Attack of the YM virus
I need to get my office PC reformatted because it got infected with a worm that came from a link sent to me via Yahoo Messenger. I didn't even click on the link in the message, but I think I may have clicked on the link in the person's status message as I was closing the window. Suddenly, I was sending weird links to everyone in my contact list every 10 minutes or so. I tried running an anti-virus scan (twice, and using 2 different programs), deleted some suspicious-looking files in my Messenger folder, reinstalled YM, and even tried System Restore. Nothing worked! My YM kept on sending out the links, and I frantically told all my contacts not to open them. Eventually I had to exit from YM to prevent anyone else from receiving a link and getting infected with the same virus (although I think I did pass it on to someone, sorry Gwyneth :( ).
It was infuriating, the feeling of being victimized by some punk-ass web hooligan out there who has nothing better to do with his time than create viruses and spread them around. What kind of sick, messed-up bastards come up with these viruses anyway? What joy do they derive from knowing some obscure person in some obscure Southeast Asian country would be inconvenienced for hours trying to repair her computer? I wish someone would invent an anti-virus that not only got rid of viruses, but the evil scum who produce them in the first place. Imagine all those malicious geeks sitting on their fat asses in front of their computer monitors, their heads violently imploding... or better yet, getting infected with a real virus that will slowly, excruciatingly, painfully eat up their insides until they beg for death. I'd pay good money for that edition of Norton.
posted by Ailee Through the Looking Glass @ 1:13 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
or you could get a mac :)
I can't afford one yet. And I don't think my bosses would spring for one, seeing as how they might be paying for a trip to Europe in May. =D
A common method involves placing an entry in the Windows registry to trigger whenever YM starts up: That way, no matter what you delete or how often you scan, it'll keep showing up whenever you start Windows and replicating any lost components.
Despite the presence of some commonly-held stereotypes about virus writers, they're not necessarily squealing with misplaced glee at our misfortune. Most of them do it because they have a strange fascination with how technology works, coupled with a sense of utter contempt for the personal welfare and comfort of others. They're like a two-year-old kid who's figured out how to disassemble his toy cars, and who now sets his sights on the family station wagon for much the same treatment.
"They're like a two-year-old kid who's figured out how to disassemble his toy cars, and who now sets his sights on the family station wagon for much the same treatment."
-And that is why I don't like kids. Even the smart ones. :p Good analogy though.
oh... I opened a link you sent but thankfully, nothing happened to my computer.
Thank goodness. :)
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