Microsoft Launches Cybercrime Center to Fight Malware, Piracy

[exfileme]

Microsoft is consolidating its digital crimes and Internet piracy units into one command center.

Microsoft Launches Cybercrime Center to Fight Malware, Piracy : Read more

 

[curiosul]

"78-percent of that download group stems from websites or peer-to-peer networks and includes some type of spyware"
This means that:

1: ALL the software on websites and p2p networks include "some type of spyware"

OR

2: Keygens and/or cracks are considered spyware

OR

3: My understanding of logic (and/or grammar) differs from theirs

 

[viper666]

The report goes on to reveal that 45-percent of the survey respondents who installed pirated software suffered system slowdowns and had to uninstall the software.

This is what happens when uninformed people download from the first link they see on Google. It's their own fault for not doing their research.

 

[azraa]

Agreed. Searching the correct source is key. If not, you end up with a 3rd party installer and tons of bloatware possibly spyware. Multiply that by 100 if the user is new to the internet and installs every crap he/she sees.

Microsoft, and many other software companies are considering their average user much more stupid than before. That is anoying

 

[koss64]

[citation][nom]azraa[/nom]Agreed. Searching the correct source is key. If not, you end up with a 3rd party installer and tons of bloatware possibly spyware. Multiply that by 100 if the user is new to the internet and installs every crap he/she sees.Microsoft, and many other software companies are considering their average user much more stupid than before. That is anoying[/citation]

But its so true,worst part is people buy these machines from stores that look legitimate.

 

[techguy911]

They need to crack down on the phone fraud ie. company claims it's microsoft and that your computer is having problems and they will fix it for you if you let them remote access into your computer, they then make you visit a web page where it installs a rootkit then banking trojan on your system.
Don't matter what AV you have this rootkit will not show up when you do a scan and nether will the banking trojan which it is hiding unless you scan from a boot cd or slave into a system with a running AV.
Microsoft will never call you at home this is a scam to steal info from your computer i wonder is microsoft knows about these guys.

Also formatting your computer does NOT get rid of some rootkits/bootkits it has to be zero'ed by either a boot cd or slaved into a computer with a running up to date AV and wiped including the boot sectors.

The main cause of these infections are security holes in internet explorer and java i have seen people with up to date av's still get infected with zero day malware that disables the av but it still looks like it is running.
Also these people that were infected by ad's on poplar websites such as MSN,Google,Facebook,yahoo and lots of other sites which you think would be safe.

Only true way to surf safe is to un-install java and stop using internet explorer better yet run linux in a virtual machine set to secure mode or boot from a live cd.

 

[gm0n3y]

I haven't pirated any software (including games) in a few years now, but as far as I know, it's generally not hard to find clean copies of popular software on the major torrent sites. I can't recall ever having any spyware/malware/adware installed (that I ever found out about anyway) as a result of installing pirated software. Has it gotten that much worse over the past couple of years?

 

[MaXimus421]

If you know where to go, there are no worries of this. On the other hand, if you don't know where to go you are likely not very knowledgeable of stuff like this to begin with.

Knowledge is power people. lol.. (always wanted to say that)

 

[FinneousPJ]

Wait, what authority does MS have regarding any sort of crime?

 

[dalethepcman]

A recent IDC study commissioned by Microsoft reports that pirated software and malware are arriving together on PCs distributed in rapidly growing emerging markets.

I didn't know America was considered an emerging market, but HP / Gateway / Dell / E-Machiens sure load up the malware/spyware...
[citation][nom]FinneousPJ[/nom]Wait, what authority does MS have regarding any sort of crime?[/citation]
Are you really that ignorant?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57568067-83/microsoft-symantec-shutter-another-botnet/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/microsoft-botnet-takedown/
http://blogs.technet.com/b/security/archive/2011/09/22/microsoft-gives-rustock-botnet-evidence-to-the-fbi.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2012/07/02/microsoft-names-defendants-in-zeus-botnets-case-provides-new-evidence-to-fbi.aspx

 

[dextermat]

to dalethepcman

The only problem is 1 down 2 000 000 000 to go, it's just like war against drugs: a big waste of money.
Wake up and smell the coffee man. But don't get me wrong, I wish malware would go away.

 

[MarioJP]

[citation][nom]techguy911[/nom]They need to crack down on the phone fraud ie. company claims it's microsoft and that your computer is having problems and they will fix it for you if you let them remote access into your computer, they then make you visit a web page where it installs a rootkit then banking trojan on your system.Don't matter what AV you have this rootkit will not show up when you do a scan and nether will the banking trojan which it is hiding unless you scan from a boot cd or slave into a system with a running AV.Microsoft will never call you at home this is a scam to steal info from your computer i wonder is microsoft knows about these guys.Also formatting your computer does NOT get rid of some rootkits/bootkits it has to be zero'ed by either a boot cd or slaved into a computer with a running up to date AV and wiped including the boot sectors.The main cause of these infections are security holes in internet explorer and java i have seen people with up to date av's still get infected with zero day malware that disables the av but it still looks like it is running.Also these people that were infected by ad's on poplar websites such as MSN,Google,Facebook,yahoo and lots of other sites which you think would be safe.Only true way to surf safe is to un-install java and stop using internet explorer better yet run linux in a virtual machine set to secure mode or boot from a live cd.[/citation]

Its Techs like you especially when they're in charge which complicates the process for the rest of the techs and can mean the difference between losing their jobs over this. Do you know how the file system works?. I have never came across of where you format and the virus is still there. I have heard of MBR viruses sure. Just wipe the MBR and your good to go. By formatting the drive it erases the toc (table of contents) rendering data useless until recovered. It is the rule of any file system. Possible causes for a tech to think that are either A did not really formatted the drive or their terms of "formatting" is reinstalling a new OS on top of the old without an actual format, giving the impression of "this virus can handle a format". I have seen many techs make this mistake many many times over and even debate their mistakes to others. Well at least that explains why i get computers that supposedly other techs claim to fix, or B..Techs don't truly understand how formatting works.

Heard that saying "Backup before you format" because trust me once you format there is no such thing as undo. Data is still there but its useless and its at risk of being overwritten and you be surprise how quickly the old data gets overwritten. I know this from experience when i accidentally formatted my backup drive. I was able to recover almost all my data but, unfortunately not without some data loss. You can however undo a partition that you accidentally deleted because deleting a partition only changes the mbr and not the file system in that partition.

Go figure.

 

[v1ctor]

These are the guys that are going to leak software so they can keep their jobs.