13 months work destroyed
2007-09-05 22:01:40 · 15 answers · asked by tony b 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
i would love a programme that bounces them right back to where they come from if any body knows of one let me know theres got to be a way to give a lotta payback
2007-09-05 23:15:21 · answer #1 · answered by edward852423 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A years worth of work? That's just obscene.
These days it's not just reckless wreaking of havoc. Around 8-10 years ago wannabe "hackers" mostly did it to test themselves, to prove they could beat the operating system safeguards. But nowadays it's much worse- identity theft is a huge business, so organized crime rings (especially in the former Soviet Union and Asia) have hired junior programmers for various unsavory tasks, including:
a. Compromise as many systems as possible so that they can be used on-demand for later denial of service attacks. Usually these attacks target well-known websites, so the more infected zombie computers the criminals have at their disposal, the more likely they can severely disrupt service.
b. Steal personal information and passwords from infected machines.
c. Encrypt the hard drives on infected machines and demand money transfers or online payments to unlock it- even for as little as a few hundred dollars.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg- the Times ran a story a few years back about criminal gangs grooming some kids from early on, paying for their certification tests etc and helping them get hired by Fortune 500 companies where they'd be in sensitive IT positions, and can assist with larger scale information theft or other schemes.
And on top of that, you've got the idiots who try exploiting security loopholes and bugs just to see what happens.
In many ways it literally is a jungle out there- for these sociopaths if the majority of Internet users aren't their targets, they're convenient guinea pigs for testing their latest code.
Run backups often...
2007-09-05 22:49:35 · answer #2 · answered by C-Man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the world we live in, which is not really venomous enough for you I suppose, but it really is criminally insane of you not to have virus software installed - I'm assuming that you didn't, because there is a whole network of people out there who's ambition is to bring microsoft to it's knees.
Not everyone is in love with Bill Gates and his company's grip on the market. They are called cyber terrorists and much like your run of the mill terrorist, their agenda is the total destruction of the capitalist system through crashing computer networks, unfortunately ordinary people get caught in the crossfire, get virus software, it saves you money in the long term!
2007-09-05 22:25:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't see what they get out of it and so i will watch the answers with some interest.
There is the 'i'm an anarchist and i hate big companies' tag they try and wear but all these companies give employment to thousands and their families as well as huge donations to charities, etc.
I used to think a virus could only disrupt or delete software untill one physically damaged my friends PC.
2007-09-05 22:10:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The people who do this do it for the cudos of being able to tell their "network" of friends that they have hacked a particular computer or sent out a particular new virus. the more damage the infection does or the better and bigger the hack is the more notoriety the hacker gets with the hackers fraternity.
Its a bit like tagging that we all see on the trains/bridges/walls etc the more an individual can "tag" with his spray paint the more known he becomes.
2007-09-05 22:12:18 · answer #5 · answered by yulln 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
not morons, spammers
spammers use viruses to remotely control computers to spam people.
some viruses are used to steal data from your computer.
go to free.grisoft.com and get the free AVG antivirus and antispyware download.
if everyone did this the spammers and other online pest would be out of a job.
2007-09-05 23:46:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Today it's all about making money.
Perhaps Eugene Kaspersky, founder of anti-virus maker Kaspersky Labs said it best, " It's a different world today. 10 years ago, we were fighting against smart kids who hacked as a hobby. Now, we're dealing with criminal gangs that control your computer to make money. Different world, different protections."
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2074772,00.asp?kc=EWEWEMNL121806EP24A
2007-09-05 22:19:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
i think they are complete t w a ts. only yesterday i had a virus try to worm its way in luckily my anti virus software blocked it, but i did get a pop up with awful porn pictures on it, my kids use the pc and i was horrified that such a disgusting virus tried to worm its way in. and website i clicked into to give me this virus was one i had searched with bt yahoo.
2007-09-05 22:12:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
at least those idiots backup often so they wont be losing any work ... typically they are very intelligent and very bored teenagers that will end up with millions of pounds before they reach 30 ! It's hard to believe someone that browses the internet doesn't have an updated antivirus installed in his/her computer ...
2007-09-05 22:06:41 · answer #9 · answered by Splishy 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I wouldn't say they were idiots - just nasty people. They had to write the virus's programme so they can't be that stupid.
2007-09-05 22:10:45 · answer #10 · answered by Will 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋