Virus potential
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Whilst the viruses aren't considered too harmful, the virus writers are pretty safe from the authorities. If they started to cause the kind of damage you suggest, then I'm sure the authorities would be given more money and powers to track them down. Lets face it most virus writers are just a bunch of script kiddies who if it wasn't for computers they would be out with the spray can, smashing up bus shelters and generally being anti-social. Michael :-)
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
why have they still got their kid gloves on? Because the $kr1pt K1ddi3z writing the viruses want to see results and stroke their egos NOW. Writing something simple and high-profile is the quickest way to do that. Causing denial-of-service situations or doing other damage to files is secondary. --Mike-- http://home.inreach.com/mdunn/ Ford: How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford after all, but from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelguese? Arthur: I don't know. Why, do you think it's the sort of thing you're likely to say?
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
What you're saying about stealing or modifying data is quite true. However, the way things are, all data is stored in different ways (SQL, MIME, Access, Oracle, Excel etc....) which makes it hard to effectively steal or modify it. I can imagine how much worse it will be when XML really kicks off globally. Since XML was designed to make data easily interchangable accross businesses, it will be easier for virus writers (even in VBScript!) to access companies data. :eek: (2b || !2b)
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Perhaps they afraid that if they do something like that, the FBI/police will try to track them down. Or perhaps they have common sence. They don't want to cause damage or blackmail others. What they just do is writing viruses, which is not consider by them a crime. Also what a virus do is replicate, that's it's purpose. A virus that -let's say- format the harddisk, also destroy itself, and that's not acceptable cause it limits the posibilities for further spreading. ;) Off course a terrorist can pay a script kiddie, or they can just use a virus constraction tool, and create a destructive virus. :rolleyes: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Memory leaks is the price we pay \0 01234567890123456789012345678901234
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We have been pretty fortunate when it comes to virus payloads. I am sure a lot of people have thought about just what a virus could potentially do. Viruses like CodeRed, while damned infectious, are pretty pathetic. They announce themselves like sheep in long grass and simply slow things down or crash a server, big deal. A simple cleansing ritual along with a patch will cure your headache. Just imagine what a virus could do? Change all occurences of 1 to 2 in all Excel spreadsheets (imagine your accounting departments glee at that eventuality), or swap a few customer bank account #s around. What about instead of just slowing down the mail server the virus searches for specific keywords and forwards matching private, confidential emails to a huge list of people (or back to the virus writer who uses it as blackmail/leverage). The list goes on and frankly some of them are damned scary and could have huge consequences. Maybe these viruses of our deepest darkest imaginations do exist and are doing what we fear most, we just don't know it. But I personally don't think so. So why is it that virus writers have not gone for the big targets, why have they still got their kid gloves on? *I debated whether to not mention some of the virus ideas but thought "phuket, no ways other people have not thought of them yet" *Also if you think about it why have terrorists normally chosen quite small targets? Yes the WTC and the Pentagon are big targets and the human loss factor is far from trivial, but the scenarios of what could happen are far, far worse. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass Cape Town, South Africa "We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible." - Chretien Malesherbes
Eventually a virus (or viruses) that do these things will be created. They have not been created yet simply because nobody bothered to do it. Give someone a good enough reason (maybe pay him?), and he will do it. These viruses are a real threat and one could be released in the wild any day. Also, think about it - If a virus writer (they are not all script kiddies) could write such a complex virus it would take him a while and a lot of effort (he will have to plan it, design it, test it and release it, and probably release service packs for it too) If anyone ever sat down thinking of writing such a virus, he would also have said to himself, "Might just as well get a job as a software engineer and get payed to make such applications!" I think that this factor greatly reduces very big and complex viruses, at least for the time being! :rolleyes:
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Eventually a virus (or viruses) that do these things will be created. They have not been created yet simply because nobody bothered to do it. Give someone a good enough reason (maybe pay him?), and he will do it. These viruses are a real threat and one could be released in the wild any day. Also, think about it - If a virus writer (they are not all script kiddies) could write such a complex virus it would take him a while and a lot of effort (he will have to plan it, design it, test it and release it, and probably release service packs for it too) If anyone ever sat down thinking of writing such a virus, he would also have said to himself, "Might just as well get a job as a software engineer and get payed to make such applications!" I think that this factor greatly reduces very big and complex viruses, at least for the time being! :rolleyes:
he will have to plan it, design it, test it and release it, and probably release service packs for it too Yep, I could see that one... "Sorry, everyone. Due to a flaw with the FileDup™ module, the QR-291 virus fails to properly compress and send the contents of any hidden or system directories. This problem has been fixed in version 2.1. @Home cable modem users are asked to visit our website and manually download the virus, which will begin to effectively propagate it across the Internet. We apologize for any inconvenience." ;)
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he will have to plan it, design it, test it and release it, and probably release service packs for it too Yep, I could see that one... "Sorry, everyone. Due to a flaw with the FileDup™ module, the QR-291 virus fails to properly compress and send the contents of any hidden or system directories. This problem has been fixed in version 2.1. @Home cable modem users are asked to visit our website and manually download the virus, which will begin to effectively propagate it across the Internet. We apologize for any inconvenience." ;)
Or even stranger... "A security flaw in the QR-291 virus has been discovered making it susceptible to the W32.QR-291.Bop wurm. We wish to thank L331-1 for reporting this problem. A service patch will be released in the next few days." Tim Smith Descartes Systems Sciences, Inc.