Microsoft: Virus-Infected Computers Should Be Quarantined

[Farangchopthai]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/07/microsoft-virus-computers-quarantined

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Maybe they should quarantine Microsoft because the company hasn't properly designed, monitored and corrected all the defective products they sell which allow the viruses to spread?

Charney ["corporate vice president of Microsoft's trustworthy computing team"] said computers should be required to have a clean "health certificate" before being allowed to connect to the internet

Trustworthy? :lol:

Comparing a computer virus to an epidemic disease?

How about Charney produce a "clean bill of health" certificate every time he has sex? We don't want him spreading STD's or propagating his genetic stupidity.

Edited October 8, 2010 by zaphodbeeblebrox

[Capealava]

Buy a Mac

[Crushdepth]

If this ever actually happened, it would take about 2 minutes for M$ to add 'or running bootlegged Windows' to the list. This idea is just a front for pushing a certain intellectual property bill.

[trogers]

Maybe they should quarantine Microsoft because the company hasn't properly designed, monitored and corrected all the defective products they sell which allow the viruses to spread?

Charney ["corporate vice president of Microsoft's trustworthy computing team"] said computers should be required to have a clean "health certificate" before being allowed to connect to the internet

Trustworthy? :lol:

Comparing a computer virus to an epidemic disease?

How about Charney produce a "clean bill of health" certificate every time he has sex? We don't want him spreading STD's or propagating his genetic stupidity.

The computer probably got sick due to running a weak OS that is filled with exploitable holes. And after paying $$ for such an OS, the OS maker wants your computer banned from the internet...LOL.

[Phil Conners]

If this ever actually happened, it would take about 2 minutes for M$ to add 'or running bootlegged Windows' to the list. This idea is just a front for pushing a certain intellectual property bill.

Doing that would be the one thing that could make me change to Apple!

[jybkk]

Buy a Mac

Or buy a legit OS.

Because that's the main problem here: millions use illegal copies of the OS, therefore not up to date with wide security gaps that have been closed for years in legit versions.

I wouldn't mind (after all, it's their computer, and I'm not afraid of being infected), except that many of them are actually business, storing some of my personal information, which is promptly relayed to some russian hacker mobs to be sold on the market.

Ever wondered where all this spam was coming from? Well, last time you sent an email to Somchai Resort in Krabi, the 23 worms running on his pirated 10-year-old windows XP immediately captured your email address and forwarded it to some shady organization.

[Supernova]

millions use illegal copies of the OS, therefore not up to date with wide security gaps that have been closed for years in legit versions.

I don't think so... By enabling Automatic Updates, one can keep his/her computer up-to-date with the latest patches whether running genuine or pirated Windows. No WGA validation is required.

FWIW, most pirates aren't oblivious when it comes to security. It's those folks with limited technical knowledge or users who simply "don't care" that fall prey to malware and viruses. And from what I've seen working in the field, the majority of infected machines do run legal copies of Windows (believe it or not). Don't shift the blame elsewhere when the real problem exists between keyboard and chair.

[Phil Conners]

^ +1 green dot for Supernova!

[RKASA]

I still use windows I am on it now - but I don't use it like I used to. Most things I do with free linux - only the most trusted sites for my windows and I have not had a problem for a vary long time.

The biggest problems I have had with my windows were caused not by the virus themselves but the anti virus programs. Norton would blue screen my XP every three months like clock work. Some once install became as bad as any virus in the first place. I thank the bad anti-virus programs for getting me going in linux more then I do windows.

Downloading, mail, servers etc are all in the linux realm.

If they found a silver bullet that protected windows - the other OS's like linux would become targets too. In fact browsers are getting to be like an OS on an OS and much can be done just from there. Are they going to block anyone using Firefox when a problem starts. Browsers get security updates too. It was java on a Mac they broke into the fastest a few years ago and point out it could have been any OS with protection and they could have done the same thing.

Really need to hammer the source of hacks, virus and malware to stop it from happening. Don't do like comcast has done and block all my e-mail to any comcast account because it was sent from my email program on the PC via gmail rather then from gmail online with a browser. dooooh.

[Crushdepth]

Doing that would be the one thing that could make me change to Apple!

They'll be happy to push it too...along with RIA

[Xircal]

Microsoft does everything it can to stifle innovation and then looks at us all glumly when their own products consistently fail.

If you've got some time on your hands, have a look at this site called Why I Hate Microsoft which makes for a very interesting read.

[bkk_mike]

If virus-infected computers get banned from the internet, how are you supposed to download the latest anti-virus software to fix them.

Also, wouldn't half of Microsoft's programmers (sanctioned or not) start working on virii for OS-X and Linux, and Apple and Linux programmers would be working on virii for Windows.

After all, the only chance they have of getting rid of Microsoft's effective monopoly is by getting Windows PCs thrown off the internet en-masse, forcing everyone to change OS.

As for PCs running bootleg copies of Windows... - yes if you're knowingly running a bootleg copy, you have automatic updates running and you get the nagware about failing validation, but you have all the security updates.

It's the PCs where the company that sold the PC didn't want you to realise you're running a bootleg copy, so set it to NOT download updates, so that it never downloads the validation check, that are extremely prone to getting hit by a virus.

(I used to run bootleg copies of XP on the kids computers - but they're running legit Windows 7 now).

[Phil Conners]

As for PCs running bootleg copies of Windows... - yes if you're knowingly running a bootleg copy, you have automatic updates running and you get the nagware about failing validation, but you have all the security updates.

Not true. When you get the information that there are updates available, go through them and just don't accept the ones that install the nagware. It's really that simple.

[Supernova]

^ KB905474 to be precise, along with the WGA Validation Tool (KB892130).