OT: Speaking of MS Updates

[Fairlight]

Kelly just got the most hilarious Windows Update notification for her W2K
system.  It's a MyDoom/Zindows/DoomJuice virus removal tool.  The attached
note said that the fact that the update appeared meant your system was most
likely infected.

That's cute.  1) No email ever touches Opal except in gzipped *nix
mbox-style file format for archival purposes--no active mail through
Outlook, Eurdora, or any other MUA ever touches that system, in or out, and
2) I virus-scanned the entire system a few hours ago and it was clean as a
whistle.

This smells of desperation in an attempt to force users into being paranoid
enough to clean up MS's own mess for them.

Yes, I'm all for tight security, as everyone likely knows.  But not at the
point of lying to people about their likelihood of infection.  When it
comes to tactics like this, I can't be quite cynical enough.  Maybe Tony
has a point--to some extent.  I don't entirely agree with him--many holes
-are- patchable.  And I do think one should make a system as hardened as
possible.  But since I already operate under the assumption that Windows is
swiss cheese anyway...this kind of tactic goes over the top.

Just my $0.02, since the topic was up in discussion earlier.

At any rate, if anyone sees the update pop up, -don't- immediately panic.  

mark->
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