OT: Speaking of MS Updates

[Jerry Sloan]

On Tue, 2004-08-10 at 20:37, Fairlight wrote:
> 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->

The e-mail offering the virus removal tool was most likely the virus
itself. 

Jerry