Category Archives: Malware

Is Zip The Way To Thwart Viruses?

I like this idea from a Slashdot poster: Eliminate most viruses by zipping everything. It works (I think) like this: Most viruses arrive as an attachment to an email. These are called executables in that if you click on them, something happens. (As opposed to a file attachment such as a Word document, or a… Read More »

An Apology, And Some More Ways Out Of Spam and Viruses

Just got an angry email from the folk at 0Spam.Net, who I mentioned in an earlier post as one of the companies somewhat, er, quick to congratulate itself in the wave for avoiding the worst of MyDoom. Bill Franklin, 0Spam.Net president, writes that “Whether our product works or not and its value to your readers… Read More »

Homeland Virus Alerts – What Happened?

The big anti-virus vendors often stand accused (rightly) of exaggerating the danger and impact of viruses; Not surprising they do that, they make money out of protecting people from viruses. But why would the U.S. government do it? Here’s a great piece by Mary Landesman of about.com complaining about US CERT, a newly formed partnership between the… Read More »

More On Damage Estimates And The Myth-Making Urge

It was bound to happen, and it always pays to be first: Who’s going to estimate how much damage MyDoom did? Rob Rosenberger, editor of Vmyths, predicted it right: The winner is British security consultant mi2g, which reckons the damage will cost us all $38.5 billion. That’s a lot of cash. Vmyths is not impressed, dismissing… Read More »