ghostpainter
I Write for the Apocalypse
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-25
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
clubs:
|  Could PC makers be creating all of these virus's
Now How crazy a statement is that???
Or is it...
could workers within the industry be told to make all of these virus's to drive sales and repairs up???
Sales are down world wide, PC makers are laying off thousands...Could it be??? Nah!....
Comments please, and no flaming, My question is done in good nature and in response to some friends of mine who tend to think weird like this.... |
|
Outsourced
Premium
join:2002-03-17
Holly Springs, NC | What does a Virus have to do with a PC manufacturer?
Do you and your friends use unprotected computers and then buy new ones when you get a Virus? |
|
jvmorris
I Am The Man Who Was Not There.
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-03
Reston, VA
| reply to ghostpainter
Maybe we (you and I) have a semantic problem here, but to me a PC maker is a hardware vendor who manufactures machines. Now, why would an employee of such a company go out of their way to produce a virus/trojan/worm/'bot? The only machines that they could obviously 'infect' would be those coming out of their own shop -- and that, in and of itself, would be an immediate tip-off. For that matter, even the low-cost manufacturers tend to have an entirely separate QA facility that checks the machines that go out the door prior to going out the door to find anything 'unusual' on the machine -- and that goes one helluva lot further than simply checking file names. (I remember back in the '90s when a software vendor got badly burned by putting out virus-infected diskettes/CDs for simply failing to do this.)
Furthermore, I can't really see something like this driving 'sales' up. And most repairs are done at retail outlets or by independent shops (at least mine are if I have to go to that extreme). Let's be honest about this: What producer is going to profit by having a lot of machines returned because they're non-functional? Or are you asking about disgruntled or recently dismissed employees seeking revenge?
--
Regards, Joseph V. Morris |
|
z0ned
join:2002-07-27
Los Angeles, CA | reply to ghostpainter
Everyone says this all the time despite the fact that virus authors have been caught prosecuted convicted and jailed. What part dont you understand. |
|
dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to ghostpainter
OK, so Dell (for example) sells its computers with a 1 year warranty. This means it costs Dell money to fix the computers. And then Dell, as a matter of policy, adds some software to ensure that some fixing will be needed.
Yeah, that's a good plan for profitability! |
|
quazimoto
join:2003-05-27
Longwood, FL
| reply to ghostpainter
PC makers, doubtful, but is it not at least comprehensible that there may be some less-than-honest people within the antivirus community who could, from time to time release a virus? Then they could get all the credit for being the first to discover this virus. |
|
Randy Bell
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Santa Clara, CA
| said by quazimoto  :
PC makers, doubtful, but is it not at least comprehensible that there may be some less-than-honest people within the antivirus community who could, from time to time release a virus? Then they could get all the credit for being the first to discover this virus.
Anyone working for a reputable AV firm [Trend, McAfee, Kaspersky, Symantec, ESET, etc.} would be summarily fired on the spot for doing something like this -- it is absurd -- and it would be absolutely terrible publicity for any AV-Company if it ever happened and was proven to be true. Security Companies are in business to enhance Security, not erode or destroy it. 
--
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13) |
|
ghostpainter
I Write for the Apocalypse
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-25
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
clubs:
| reply to Outsourced
said by Outsourced :
What does a Virus have to do with a PC manufacturer?
Do you and your friends use unprotected computers and then buy new ones when you get a Virus?
No, My PC and most of friends PC are well protected, and we have weathered the current Virus storm that has shut down thousands of PCs, all of which have to be fixed by someone or a company that is going to pay someone to fix that PC.
Now this is not my idea...I am just responding by posing a question brought to me by one of the members of our group here, who always tends to think in conspiracy theories (we keep him around for the entertainment value) |
|
SnowyOne
Premium
join:2003-04-05
Kailua, HI | reply to ghostpainter
I can think of a lot of justifications a virus writer might use for writing & then releasing a virus but,
"For A Profit" isn't one of them.
--
Dave said "By the way, 4294967295 is just another way to write -1". |
|
mens rea
Premium
join:2002-01-31
Canada
 ·Shaw
| reply to ghostpainter
No need to create viruses. The beauty of technology is that it literally consumes itself by advancement. Look at the difference in processors and size of hard drives compared to five years ago. So in another x number of years everyone will be running 64 bit systems with new hardware and software to match. And on it goes... |
|
B
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
| reply to SnowyOne
Re: Could PC makers be creating all of these virus
said by SnowyOne :
I can think of a lot of justifications a virus writer might use for writing & then releasing a virus but,
"For A Profit" isn't one of them.
Uh, remember all those "armies" of zombie proxy spamming PC's, infected by recent worms, worms suspected of being paid for by spammers?
Not to mention the persistent urban-myth style rumors that the AV companies sponsor or kick-start some viruses. (Though they have certainly hyped their share regardless.)
Both those scenarios involve profit, though neither theory has been backed by good evidence as far as I know.
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function |
|
SnowyOne
Premium
join:2003-04-05
Kailua, HI
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·Clearwire Wireless
| "Uh, remember all those "armies" of zombie proxy spamming PC's, infected by recent worms, worms suspected of being paid for by spammers?"
worms & viruses, who thinks up these names?
Agreed, my argument wouldn't hold up if the term "virus" were to be replaced with the term "worm".
--
Dave said "By the way, 4294967295 is just another way to write -1". |
|
dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
·Verizon FIOS
| said by SnowyOne :
worms & viruses, who thinks up these names?
Oh, people that know what they're talking about and know the difference.
Worm = standalone program that spreads from computer to computer under its own power.
Virus = code that attaches itself to an existing program; needs a carrier program to spread.
Trojan horse = program you willingly install and run, thinking it's something you want, and it turns out not to be.
Pretty straightforward, no? |
|
B
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
| said by dave :
said by SnowyOne :
worms & viruses, who thinks up these names?
Oh, people that know what they're talking about and know the difference.
Worm = standalone program that spreads from computer to computer under its own power.
Virus = code that attaches itself to an existing program; needs a carrier program to spread.
Trojan horse = program you willingly install and run, thinking it's something you want, and it turns out not to be.
Pretty straightforward, no?
Well... in fairness, dave, the worms over the last few years have made the distinctions anything BUT straightforward, since the malware COMBINES aspects of the three.
This arguably started with the Happy99 fireworks trojan/worm, which actually CONTAINS THE TEXT "Is it a virus, a worm, a trojan?"
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function |
|
SnowyOne
Premium
join:2003-04-05
Kailua, HI
·RoadRunner Cable
·Clearwire Wireless
| Yup, no question about it that some previously well defined lines are getting blurred. Adding to the confusion of definitions is the fact that we rely on our AntiVirus Program(s) to protect our networks from worms.
Let's hope the big boys don't figure this one out & start offering AntiWorm software in addition to the their current AV's.:D
--
Dave said "By the way, 4294967295 is just another way to write -1". |
|
ghostpainter
I Write for the Apocalypse
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-25
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
clubs:
| said by SnowyOne :
Yup, no question about it that some previously well defined lines are getting blurred. Adding to the confusion of definitions is the fact that we rely on our AntiVirus Program(s) to protect our networks from worms.
Let's hope the big boys don't figure this one out & start offering AntiWorm software in addition to the their current AV's.:D
And Why not???And I know this is posted in another forum but would it not be nice if companies like Earthlink, Charter, AOL & MSN to name a few incorporated that technology in there software...Just think of where email safe-guard technology might be if they did (IE the "Big Boys") |
|
B
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
|
I think by big boys Snowy meant the AV companies.
I've wondered in the past why they haven't picked up on the trend (NPI) of the separate, much smaller Anti-Trojan industry. I assume it's because it's still the AV companies damn job to cover trojans in their regular AV products! Even though most do it miserably. But that's another debate.
At least we can be grateful(?) that they're doing their job well enough so far to avoid spawning an Anti-Worm industry too. It's rare to find malware that is MERELY viral these days.
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function |
|
keith2468
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-03
Winnipeg, MB
| reply to ghostpainter
probably not HW vendors
There is no question that the extra checking required in programs to keep viruses and worms out, to make sure buffers are not overfilled, and to make it harder for trojans, viruses and worms to do their thing, is overhead.
People on old slow machines sometimes can see the hit in efficiency from a single individual security related update.
So the waves of malware do make computers prematurely obsolete.
I don't think hardware vendors would be behind the viruses though.
The waves of malware also make old operating systems and old versions of anti-virual, anti-spyware, etc. pre-maturely obsolete.
Some people do research exploits with the intent of openly posting explicit exploits, write and make available for distribution malware, and create tool kits, and so on. And I could believe that *some* of those people (more on the openly posting exploits and creating tool kits end of things) may be professionals and small companies trying to drum up business.
I also often wonder about the anti-AOL tools that have been created over the years. Disgruntled ex-AOL employees? Competitiors?
The guy who wrote Melissa was caught because he first tried a proto-typeo of it out on AOL customers, and he worked for a rival ISP.
One could also wonder about whether a small minoritiy of enthusiasts for rival operating systems might be behind Windows malware. Who knows?
Anyway, that is how I feel about this issue.
--
(Virus&Hijacking FAQ+Submit suspected malware+Security FAQ) |
|
CorruptError
E R R O R
join:2004-05-03
Mississauga, ON
clubs:
| reply to ghostpainter
Re: Could PC makers be creating all of these virus's
I don't get it. When you get a virus, you usually go out and buy a new computer? It makes absolutely no sense for a PC manufacture to create viruses to boost computer sales. They have to pay for the repairs done if it's under a warranty, and even longer if an extended warranty is added on. They will lose customers. They will get a bad reputation, therefore losing more sales. Your accusation makes no sense at all, so think before you talk. |
|
B
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
1 edit | Re: Could PC makers be creating all of these virus
said by CorruptError :
I don't get it. When you get a virus, you usually go out and buy a new computer? It makes absolutely no sense for a PC manufacture to create viruses to boost computer sales. They have to pay for the repairs done if it's under a warranty, and even longer if an extended warranty is added on. They will lose customers. They will get a bad reputation, therefore losing more sales. Your accusation makes no sense at all, so think before you talk.
quote:
Comments please, and no flaming, My question is done in good nature and in response to some friends of mine who tend to think weird like this....
He or she's allowed to ask any darned stupid question he or she likes, just as you have done. He or she's owed a degree of civility corresponding to that which he or she displayed in the original inquiry and to that with which the forum is normally conducted. In other words, please lighten up.
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function |
|
