AplusWebMaster
Topic Starter
FYI…
- http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/new…ft-uses-viruses
15 February 2008
Microsoft wants to worm its way into your PC
- http://preview.tinyurl.com/39ldsh
February 15, 2008 (Sydney Morning Herald) - "Microsoft is taking a leaf out of the virus writers' handbook, hoping to use friendly "worms" to distribute software patches surreptitiously. Like the malicious worms that spread from computer to computer by self-replicating and automatically seeking out new computers to infect, the friendly worms will be used to distribute updates to users without forcing them to download anything from a central server. The research is being spearheaded by a team from Microsoft Research in Britain, and opens up the possibility of worm races between virus writers and the software companies to see who can reach vulnerable machines faster. Unlike malicious worms seek to exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems, the friendly worms would seek to patch those vulnerabilities before the computer is attacked…"
- http://preview.tinyurl.com/3a47y2
14 February 2008 (NewScientist news service) - "… Microsoft researchers are hoping to use "information epidemics" to distribute software patches more efficiently. Milan Vojnović* and colleagues from Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, want to make useful pieces of information such as software updates behave more like computer worms: spreading between computers instead of being downloaded from central servers. The research may also help defend against malicious types of worm, the researchers say…"
* http://research.microsoft.com/~milanv/
- http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/art…rusbadidea.html
"…good worms are a bad idea. Patching can be effectively and rapidly automated without the need to risk yet another virus to save the day. Some have asked: "Given the choice between the vaccine or chickenpox, which would you prefer?". This is the wrong question. The "good worm" proposed above is not a vaccine (which does not spread by itself), it is another piece of virulent code…"
- http://www.people.frisk-software.com/~bont…icial%20Viruses
- http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/new…ft-uses-viruses
15 February 2008
Microsoft wants to worm its way into your PC
- http://preview.tinyurl.com/39ldsh
February 15, 2008 (Sydney Morning Herald) - "Microsoft is taking a leaf out of the virus writers' handbook, hoping to use friendly "worms" to distribute software patches surreptitiously. Like the malicious worms that spread from computer to computer by self-replicating and automatically seeking out new computers to infect, the friendly worms will be used to distribute updates to users without forcing them to download anything from a central server. The research is being spearheaded by a team from Microsoft Research in Britain, and opens up the possibility of worm races between virus writers and the software companies to see who can reach vulnerable machines faster. Unlike malicious worms seek to exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems, the friendly worms would seek to patch those vulnerabilities before the computer is attacked…"
- http://preview.tinyurl.com/3a47y2
14 February 2008 (NewScientist news service) - "… Microsoft researchers are hoping to use "information epidemics" to distribute software patches more efficiently. Milan Vojnović* and colleagues from Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, want to make useful pieces of information such as software updates behave more like computer worms: spreading between computers instead of being downloaded from central servers. The research may also help defend against malicious types of worm, the researchers say…"
* http://research.microsoft.com/~milanv/
- http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/art…rusbadidea.html
"…good worms are a bad idea. Patching can be effectively and rapidly automated without the need to risk yet another virus to save the day. Some have asked: "Given the choice between the vaccine or chickenpox, which would you prefer?". This is the wrong question. The "good worm" proposed above is not a vaccine (which does not spread by itself), it is another piece of virulent code…"
- http://www.people.frisk-software.com/~bont…icial%20Viruses