There are times when one is tempted to throw up one’s hands in disgust, grab the gun, and head for the clock tower.
A couple days ago, Shelly and I set out to install three new computers for a client–two in the office and one at home. The job was supposed to be simple–set up the new machines, copy the data from the old machines tothe new machines (which a handy program called PC Relocator makes simple), and we’re done.
The office went fine. But at home…
The client’s home machine is used for Limewire and Kaaza. It had over 105,000 files on it–including over 10,000 files in various temporary folders. It also had a total of 36 Trojans and worms on it, including variants on 6 different virus families, and a total of 115 pieces of spyware.
Ye gods.
We were working on the machine until midnight just cleaning it up to make the move.
I’ve installed a hardware firewall between the new machine and the Net, and cautioned the client about the perils of downloading anything from email.
I’d love to meet these virus authors in person some day. Just five minutes and a baseball bat, oh Lord, just five minutes and a baseball bat…
I hear you. I was doing piecework data checking/entry for a client and spent three hours cleaning off their machine of all the spyware and etc. so it wouldn’t lock up. And then they tried to say that since I hadn’t done *work* . . .
I hear you. I was doing piecework data checking/entry for a client and spent three hours cleaning off their machine of all the spyware and etc. so it wouldn’t lock up. And then they tried to say that since I hadn’t done *work* . . .
I’d love to meet these virus authors in person some day. Just five minutes and a baseball bat, oh Lord, just five minutes and a baseball bat…
Hmmm… Think we could use virus authors to test my theory that if the way we checked for testicular cancer was the same as how we check for breast cancer, mammograms would never have been invented? Just line up some virus authors and have em drop trou…
I’d love to meet these virus authors in person some day. Just five minutes and a baseball bat, oh Lord, just five minutes and a baseball bat…
Hmmm… Think we could use virus authors to test my theory that if the way we checked for testicular cancer was the same as how we check for breast cancer, mammograms would never have been invented? Just line up some virus authors and have em drop trou…
heya,
sorry i haven’t called…we’re at the mercy of our guests & I hurt my foot last night. We might wanna do something a bit more low key tonight than a club…i’ll call you when i know…my guests are awol right now…
heya,
sorry i haven’t called…we’re at the mercy of our guests & I hurt my foot last night. We might wanna do something a bit more low key tonight than a club…i’ll call you when i know…my guests are awol right now…
It also had a total of 36 Trojans and worms on it, including variants on 6 different virus families, and a total of 115 pieces of spyware.
Oh.
My.
God!
It also had a total of 36 Trojans and worms on it, including variants on 6 different virus families, and a total of 115 pieces of spyware.
Oh.
My.
God!
“Okay, so 10 out of 10 for style…
…but -5 million for good thinking?” —Zaphod Beeblebrox, HHGTTG
Maybe while you’re out bashing in the heads of evil, you could spare a whack or two for the clients who obviously clicked on everything ever sent to them or answered every shiny, flashy pop-up banner ad that begged for their attention?
If spammers deserve to be flayed alive and have salt poured on their open flesh as they bake in the hot desert sun, the clients that allowed this to happen to themselves deserve at least a nice paper-cut with lemon-juice poured all over it and a whack with a clue-by-four.
(Or are you not allowed to think this because they’re paying you?)
Re: “Okay, so 10 out of 10 for style…
There’s a part of me that’s very annoyed at people who will download anything, especially anything that claims to be “Britney Spears Naked!!!” and has an attachment ending in .exe–but the fact remains that the real assholes here are the virus writers, who are more and more often not bored kids but professional criminals.
“Okay, so 10 out of 10 for style…
…but -5 million for good thinking?” —Zaphod Beeblebrox, HHGTTG
Maybe while you’re out bashing in the heads of evil, you could spare a whack or two for the clients who obviously clicked on everything ever sent to them or answered every shiny, flashy pop-up banner ad that begged for their attention?
If spammers deserve to be flayed alive and have salt poured on their open flesh as they bake in the hot desert sun, the clients that allowed this to happen to themselves deserve at least a nice paper-cut with lemon-juice poured all over it and a whack with a clue-by-four.
(Or are you not allowed to think this because they’re paying you?)
Re: “Okay, so 10 out of 10 for style…
There’s a part of me that’s very annoyed at people who will download anything, especially anything that claims to be “Britney Spears Naked!!!” and has an attachment ending in .exe–but the fact remains that the real assholes here are the virus writers, who are more and more often not bored kids but professional criminals.