I don't like it when my PC creahes.
The file has been digitally signed and independently certified as 100% free of spyware, adware and viruses.
After scanning my C:/ drive and my Window files, it reported that I had an IEMonster, Porn Advertiser & Trojan Banker InfoStealer.
I didn't even know I had a C:/ drive or that Microsoft issued Security Warnings to Linux Users.
I feel sorry for people who hit install.
Trust me, that Microsoft certification course you took at the community college/high school only certifies that you can attend a class.
edited by pHreaksYcle
22 comments:
Heh, funny, thanks for making my day a little bit brighter :). As for the C:/, I think you have a MVIV (Microsoft Virtual Image Virus) for Linux (made by Microsoft), try scanning Microsoft corporation for common sense and you will get no results!
I work at a local computer service shop and you wouldn't believe how many people we get that actually believe that is a real anti-virus program and install it. Luckily we haven't had anyone that has tried to "buy" it yet.
Apparently, I found myself at a similar website that ran a similar script on my browser (running under Debian testing).
Unfortunately, I emailed (via a disposable email address) the website from which the "anti-virus software"and got into a quite heated email... discussion... with someone at the website.
The other individual insisted that it was not possible that my GNU+Linux box was free of WiNdOwS viruses. It went back and forth like that a few times before I lost interest.
Not only is WiNdOwS a virus petting zoo, WiNdOwS users are so in fear of viruses that a significant amount of Win-users will do some insanely stupid things to do what they believe will protect them from viruses.
so, what do you do in case? paranoia is just kicking the hell out of me.
this happens to me a bit, everyone i work with asks me what i use for antivirus, they all think i am nuts when i say "nothing"
Haha I had this happen to me also XD Anyways i do not think any Linux user would fall for such a trick.
i haven't had any LXer tell me they have fallen for it, but you never know i guess
if MS think they will be able to spread FUD like this they should think again
@jbs,
This is not Microsoft's doing. This is 3rd parties: spyware, adware and hackers trying to trick users into installing their software.
you would think that MS would not be happy about 3rd parties using logo's so similar to theirs.....
Maybe if the average user used an easy to use version of linux(Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc ...), they woudn't have any problems with viruses, and then people would get used to their computers not crashing all the time. Wait, that would be a bad thing, then Microsoft would be out of a job. Really, the giant needs some real competition, and people are fed up of microsoft's brutish tactics to force them to use windows. Look at Apple's sales recently, Unix/Linux is the only way to go.
charims,
If every person used Ubuntu the website would be asking people to install a deb. The same dumb people who would install an .exe would would be using be Linux and infecting there Linux boxes. Let the dumb ones stay were they are.
Very true! Let the dumb ones stay on windows
It's really not a matter of being smart or stupid. Many people just want to *use* their computers without having to learn all about IT to do it. They shouldn't have to learn all that stuff, if they don't want to.
Most of us, if a red light lit up in our cars, would take them in to have it checked out. We wouldn't get under the hood and try to determine whether the alert was real, or perhaps something the manufacturer put in to trick us into maybe "upgrading" our cars.
As for antivirus, it exists for Linux, and many people use it to avoid passing viruses along to their Windows-using friends. It's a neighborly thing to do, but not necessary for most Linux users.
I, too, used to use Windows, and never had a virus. However, I had antivirus software, a hardware firewall, and very stringent settings on my system that made it difficult to play the dancing pigs e-mails and stuff. Major lossage there...
Hans is right about running as root. There is no need to run as root.
I had uploaded something similar a while back on my flickr page. No worded like this of course, but still interesting =p
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23450535@N07/2900674934/
@Drew
Just stop posting, you're making a fool of yourself and you can't even see it.
If he wants to run as root, let him run as root. It's his PC, it's his fault when he does something accidental that destabilizes his system by accidentally typing something wrong (like "rm -Rf *").
The best way to learn for some people is to experience the consequences.
As to anti-virus, for two years I went without a virus and virus scanner running. I did have one installed and only used it for the occasional scan. I decided to enable it due to the fact I was fixing more and more friend's computers full of viri and malware and the risk of them sending me a bad email that might get through was too risky.
Besides, the sleaze-bags that write these things are getting very clever on browsers and security holes, no matter how careful I am in Windows.
I now run Noscript in Firefox, Avast for anti-virus, Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy for my arsenal against the growing army of crap against Windows.
I have Windows and Linux PCs. So it's not one versus the other. I have them all. I just know Windows is more vulnerable and I've wised-up. I have attempted to run a file that I was sure was from a reliable source and even claimed to be virus free. Lucky for me, Avast caught it before it ran and cleaned it for me. Otherwise I would have been infected. Only a bloated ego says you'll never get infected.
I've been a computer professional (programmer, electronic engineer, system admin) for over 20 years. I know how they work inside and out. Even s@$% happens with the best and most careful of "experts".
By the way, I run Linux at user level, simply because "rm -Rf *" is something I type, on occasion. I have Ubuntu on two PCs and Yellow Dog on my PS3.
Windows, Mac, and Linux are all equal. You can get tricked into to installing a virus on Windows, tricked into installing a malicious app in OS X, and tricked into typing rm -rf / on Linux. It's all down to the user and how savvy they are. Let's be honest, a virus does not just come into your system, just as rm -rf / isn't automatically triggered on a Linux box.
The only way we can stop such things is to change our behavior. Don't go to pirate software or click links in email's saying we won a million dollars. Funny or not, these pop-up ad's do convince a percentage of computer users and it's up to us to not click them.
Did you guys all try AVG for Linux? I don't see a need, personally. But I guess as the future comes, maybe we'll start seeing viruses on the Linux side of things.
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