Microsoft Windows Viruses: Interesting and Educational

First off, if you're going to complain about getting viruses, use a system that can't get them.

Have you heard of a Mac virus? (There probably is, but who cares) Have you ehard of a UNIX virus? Only one, on Linux, and really, if you run it, you're stupid. It comes as source code and effects ELF binaries. Other that than.. no viruses.

My point being, the "virus/worm" craze that is happening in the Windows IIS community is sickening. They are not using any new concepts to create or deploy these viruses. Just, exploitable holes in Microsoft's silly IIS server suite. Peronsally, I think centralizing your server daemons into one "easy to use" suite is ridiculous. Yes, it has it's up sides, but obviously, it has it's downs.

Back to my point.. Users should be taking this opprotunity to learn about thier system, and how these latest "viruses" are transfering. The concept behind them isn't "great", but it is a nice learning tool to help you conceive other, more spectacular methods of deploying code and having it travel, unknown to the user, across the world.

Don't get me wrong, yes, malicious code sucks, but, look at this from a Internet technology aspect. Not only can these worms travel from system to with out the early 90's way of infecting files, it's hitting web servers and spawning at an incredible rate.

Definately take this opprotunity to learn about the techniques and consquence of these facinating worms.

..then get yourself a real networking OS.

HaHa!!

If everyone was using Unix on their desktop, viruses would still spread because of people :p

I tend to think of typical desktop user, take my mom for example. She is the near bottom about computer security. All she knows is how to check her e-mail and click the IE logo to surf the web. She has no idea how I setup her modem, her computer, auto-dialing, don't pick up the phone when the modem is connected, etc. Now let's throw a 1337 Unix box in front of her, log her into the system prompt and let her do the same thing. Yeah, maybe I can setup some easy to use commands for e-mail or Internet, but which do you think she will find easier to use?

Why not take this to automobiles? I drive my car around, I know how to go, stop, turn. What about rebuilding my engine? More horsepower? WTF, hell no I don't know. Yeah, find some documents, read books. Am I still going to take my whole engine apart and see if I can install some new rods? Hell no. I take my car to some professional mechanics who have been working on this for years and they laugh because my engine (Windows) sucks compared to their custom built hot-rod (Unix, Linux). They look at my engine, laugh at cheap parts, easy to steal, easy to hotwire engine. You get my point here. I know it's been beat to death here the Windows vs Every other OS, but look at it froma more broad perspective. Everyone can't be a computer expert, just like everyone can't be an automobile expert.
Why so many people running IIS?
Easy to use? Maybe
Secure? Many would argue on that.
Made by Microsoft so that Anti-virus vendors can make $$$ fixing it? I think not (although I have wondered, LOL)
Is there a system or OS that can't get viruses? HELL NO!!

Wow! I like your analogy... very cool. Kinda reminds me of a preacher taking some random topic and somehow making it not so random... never mind.