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Welcome to Windows - Part Deux |
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 As Jonahan mentioned previously, there is a new worm called the MSBlaster worm that has been affecting Windows NT-based systems (NT, 2000, XP, 2003), causing the system to shutdown on its own. This virus does no damage to the computer itself, only making it shutdown, and on the 16th it will start a denial of service attack on windowsupdate.com. However, this virus could very easily be modified by someone to do something very harmful. For instance, it could kill your Windows install, or wipe an entire hard drive with only a few adjustments to the virus' payload in the code. This is the sort of thing that has happened before. Look at Code Red for instance...and there is already a mutation of the Blaster worm out there.
Why two articles about the same virus on a Mac site, when Macintosh computers are immune? Well, for 2 reasons. The first one being that since Macintosh computers are immune to this (and almost all viruses out there) it is a great evangelism tool. Just another reason to switch. Now, that isn't to say Macs can't get viruses, it's just that most viruses are written for Windows only. Let's look at the top six viruses according to Symantec at press time.
| 1. W32.Blaster.B.Worm |
| 2. W32.Randex.E |
| 3. W32.Blaster.Worm |
| 4. Backdoor.WinShell.50.b |
| 5. PWSteal.Pport |
| 6. W32.Bacterra.Worm |
All six of those are Windows-only viruses. Number 1, and Number 3 are the virus that is the reason for this and Jonahan's articles.
The other reason for this, the second of two articles devoted to this Windows only virus, is that even though I am an avid Mac user, I was personally affected by this virus. I didn't have a computer that restarted on me, and I didn't have to install any patches. But I work phone tech support for several small ISP's in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio. Altogether there are about 70,000 users we support in our small tech support office with 11 technicians, and only the ability to have 8 on the phone at any given time.
A good portion of those 70,000 have Windows NT, 2000, or XP computers, and most of them are not behind a firewall. We started seeing calls on this on Monday at 3 PM EST, and it hasn't stopped since. We close at 11 PM, on Monday at 11:10 PM there were still 7 people waiting in the queue to talk to a tech. Tuesday I had to come in early, work through lunch, and stay late. Today I will have to do it again. I don't see the situation clearing up enough to not have to do that again tomorrow.
On a normal summer Tuesday, we can expect anywhere from 250-300 calls in a day. Yesterday, we had 817 calls. I took almost 11% of those calls, and I would say about 95% of my calls were this virus. Other technicians saw similar results. In my 4 and a half years as a tech, this is by far the worst I have ever seen. And this is only the beginning. This thing has spread faster than anything I have seen before, and probably mainly because it doesn't require an e-mail to be opened or a file to be downloaded. It propagates itself via a vulnerability in Windows. In other words, all you have to do to get this virus is sign online with a computer that is vulnerable. That's it. So if the payload was any more malicious, the results could be devastating.
It's a good time to own a Mac indeed.
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August 13 2003, 12:24 PM EDT, by
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Comments:
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| Jonathan |
8/13/03, 4:09 PM EDT |
Ok .. maybe this is a stupid question but why are they calling you for computer problems? The ISP would be the last place I would call if my computer was randomly shutting down..
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| Jonahan |
8/13/03, 4:11 PM EDT |
I feel for ya Ken-man. I'll buy ya a beer after things settle down :)
Secondly, Low End Mac has a story about the first virus for OS X (It's humor....I think...). But it got me to thinking - are there viruses for OS X? I know there's things that can damage it, (like an AppleScript that deletes files or something) but I mean a real honest-to-goodness virus or worm that replicates itself?
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| Jonahan |
8/13/03, 4:23 PM EDT |
Jonathan: yeah, you're right people should call their computer manufacturer, but you have to understand the mindset of the average Joe computer user. Some people think their Internet Service Provider is the end-all be-all for what goes on with their machine.
And yeah, ISP's only provide tech support for certain things, but sometimes in the interest of keeping the customer they'll go above and beyond and help them with certain things (like a virus).
Even if the ISP DOESN'T tech support it, people will still call in asking what's up and "why did you turn off the Internet!?" ;) (honestly, there are a few people out there who think their ISP's homepage is all there, and if we change the page, they'll call and and complain that we changed the Internet!)
I also work at a Tech Support Center and we have 11 calls in queue with a 260 second average hold time. Usually we're pretty dead or just a 1 or 2 calls in queue about now. So it's bad no matter what the TV and big news sites say! (and why they're downplaying it, I have no freakin idea!)
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| anonymouse |
8/13/03, 5:30 PM EDT |
The great thing about os x is that there is no registry. So no virus will overwrite system files like in windows pc's. This is what causes the vast majority of virus problems in windows and Apple will NEVER have that issue. This is a huge difference and I would imagine that viruses are much easier to remove as well as again the system files will not be touched.
But the windows world can continue to patch to their hearts content and pay their IT dept for endless upgrades (of which I'm one). Us mac users will avoid all the fun and get to concentrate on secure computing and getting our work done.
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| Jonathan |
8/13/03, 5:50 PM EDT |
The only "viruses" I've seen for OS X are Apple made updates.. thoes are scary!!
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| Melangell |
8/13/03, 6:20 PM EDT |
"The ISP would be the last place I would call if my computer was randomly shutting down"
Actually, back in 1996 when I was a new Mac user, I found that calling my (then) ISP's (Earthlink) customer service people was a far better experience than calling Apple when I had a problem. Back then I had a Performa and Apple was still honoring it's free customer service for life thing. At the time, Earthlink was very Mac oriented and had a large number of Macheads who were only to happy to help even if it were not an internet problem. They were the ones that let me know that Apple was replacing Performa 6300 motherboards. Apple reps refused to acknowledge I had a real problem!
While I doubt that type of environment exists today, it DID at one time at one ISP.
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| rlhamon |
8/13/03, 11:06 PM EDT |
Well Ken i tell you that the blaster virus has made the computer store that i work at alot of money. in fact every computer that we take the virus off thats a $50.00 bill plus tax. To give you an idea on what this virus has made us in a market of abou 55,000 people in it we are making about 800.00 a day just cleaning this virus off of people's computers. So i'm not going to bash billy for this he's making little computer store's like the one that i work for some extra cash ( and we need it ). So yeppie Billy keep them holes in your software your helping the computer market after all.
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| iKen |
8/14/03, 2:47 AM EDT |
I don't doubt it, at closing time tonight we had 13 calls in the queue. :(
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| Jonahan |
8/14/03, 8:04 AM EDT |
Hehehe....too funny rlhamon :)
Windows means job security to IT administrators, while Mac OS X means you don't NEED an IT administrator for your small to medium sized network ;)
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| va1entino |
8/15/03, 11:21 AM EDT |
I think it's cool...MS needs to pay...
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| rlhamon |
8/15/03, 5:21 PM EDT |
it's not MS paying it's the customers and why should someone have to pay for microsoft mistake. but why am i complaining i'm the one who's collecting on the mistake.
someone will sue microsoft for this you'll see .... hum people who have pc's can you spell law suite against microsoft.
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ZackMac
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8/15/03, 6:26 PM EDT |
You support 70,000 ISP users, with most of them using WinNT, 2000 and XP?
Most of those dialup ISP consumers are really using WinNT? Are you serious? Wow... too bad Microsnoft is not releasing a patch for WinNT users for the security flaw; they say that "we no longer support that 6.5 year old OS"
Poor WinNT users.
-Zack
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| iKen |
8/18/03, 11:52 AM EDT |
actually ZackMac, what I was saying is a good portion of them use windows nt based operating systems... that means windows NT, 2000, XP, & 2003... not just NT...
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This article is archived, so you may not comment on it.
(The good news is there's always the shoutbox, the forums or the contact form if you're socially-inclined at the moment!)
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