MICROSOFT WORKING WITH THE FEDS, VIRUS ATTACKS MAY BE TERRORISM

World Tribune.com ^ | August 21, 2003 | special report staff

[prarie earth]

Evidence gathered by Microsoft, the FBI, and the Secret Service on the worldwide attacks made against the computers running the Windows operating system fits the profile of 'terrorist activity.'

Industry sources citing Mirosoft officials told World Tribune.com that the recent attacks from the 'Blaster' worm and its variants, coupled with an email virus called 'SoBig-F' show signs of a coordinated attack by an entity wanting to disrupt world commerce.

Microsoft is cooperating with both the FBI and the Secret Service and will report their findings in the next few days.

While at present no terrorist organizations have claimed responsibility for these attacks in cyberspace, Microsoft is an obvious target for terrorists as the largest, most recognizable, and most profitable software company in the world.

The Blaster worm exposes a flaw in the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) component used by Microsoft Windows, the operating system installed on an estimated 90 percent of all home and desktop computers worldwide.

[prarie earth]

How do they know these guys aren't garden variety hackers?

[goldstategop]

Like a teen kid trying to outsmart Bill Gates? I suspect its more likely than a bunch of Al Qaeda terrorists smuggling operational directives across the Internet concealed in porno pictures.

[prarie earth]

Dont we have the cryptologists working in Arabic to catch that stuff now?

[bonesmccoy]

on the other hand, the last guy in the oval office spent more money prosecuting Bill Gates than Osama Bin Ladin.

[HAL9000]

I suspect its more likely than a bunch of Al Qaeda terrorists smuggling operational directives across the Internet concealed in porno pictures.

I think the spammer theory is more plausible. They are turning millions of Windows computers into spam-spewing open relays.

[HiTech RedNeck]

This is more like 'annoyism'.

[prarie earth]

My system got hit yesterday, big time.

[The Duke]

fits the profile of 'terrorist activity.'

So...there's evidence of a program of violence being undertaken to promote political change?

Why do I think this is all about government redefining another word as a means of ultimately gaining increased control over my life(?)

[prarie earth]

But if it damages commerce on a massive scale?

[expatguy]

Dont we have the cryptologists working in Arabic to catch that stuff now?

No.

The United States government prefers to use and employ foreigners who have no loyalty to the United States when it comes to issues of National Security.

Unfortunately many of these people's loyalty lies elsewhere.

Sad but true.

[Wacka]

Easy fix. Buy Macs. Helps the economy too!

[prarie earth]

Good idea. Bill Gates dad uses Netscape for his browser..

[Cindy]

NIPC.gov: WARNINGS - ADVISORIES

[piasa]

Terrorism :

The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

[prarie earth]

Thanks for that.

[JerseyHighlander]

The World Tribune's creditability is teetering into the Debka abyss. They know not of what they speak. The worm is Microsoft made, do not forget. It was only discovered in the Microsoft code recently, by a group of Chinese hackers. They publicly announced the discovery of the sloppy code, and gave microsft weeks to fix it. (IMHO, I believe there was blackmail attempted before they went public.)

But, the characteristics of the worm are much similar to tactics used by Russian porn hustlers/hackers. So to pin this on an Arab/Islamic front without evidence is pure speculation. For those who said Red China was using the Taliban and other Islamic groups as a foil, this could be seen as a continuation of a destabilization campaign. It's more likely a group of computer geeks who have found what Microsoft Programmers wrote into the code, and exploited it for mad props. Billy Gates is pwned, etc.

[nmh]

"Evidence gathered by Microsoft, the FBI, and the Secret Service on the worldwide attacks made against the computers running the Windows operating system fits the profile of 'terrorist activity."

Aw, gimme a break! Leave it to Microsoft, the shi*iest software vendor around to muddy the water with terrorism. The truth is Microsoft has retarded programmers that spew out lousy code. There is NO terrorist attack going on. Of course Microsoft wants to blame someone else. It's becoming painfully obvious that Microsft puts out shi* for products so they must desperately point to someone else.

You can ONLY hope that when Microsoft ships their development work off shore that THOSE programmers aren't as stupid as those at Microsoft.

[nmh]

Microsoft has been terrorizing its customers for YEARS with shi* products. Yeah, you could say that Microsoft is a "terrorist" via software.

[nmh]

Microsoft doesn't have a SECURE operating sytem, hence vulnerable to ANY attacks. That's all that's going on here. Terrorism, my arse. The FBI and the others know LESS about Microsoft than Microsoft. So we have the three studges pointing fingers at a phantom terrorist.