On BNET: Tech firms are hiring
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 28 of 122:
Next »
« Previous
MSOLgeek . . .
When trying to figure out why they go after windows machines, you have to think about WHAT they want to accomplish. What are they doing with those PCs, once they're 'zombified'?

One use is to create a distributed-network spamming operation. That means that they want a LARGE network, not a small one, because a large network can send out more spams at one time than a smaller. There are more Windows PCs than any other OS, therefore they target MS . . .It has nothing to do how easy it is to get in. Thieves care nothing about how easy it is to get in, unless they are the 'Smash-n-Grab' kind of crooks. Most of the time, they want the highest payoff for the smallest risk possible.

Turning a Mac or Linux box into a zombie is most certainly possible, but there aren't enough of them out there to make it worth their while . . .
Posted by: jlhenry62   Posted on: 10/25/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story No further replies to this post will be accepted.

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

Zombies continue to chase Windows PCs  Loverock Davidson | 10/24/06
Message has been deleted.  jasonp@... | 10/25/06
You do have a good point.  Anton Philidor | 10/25/06
Well  Patrick Jones | 10/25/06
re: Well  none none | 10/25/06
BRAVO!!!  itanalyst | 10/25/06
Insults  Loverock Davidson | 10/25/06
His opinion isn't wrong Lovey  Shelendrea | 10/25/06
Oh no!  Linux User 1 | 10/25/06
...........  Shelendrea | 10/25/06
Thankfully that doesn't concern you  Hrothgar - PCLinuxOS User | 10/25/06
It doesn't?  Loverock Davidson | 10/25/06
As long as there is windows there will be zombies  bdg_z | 10/24/06
CORRECTION : PCs Not Windows  savatar | 10/25/06
Running as root?  DarthRidiculous | 10/25/06
INCORRECT Correction - It is Windows  msolgeek | 10/25/06
Incorrect correction to the correction  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Completely cluelss Zealot  msolgeek | 10/25/06
WHen you lose a debate, call names and rant  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/25/06
You do that so often  zkiwi | 10/25/06
Which you have so aptly demonstrated  Linux User 147560 | 10/25/06
So you lose a lot of debates?  B.O.F.H. | 10/25/06
Not so Bitty  msolgeek | 10/25/06
Exactly  FatherJ | 10/26/06
Hehe, you funny!  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Wrong again Zealot...  msolgeek | 10/25/06
Poor msolgeek  NonZealot | 10/25/06
MSOLgeek . . .  jlhenry62 | 10/25/06
Re; Hehe, you funny!  none none | 10/25/06
At least it is a new argument!  NonZealot | 10/26/06
Do you even know what a botnet is?  zkiwi | 10/25/06
Incorrect correction to the incorrectly corrected correction which is right  nomorems | 10/25/06
Linux Zombies?  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
That may be the funniest post EVER  FatherJ | 10/26/06
Was it just me that had a picture of Steve Ballmer come to mind  Richard Flude | 10/24/06
Fight Fire with FIre  Suicida| | 10/24/06
Trojans  jdyagi | 10/25/06
Message has been deleted.  opensourcepro | 10/25/06
Link...  ddagolfr | 10/25/06
MSFT's solution...  Chad_z | 10/25/06
Will it ever end?  ahinkle | 10/25/06
I'm curious about another stat  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Straw man.  enduser_z | 10/25/06
Incorrect assumptions?  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Well, there have been more than a few worms and other malware  zkiwi | 10/25/06
Do you know what a worm is?  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Sure do!  Linux User 147560 | 10/25/06
re: sure do!  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
Keep dancing...  enduser_z | 10/25/06
Oh, I feel bad for you  NonZealot | 10/25/06
So which one works like you say "most" do?  enduser_z | 10/25/06
Review the definition of a trojan  NonZealot | 10/25/06
No need to.  enduser_z | 10/25/06
Come on, you like to dance!  NonZealot | 10/26/06
Ever heard of Happy99?  FatherJ | 10/26/06
The exception that proves the rule?  enduser_z | 10/26/06
Oops  FatherJ | 10/26/06
I don't think we are far apart on this one.  enduser_z | 10/26/06
I think you will find that the 4 mill.  zkiwi | 10/25/06
Read the article  NonZealot | 10/25/06
Ok  zkiwi | 10/25/06
That's okay  NonZealot | 10/25/06
One thing..  Patrick Jones | 10/25/06
He wasn't being serious.  enduser_z | 10/25/06
I'm still waiting  NonZealot | 10/25/06
explanation - anyone on Linux is slightly geeky, so more aware! (nt)  Castanet | 10/25/06
Re: I'm still waiting  none none | 10/26/06
Point by point  NonZealot | 10/26/06
Re: Point by point  none none | 10/26/06
You countered your own conclusion.  FatherJ | 10/26/06
Thank you  NonZealot | 10/26/06
I think it does....  FatherJ | 10/26/06
Re: You countered your own conclusion.  none none | 10/26/06
Name some  FatherJ | 10/27/06
What is malware?  Anton Philidor | 10/25/06
A more important distinction is...  John L. Ries | 10/25/06
It was obviously a joke.  enduser_z | 10/25/06
Anton!  Linux User 147560 | 10/25/06
Heads up!  John L. Ries | 10/25/06
Locking the barn after the horses have left  cdgoldin | 10/25/06
no firewall? - and turn of auto update  Castanet | 10/25/06
Unfortunately...  DarbyOhara | 10/25/06
Someone call George Romero  Shelendrea | 10/25/06
Zombie windows to everyone  mmowens@... | 10/25/06
Good one!!  Linux User 147560 | 10/25/06
Sure, that's a good one...  Generalist | 10/25/06
Making money is the goal  NonZealot | 10/25/06
The answer to that would be  Shelendrea | 10/25/06
Naaahhh . . .  jlhenry62 | 10/25/06
Is that worth more?  NonZealot | 10/25/06
How would you submit an invoice for that?  FatherJ | 10/26/06
Read the last paragraph  Fujikid2 | 10/26/06
Like anyone would bother to wriute malware for  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/25/06
More importantly...  NonZealot | 10/25/06
It depends..  Patrick Jones | 10/25/06
Users are to blame  Guy Fawkes | 10/25/06
That's right  Shelendrea | 10/25/06
I may be wrong  zkiwi | 10/25/06
how do they update 98, me, 2000, NT?  Hrothgar - PCLinuxOS User | 10/25/06
Don't pass the buck  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
Part of the blame goes to lenient ISPs  wdlists@... | 10/25/06
I agree completely  kmatzen@... | 10/25/06
One bit  brian ansorge | 10/25/06
Zombie and other Malware Makers Should Be In Jail  ThomasLN | 10/25/06
Agree  spdrcrtob | 10/25/06
Corporate greed?  cdgoldin | 10/25/06
disagree  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
Trouble is............  peeseebeeb@... | 10/26/06
rationalism vs. empiricism....  handydan918 | 10/25/06
I agree  NonZealot | 10/25/06
However much we agree or disagree,  handydan918 | 10/26/06
"Windows doesn't" ?  FatherJ | 10/27/06
So, what do I do now?  trm1945 | 10/25/06
life in prison without parole for malware creators.  case42tlc | 10/25/06
Prison?  Castanet | 10/25/06
would normally agree  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
From a developers perspective.  Fujikid2 | 10/26/06
about sums it up!  crayolakidd | 10/26/06
but let's face it, who the hell would even bother writing a virus for Macs  trm1945 | 10/26/06
And your definition of "return" is?  zkiwi | 10/26/06
And they will as long as it makes money!  HexHammer67 | 10/26/06
Oh well, so much for an OSS Virus.  trm1945 | 10/26/06

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement

SmartPlanet

Click Here