People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like - Abraham Lincoln
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Germany funds Microsoft stuff-ups
THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT has decided to spend a lot of its citizens' tax money helping them recover from malware directed at Microsoft machines.
Spiegel Online reports that the government wants to prop up another industry giant. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) plans to team up with Internet service providers (ISPs) to establish a call centre helping Windows users who have malware problems.
Starting in 2010, ISPs will track down customers with infected PCs. These customers will then be directed to a special website offering advice on removing the malware. If this does not work there will be a call centre where a staff of about 40 will try to fix the problems. There is no indication about how much the German government intends to spend on the project.
The news has created a bit of a stir in the Mac press, as it appears that the call centre will not help victims of malware on Apple or Linux machines. We should point out that none of the German articles say this.
The problem might be caused by the fact that Apple fanboys believe that they are invulnerable to malware and therefore any AV help centre will only be needed for Microsoft users. Linux users don't need help dealing with malware because they know how to run their computers and Linux is inherently more secure than the Vole's hairball operating systems. µ
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This could actually save money in the long run by reducing fraud, resource use by malicious programs, and making people aware of scams--a skill that can carry over into non-computer life.
I do wonder, however: does this mean they're analyzing peoples' traffic to detect "malicious hardware"? What does it mean for privacy?
It's aimed at people who don't even notice there pc is infected. They are contacted by their ISP and told to clean up their pc's, and the ISP direct them to a website and call center who will assist them with this.
That sounds like a great idea to me. And if McAfee/Norton etc have any sense they will offer to do this for free providing they can offer their products to the callers.
It's a goldmine! Someone should patent this idea ;-)
4TR3X is microsoft bot. you can tell by the non-sensicle comments bot4TR3X makes.
for me what works. run hardware firewall. my machine has linux so no problem there. kids machine is winxp and used only for games and not homework since windows tends to corrupt files. once a month, i grudgingly get on kids xp machine and add malware programs to batch file killing their processes "pskill symantec.exe". sometime boot to linux usb drive and run clamav to clean things up but haven't had to do that for awhile.
no antivirus on any machine since antivirus slows things down more than the malware.
And if you read carefully 4TR3X's comments he is calling his parents stupid as well. sheesh..... What upbringign...
@ 4TR3X
You suggested your parents have no common sense......really?
Firstly people who have common sense or any computer sense dont get malware. I have never had any but my parents have, they see a message saying your microsoft antivirus has detected issues click here to download the fix and they do it, even though there av is aVast :P
Also if you do what they wise old Ken thinks;
"I assume that removing the malware means removing Microsoft Windows, erasing (exorcising) the hard drive, and when it is clean, installing Linux to replace it."
then you will need a crew of more than 40 people to teach the country how to install there favorite Windows apps, games or what ever on there systems.
The fact is this is a stupid idea and people are stupid which is why Malware is still about. If you want to stop it get systems with tighter security (dont let people install).
Oh and seriously if everyone used Macs and Linux dont you think the same thing would happen. Its all about the Users people.
Article says: "a special website offering advice on removing the malware."
I assume that removing the malware means removing Microsoft Windows, erasing (exorcising) the hard drive, and when it is clean, installing Linux to replace it.