“A new computer worm dubbed ‘Netsky-D’ was clogging e-mail systems around the world after emerging on Monday, a security expert said,” Reuters reports. “The worm is particularly difficult to root out because it lands in e-mail boxes using a number of different subject lines such as ‘re:details’ or ‘re:here is the document.'”
“‘It arrives with an attached pif file (program information file) and it’s already extremely widespread,’ said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Plc. He said experts do not think the new virus is as big as MyDoom, which brought havoc to computer users and targeted Microsoft’s Web Site, but that the full extent of Netsky-D’s spread would be known as North America logs on. When opened, the virus pif file will rapidly replicate itself, slowing down computers and e-mail bandwidth,” Reuters reports.
Macintosh users are unaffected beyond the usual ‘Net and email slowdowns due to Windows machines executing this worm.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Washington Post: Internet punishing for Windows users, Mac users surf with impunity – February 28, 2004
Moo
This isn’t news anymore.
Maybe reporters should be instructed to call these what they are:
Not internet worms
Not computer worms
Microsoft Windows Worms
The vulnerablility does not reside in the internet, computers in general or even x86 hardware. It resides in the lead product from the home of “trustworthy computing”, Micro$oftopoly.
And again, and again, and again, and again, and again, very interesting News for Mac-Users </ironie>
Sorry about double post, but I cannot help myself. MS launched a website called [url=http://www.tietoturvaopas.fi]http://www.tietoturvaopas.fi[/url] (=Internet security advisory) last month on a National Internet Security day, in Finland. What a joke.
Anyway, krackers/hackers/whoever hacked the site and its still down. They were running Windows server software, that much is obvious.
Some finnish it-website blamed brasilian hackers for it. Somehow I doubt it but it couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow…
I agree with NoPCZone. It’s a great idea. Use the words “Microsoft Windows Worms” every time you talk about this plague and sooner or later the reporters will start using the same words. This is important. Not because I hate Microsoft but because I want a safe Internet and a safe Windows PC even though I prefer to use Mac OS X.
You guys should start a new section called “Virus Daily News” just for these articles. Although I’m a Mac user and have no need for the updates I’m sure millions of Windows users will flock to the “VD” site to get their latest updates.
It is getting to the point that the newsworthy information would be the days that there Isn’t a worm loose on the net.
Sheesh!
Wake up Windows Lemmings! There is a far better choice you can make in computer platforms!
*Yawn… Having a Mac is so boring. No virus attacks no malicious code attack.
It’s just no fun.
It’s like, WMD cannot be found!
Here is a cartoon that brightens my day.
Foxtrot
FYI, Bill Amends, the cartoonist, is a Mac fan and the computer used in the series is called iFruit.
Windows IS a weapon of mass destruction and can be found.
Seroiusly, labeling the worms and viri (pl of virus, I think) as Windows worms and Viri would do a lot to educate the masses. Most average PC users think that putting up with this crap comes with using computers and the internet. Labeling them for what they are might get the wheels turning in their head.
It is getting to the point where there is almost nothing more to be said about this. I mean it literally is getting to be so common that people must be getting numb to the news of a new virus. Those poor bastards. There are none so blind as those that will not see.
Those PC IT guys need something to do.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> If they had a Mac IT guy, he’d be sitting around like that Maytag repair guy. 😀
By the way, what does that “Moo” mean again?
Have fun waiting for that cow named, “Longhorn.” Moo.
Thanks Fred. It’s going to be at least four years of moo’ing then.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Thanks Nobody, needed the laugh!!
You are welcome. I am a fan of Foxtrot (hey, it has a geek in the family!) and what makes it more fun is the Mac references (iMac, PM G3 B&W, iPod, etc.) Amends occasionally slips into his comic strip.
re: “viri (pl of virus, I think)”
Following is an interesting URL discussing this…
http://www.perl.com/language/misc/virus.html
Mike
Damn, M. T. MacPhee, talk about a grammar Nazi! I’m an English Major, and I’ve never heard of “declension.”
Ha Ha!
Yeah, R.V., if ever a day goes by when Microsoft isn’t getting attention for some security-related flaw in Windows *that* will surely be big news. Seems like any positive press they get nowadays is forced and contrived, apologetic and pessimistically hopeful, etc. Surely the premier comedy/tragedy spotlight of this industry.
My colleague has a PC (and all the problems associated with his Windows OS). He refuses to get a Mac because this would be a tacit admission of the superiority of the Mac OS. He just can’t let go of the illusion that Longhorn, whenever it arrives, will be so much better than the current Mac OS at the time. Gotta admire his optimism, but I wonder who will be treating all those depressed Windows folks when Longhorn eventually does make the scene?
I run a Mac and just received a warning and a copy of an email that i supposedly sent that has all the hallmarks of this virus. My computer is OK but am I spreading the virus?
yesh – me too – long time mac user and obviously first time had to deal with this pulava, but i’m gettin about 6 emails a day with this .pif(fle) …. is there anything i can do about it, or just wait till the pest goes away… – my machine seems to be sending them out too according to the ‘undeliverable mail’ i seem to be sending/receiving…?