that its stock would sell for US$108 to $135 per share in its initial public offering, MyDoom.O managed to bring down the Google Web site, as well as those of other search engines, for brief periods. This latest iteration of MyDoom uses zombie computers to run searches on Google, Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), Alta Vista and Lycos.

Virus Writers Start Dissing Match with
New Worms

Virus Writers Start Dissing Match with
New Worms 03/06/2004 02:04 AM

Virus writers deploy bulk mail software

Virus writers deploy bulk mail software 06/07/2004 09:03 AM
New multi-stage Trojan rides spam tsunami

Virus writers dismiss Microsoft's bounty
fund

Virus writers dismiss Microsoft's bounty
fund 11/07/2003 11:10 AM
Though cyberspace outlaws may look over their shoulder one extra time before launching a computer virus or worm, they won't be deterred by the $5 million bounty fund established byMicrosoft to help capture and convict them, two virus writers said.

MS exec: Virus authors are winning big

MS exec: Virus authors are winning big 12/04/2003 09:38 AM
ZDNet Dec 4 2003 9:10AM ET

Hackers, Virus Writers Target Mobile
Phones (Reuters)

Hackers, Virus Writers Target Mobile
Phones (Reuters) 02/05/2005 09:41 PM
Reuters - Feature-rich "smart phones" are proving to be nearly as dumb as personal computers when it comes to fending off viruses, hackers and other security headaches familiar to Internet users.

Web-ready cellphones, PDAs are next
frontier for hackers, virus writers

Web-ready cellphones, PDAs are next
frontier for hackers, virus writers 03/28/2005 10:31 AM
Canadian Press via Canada.com Mar 28 2005 1:26PM GMT

Virus writers tweaking Mytob to create a
super worm

Virus writers tweaking Mytob to create a
super worm 06/17/2005 04:44 PM

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Security expert Q&A: The virus writers are winning

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