Another defense against destructive viruses: avoid operating-system monoculture!
Okay, connectivity in the cyberworld is much greater than in biological populations, so there's no chance that OS diversity would prevent epidemics like biodiversity might in nature. It's clear, though, that no business or government institution should depend solely on a single OS. Especially not the holey one that currently dominates the world.
I guess the vigilantes don't operate in my neighbourhood: I had to spend almost three hours this afternoon deworming.
Two questions:
1. What is the difference between a virus and a worm?
2. What ever happened to Unf? (I'm still waiting for that Liz Phair review)
Three hours waiting for Symantec to scan your hard drive doesn't count as time spent deworming, but you have Unfogged's sympathies just the same.
Roughly (very roughly: what counts as a "unit" of code?), a virus resides in another program and does it's mischief while hidden inside while a worm is "independent." To the end user, I'm not sure that distinction makes a difference, since in both cases there is a file that is a danger to your system.
Unf, in my brief communications with him, seems to be damn busy. Perhaps he can find time to speak for himself in the comments.
I need and I think may even deserve Unfogged's sympathy (sob sob). There's a new virus (or is it a worm?) on my computer. My DSL connection doesn't work (something to do with "renewing the IP address," which it won't renew -- this may be the result of yesterday's Blaster Worm), my IRL email is inaccessible (and emails are being lost in cyberspace), and everything is just screw-y.
I am downloading patches (yes, of course I should have downloaded the patches before I got attacked, but then shouldn't Microsoft have made a better software to begin with?)
Who is responsible for these acts of sabotage?!
But don't even get me started on the hacker code: we're doing the public a favor, exposing the vulnerabilities so that software makers will improve their programs. By this logic, the bank robber is doing the bank a favor, too.
Uh oh. A new one? Really? That stinks. Get the latest virus definitions and run a complete scan of your system. The patches may not solve your problem if you've already been infected.
Do you have another computer around with which to check the DSL?
And the answer to your question is usually: teenagers and Russians.