ChAiNz.2da Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 HELSINKI, Finland (Reuters) -- Computer specialist Didier Stevens put up a simple text advertisement on the Internet offering downloads of a computer virus for people who did not have any.... - Source, CNN Click link for full story... ------------ First reaction, admittingly, I LOL'ed However after reading the story, it struck me how in today's outrageous marketing strategies (a field I work in) something this straightforward could be seen as a 'joke', however have dire, very real to almost catastrophic consequences... especially with our technological advances. Suppose there was a virus waiting for you on the opposite end of that link? Even if you have an anti-virus... can you be sure it's going to stop this one? Who knows, it could be a brand new one What does this say for (or about) people today. Are we that naive, are we that curious, or are we that bold? Could even this article strike a "fear factor" (a good topic being discussed in Kavar's Corner as we speak). Will people, now that they have written proof, never click on anything again out of fear it will lead to who-knows-what? Yeah sure, we have built up an awareness over the years to "suspicious" looking links and such, but something this ludicrous you have to wonder if ppl were clicking on it just to see if it was joke.. since it doesn't really fit the "typical spammer" red-flag topics discussing your finances, prescription meds or ..ahem.. 'digit' length Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pho3nix Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 As a Finn. This shocked me. I can't believe anyone would be that stupid. I'm pretty sure though that those who clicked the ad did it out of curiosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimartin Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 There isn’t a link to where can I get mine? I’m actually surprised the number isn’t larger considering the amount of traffic Google gets and the length of time it was up. Maybe people are actually smarter than I give them credit for being or maybe its because it didn’t say “free viruses and porn.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentScope001 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Well, a free virus could actually be useful. If say, Bobby hates Thomas, and Bobby sees "Free Virus! Click here!", Bobby could click on that link, download and extract the virus on a ".exe" extension, attach it, and send it over to Thomas. Thomas opens the attachment, and Bobby gets his revenge. Mwhahaha! Which is what I really fear. What if people start using the Internet and GoogleAdware to download viruses and become evil "script kiddies"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbieZ Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 I think your all forgetting the key thing that stopped the aliens invading on Independance Day. I rest my case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Just what I always wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quanon Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Was it called Vista ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gargoyle King Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Well, a free virus could actually be useful. If say, Bobby hates Thomas, and Bobby sees "Free Virus! Click here!", Bobby could click on that link, download and extract the virus on a ".exe" extension, attach it, and send it over to Thomas. Thomas opens the attachment, and Bobby gets his revenge. Mwhahaha! Without being too cynical, your view is quite childish, "a free virus could actually be useful"; if you like to destroy other people's property, that makes you quite childish to be frank (without meaning any offence). Besides, Anti-Virus prevention techniques are very sophisticated in the modern age, a virus lieke you describe would be picked up and quarantined by most modern anti-virus programs on the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk102 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 are we that curious That's definitely a factor. I tested this theory a couple years ago in one of the human-machine interfaces I designed. I buried a button in one of the operator screens, that was labeled "Nothing". It was just an up counter so I could see how many times people would press it. I was surprised to see after 3 months it had pressed 65 times. *shrug* Must be boring to work in a factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gargoyle King Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 That's definitely a factor. That it is, i think it is the excitment of the 'uknown' that drives us to these things - curiosity can overcome us at the best of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentScope001 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Without being too cynical, your view is quite childish, "a free virus could actually be useful"; if you like to destroy other people's property, that makes you quite childish to be frank (without meaning any offence). Besides, Anti-Virus prevention techniques are very sophisticated in the modern age, a virus lieke you describe would be picked up and quarantined by most modern anti-virus programs on the market. I'm saying it's useful. I never said it's legal or that I encourage it. I dislike it, hence me getting quite upset about this "free virus" promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totenkopf Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Yeah, curiosity is definitely a two edged sword. W/o it there'd be no computers that would allow us to let it get the better of us and download the next virus that wipes our HDs......oh well, what's life w/o a hard lesson or two (or more)...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth InSidious Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 It is a common misconception that curiosity killed the cat. This is, strictly speaking, untrue. Stupidity is what killed the cat. Curiosity was only ever charged with aiding and abetting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 It would've been pity for 409 people to have infected computers, but I can't help but feel they'd deserve it for being that dumb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hallucination Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 A pity about those 409 people with infected computers, but I can't help but feel they deserved it for being that dumb... There was no virus involved, it was an experiment aiming to show these kinds of advertising systems can be used for malicious intent, Stevens told Reuters. Dev-Dev just got owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aash Li Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Was it called Vista ??? Yes, but you have to pay a lot of money for that virus... unless you live in China. Then you can get Vistaids Ulimate. xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Dev-Dev just got owned.Hehe. I appreciate your bringing this to my attention, Watson. I will make sure that he knows it. I thought the article was pretty funny. I mean, who would go and click something like that? Of course, I don't click random stuff anyway - I'm not usually just wandering aimlessly on the net clicking ads - so I'm probably not the kind of person this thing was designed to get. Still, I guess since email spam gets cash, this would get some sort of reaction as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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