TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the Dumpster

Re: Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the Dumpster

DevilsPGD (spamsucks@crazyhat.net)
Sun, 24 Jul 2005 13:27:15 -0500

In message <telecom24.336.10@telecom-digest.org> Steve Sobol
<sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote:

> Pat said:

>> Also I would like to comment on your allegation 'the only way to get
>> infected is by user stupidity'. I think that is sort of a harsh
>> assessment. _Not everyone_ who owns a computer knows everything about
>> it

> Pat's right.

> You can be computer-savvy, even, and not necessarily know within hours
> every time a new exploit comes out. It's not a question of
> stupidity. New malware releases tend to happen quickly.

While true, the vast majority of malware released post-XPSP2 requires
explicit user intervention to install it.

It doesn't install itself, it asks for permission (often more then once).

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is very true also, but often times
that request to install is couched with the colors and logo of a
Windows Update or some other circumstance that would lead a reasonably
intelligent person to go ahead and okay it, only to realize a few
seconds later that they may have done something they should not have
done. Even though they do sometimes ask, it is rare or _never_ that
they are forthright about their intentions or _exactly what_ this
'important update' will actually accomplish. PAT]

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