VIRUS TARGETS DAILYKOS. (Is DU next?)

[skids]

It was only a matter of time before someone managed to string together enough brain cells to write a virus specifically to attack DailyKos.

As to whether it was just another criminal ID thief, or a random freak of nature freeper with a positive IQ, Rove mercenary, or whatever passes for COINTELPRO these days, that's yet to be determined. But read about it and you'll see this was not just a canned virus making its way around autmatically -- it was specifically written for DailyKos and did stuff like troll rating people and editing their diaries to spread itself:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/29/61539/1058

I would say this though... if it turns out to be random freep idiots, they should watch out. There are a whole lot of very talented computer people here and on dkos who usually out of principle do not code malware, but if aggravated, well, who knows... You don't throw water balloons at a guy with a fire hose is all I am saying.

[mmonk]

1. Interesting.

The information war is going to heat up in my estimation anyway.

[skids]

3. Yeah it keeps me up at night...

...being one of the people that could probably write the "doomsday" virus if I put serious time into it. Every night I count my blessings that the people writing these things are trying to make money off it, and in doing so they generally don't try to destroy the computers they affect. So all they do is give me a headache at my job.

I shudder to think what would happen if someone released one that spread and then corrupted people's bioses and various proms after nuking their disk.

[rocktivity]

2. I haven't been able to get to Blog Active since yesterday.

:headbang:
rocknation

[rocktivity]

8. Whew, BlogActive's back

with a 10/27 post that suggests that its only problem was a "popularity virus":

Wow. I'm getting more hits tonight in each hour than I normally get in a quiet week...Welcome to those of you coming in via Yahoo!, the Associated Press, CNN or other places...

...BlogACTIVE.com...exposes anti-gay politicians who themselves are closeted...(My) work has exposed...US Rep. Ed Schrock...and US Rep. David Dreier...Here are some links to my...report(s)...from last year...on...Craig's sexual encounters with men...

NICE snark about the media--not that a legitimate news source like AP or CNN would want anything to do with a common basement blogger, and a GAY one at that!

:rofl:
rocknation

[lapfog_1]

4. Not that I'm accusing anyone...

but a video link posted here just a few days ago infected my system with the WinAntiSpy virus. It was a real bitch to clean from my 'puter too. It's very annoying in the way it fires up instances of IE (which I don't use) and has IE pop up an add to a WinAntiSpy affiliate. And if you do a google search on the WinAntiSpy, you'll find a company that claims to have a automatic removal (DiskCleaner or HardDiskCleaner or something like that) which you have to pay $29.95 for, which is ALSO a virus and does not remove WinAntiSpy. Of course, if you then google this anti-virus software, you'll find that WinAntiSpy is a solution to IT. Very clever.

Of course, I didn't download or pay for anything, I used something called Kaspersky Internet Security (30 day free trial) and my handy SpyBot and RegistryBooster to clean this thing... plus a hand edit of the registry file (yuck).

Anyway, it cost me a few hours...

Now I won't download any video unless it's a YouTube or Google Video link (or maybe from CNN).

[displacedtexan]

5. My AVG caught a video virus the other day and blasted it immediately.

And the AVG program I have is free.

[lapfog_1]

6. I had AVG installed (the free version) as well - n/t

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

7. I won't click on any video link that is posted outside of Political Videos

I will go to, say, Crooks and Liars if the post directs there, but I won't post on any direct link since the Storm Botnet began a new campaign.

In fact, in a thread about that very botnet (the one that's delivered in spam titled OMG man your crazy, etc), someone posted a link that I thought was suspicious. Too many people registered here whose intentions are not good...not gonna click it just because some DUer posts it...