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Sick PCs should be banned from the net says Microsoft
BBC News ^ | 10/6/10 | Staff

Posted on 10/06/2010 12:08:46 PM PDT by Nachum

Virus-infected computers that pose a risk to other PCs should be blocked from the net, a senior researcher at software giant Microsoft suggests. The proposal is based on lessons from public health, said Scott Charney of the firm's Trustworthy Computing team. It is designed to tackle botnets - networks of infected computers under the control of cybercriminals. Putting machines in temporary quarantine would stop the spread of a virus and allow it to be cleaned.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banned; pcs; should; sick
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To: Nachum

“The proposal is based on lessons from public health,...”

I guess he is talking about controllable plagues like AIDS.

Of course, most fixes for viruses are on the Internet.


21 posted on 10/06/2010 12:45:10 PM PDT by pallis
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To: Vigilanteman

“But every sick computer could be cured just by upgrading to the latest Microsoft operating system, couldn’t it?”

Sure it COULD be fixed that way. Or you could just fix the problem without spending any money on hardware or licenses.


22 posted on 10/06/2010 1:07:17 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Nachum

This doesn’t sound very PC. Infected PCs need the net so they heal themselves. How can it be beneficial to the PC community as a whole to segregate those most in need.

My company just kicks off the Domain.


23 posted on 10/06/2010 1:29:25 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (I still like peanut butter)
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To: Nachum

Uh, but then that would mean 90% of all home microsoft-based PCs would have to be disconnected, and then since they were disconnected, there would be no way to fix them.

Brilliant plan, Microsoft! First, make a family of operating systems that are such a horrific mess internally that they are literally impossible to secure, Second, create the solution, namely, don’t use PCs with your impossible-to-secure operating system for anything except playing solitaire. Poetically symmetric, don’t you think?


24 posted on 10/06/2010 1:51:37 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Made from The Right Stuff!)
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To: Nachum

Death Panels for computers and the Internet??????


25 posted on 10/06/2010 2:15:32 PM PDT by jettester (I got paid to break 'em - not fly 'em)
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To: Nachum; Swordmaker; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ShadowAce

Agreed.

26 posted on 10/06/2010 2:49:14 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Nachum

This doesn’t sound very PC. Infected PCs need the net so they heal themselves. How can it be beneficial to the PC community as a whole to segregate those most in need.

My company just kicks off the Domain.


27 posted on 10/06/2010 2:53:47 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (I still like peanut butter)
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To: Nachum
Sick PCs should be banned from the net says Microsoft

Very courageous. "Everybody who buys our products, no more internet for you! Here are Apple and Red Hat's phone numbers..."

28 posted on 10/06/2010 3:53:52 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: Still Thinking

Until adobe or a number of other tools are installed. Arbitrary code execution effects all OSs these days.


29 posted on 10/06/2010 4:53:59 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Nachum

Yep - ban all Windows machines.

Go Mac

(Donning flame suit while ducking and running quickly)


30 posted on 10/06/2010 5:03:13 PM PDT by KosmicKitty (WARNING: Hormonally crazed woman ahead!!)
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To: Nachum
I've been saying this for years. I don't know why ISPs don't do this already. It's about time microsoft admitted that their systems aren't safe for internet use.
31 posted on 10/06/2010 5:07:24 PM PDT by zeugma (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam)
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To: Nachum
Virus-infected computers that pose a risk to other PCs should be blocked from the net, a senior researcher at software giant Microsoft suggests.

It's not a stretch to expect that if they took this step, the next step would be to declare conservatism a virus.

32 posted on 10/06/2010 5:08:25 PM PDT by meyer (Tax the productive to carry the freeloaders - What is it with democrats and slavery?)
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To: Still Thinking
Here are Apple and Red Hat's phone numbers..."

Yep, I have been using Linux for over 10 years and have yet to get a virus or for that matter "slimeware". Rootkits? Yes, once. Viruses are a minor issue on most PC's, malware/slimware/adware are much more serious issues.

33 posted on 10/06/2010 5:08:46 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.)
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To: Nachum

How would the isp know a computer was infected to block it? Does it have to read the contents of your hard drive?


34 posted on 10/06/2010 5:10:47 PM PDT by CharacterCounts (November 4, 2008 - the day America drank the Kool-Aid)
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To: Texas Fossil
Viruses are a minor issue on most PC's, malware/slimware/adware are much more serious issues.

Yeah - like those newer popups that aren't popups. You know, the ones where you pass your mouse over a highlighted word and a popup shows up on your screen. A long discussion with MS brought no solution other than disabling scripting. Which is fine unless it's a site where you need scripting.

BTW, the popups occur in firefox also.

35 posted on 10/06/2010 5:17:13 PM PDT by meyer (Tax the productive to carry the freeloaders - What is it with democrats and slavery?)
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To: CharacterCounts
How would the isp know a computer was infected to block it? ?

And once blocked, how would the ISP know when it's cured (assuming it can be cured since virus updates are exclusively accessed on line).

36 posted on 10/06/2010 5:19:07 PM PDT by meyer (Tax the productive to carry the freeloaders - What is it with democrats and slavery?)
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To: Nachum

Maybe someone real smart can answer this———

At my public library when the computers boot up they boot up clean with zero memory of what previous users have. My library session has zero memory or holdover of any previous sessions.

How can I make my computer do this at home? For an experiment. My guess is this is done via a server computer which I am not equipped to do


37 posted on 10/06/2010 5:19:29 PM PDT by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confuscius.)
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To: Jeff Chandler

Public Health Quarantine was weakened and made obscure by micro-regulation mostly in order to protect AIDS infected homosexuals, but it was not abandoned. In some ways it was made more potent by regulation and law post 9/11, anthrax and the swine flu scares, etc.

Animal and plant quarantines are still common, as a quarantine (aka isolation) rooms in health care facilities.


38 posted on 10/06/2010 5:20:50 PM PDT by bvw
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To: martin_fierro

An ugly sight!


39 posted on 10/06/2010 5:28:59 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: meyer

Chasing a news story about a year ago I found myself reading an article on a Militia site. When I read the article and tried to move away, something shut down my machine and when it rebooted my virus program indicated I had a trojan. (on my company PC)

It was a nasty critter that I could not find a fix for. And I tried everything in my toobox. Talked with a buddy in the IT dept. and he told me about Smidt Fraud Fix. I downloaded it (command line utility) and it fixed the problem. I think the vector attached to the winsock and I had no other way to remove it. Thought I would have to reload the OS but avoided that. I had a lot of very expensive software installed that would have been a real pain to reload. What a mess.

Have never had that type of thing happen on one of my Linux boxes. They are not indestructible, but when configured correctly very reliable.


40 posted on 10/06/2010 5:30:41 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.)
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