Yup, you guessed right! Not Mac, not Linux. Already 1% of computers running
Redmond's crapware are infected, and the worst isn't over yet:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/conficker-worm-infects-9-million-and-counting-39617
For those who didn't realize yet: 10 million infected machines is fully one
percent of the total number of machines out there.
"a virulent new worm, which took down Ministry of Health systems for 15
days. ...
the Ministry of Health is only now on the verge of giving an all-clear
after a 15-day battle with the worm, which hit 2000 of its PCs, and caused
the ministry to temporarily sever its connection to the internet to avoid
infecting others."
Oops! A country's complete health ministry down because they used Windows.
These guys sure have one hell of a health problem! Let's see, 2000 PC's
down for 15 days ... say we're talking a few hundred dollars in
productivity loss per PC, plus, say, a hundred dollars per PC for
cleansing ... well, that's easily over half a million worth of damage.
With the total number of infections at least 5,000 times higher, damage must
be running into the billions already. Great Software for sure!
But what does this beastie do?
"infected PCs could be used for a variety of criminal purposes -- from
relaying spam to hosting scam Web sites -- there are signs that this whole
mess may be an attempt to further spread so-called "scareware," which uses
fake security alerts to frighten consumers into purchasing bogus computer
security software."
Rather ironic, isn't it? Those poor Windows users are infected, and then the
infection may create its own feeding ground, by offering even more Wincrap
to users. All thanks to Bill Gates and his nightma^H^H^H^Hvision "We know
we sell insecure crap but we don't care as long as we can keep selling it".
And then, is there a remedy? Um, it appears it's the third "R" of
Windows' "Triple R" solution scheme: reinstall:
"Once Conficker infects, it appears to be difficult to root out."
Ah well, at least the PC business will get a huge boost out of this,
cleaning up all those sickly Windows boxes ... and looking forward to the
next mass infection, of course.
Poor Wintrolls ... all they can come up with in the "Linux sucks" department
are isolated incidents, affecting a handful of users, or perhaps a few
hundred at most ...
Richard Rasker
--
http://www.linetec.nl
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