Author Topic: Killer computer virus hidden on MOST PCs? (Read 914 times)

Vandaler · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2007, 02:08:07 PM »

B.S. detector is off the scale.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2007, 02:24:29 PM »

Just because you can't fathom a world where this could be true (too scary, etc.) or because there is some lack of logic or feasibility?

I don't know the author of this article, and I don't have any attachment to it. It was interesting if true, so I posted it.

Please share with us how you deduced that this article is "crap". Besides being something "you don't hear everyday".

There are a lot of truths that would knock people on their butts -- but they are nevertheless true. So that's a criteria I never use to judge the truth of a story. Of course it puts me more at risk for being gullible, but sometimes that's the price of finding the truth. Besides, using my brain I should be able to figure out which stories are not plausible.

Matthew

Vandaler · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2007, 02:39:06 PM »

Quote from: ChantCd

Just because you can't fathom a world where this could be true (too scary, etc.) or because there is some lack of logic or feasibility?

Lack of logic, feasibility and credibility.

Like the virus it claims, the article also make sure that this can't be verified and that even after reading it, you can't do anything about it.

So how is this useful?

Computer security for large enterprises is what I do for a living. If this was your trade, you'd recognize the B.S. just as well.

Edit: Don't get me wrong... there are some very complex virus, who avoids detection with sophisticated algorithms that allows the code to rewrite itself constantly thus not leaving an easily recognizable signature.

But, the article stipulates they know who did this (6 years ago). There would have been ample time to have them reproduce the code, and then devise an inoculation. You think not?

The creators also are young adults with no agenda apparently; they would surely had cooperated in providing all the information necessary to deal with this situation.

It's also more then likely that the OS they wrote this for (assuming windows 2000) is only marginally used today, and that most computers since then possibly infected are no longer in operation, upgraded or patched.

Also, classified information do get leaked... but rarely does the leaker exposes himself in a way that he can be easily identified. This chain from; - conversation at lunch - to - blogged on a highly politicized newsletter - just as no credibility to my eyes.

Vandaler · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2007, 05:53:27 PM »

Lastly, and now I'm just being cute, calling this program J-Feder 504 requires a certain amount of thinking as this is far from random.

A J-Feder 504 is a timer trigger used by the germans in WWII. This would have been a cool name for a virus that activates at a certain time. The story goes however that this virus activates itself remotly through a passphrase.

The communication involved between all the nodes for such an activation to work world wide by the way is possible theorically, but would rely on vulnerabilities in communication ports that would have most likely been corrected by servicepacks or OS upgrades since 2001.

Matthew · « **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2007, 06:08:17 PM »

Well, authentic or no, I still think it would be prudent to have some "modern knowledge" -- the stuff we can find on Google any day of the week -- in printed form.

Stuff like first aid, how to grow vegetables, how to build a door-covered trench shelter, etc. How to build various useful household implements.

In short, just keep a shoebox full of interesting reading (or have a book which serves the same purpose) for that day when your computer just won't boot -- for many years.

Matthew

Carolus Magnus · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2007, 11:07:56 AM »

I'm sorry Chant but that article seems to me to be simple scare mongering and I will ignore it as such unless more reliable evidence comes to light.

As for keeping paper copies of everything important that is simple prudence that should be practiced regardless.

Matthew · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2007, 01:15:33 PM »

Well, I was hoping to get to the truth of the matter, either way. That's why I post things here.

There are only so many things I can dismiss "out of hand", such as extraterrestrials, time travel, etc.

Most other things it takes some expertise in a given field to be able to discern.

If it takes an article like this to get someone like me to exercise normal prudence (printing out some papers), then it's already useful :scratchchin:

Matthew