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Domain: brain.net.pk

Stories and comments across the archive that link to brain.net.pk.

Comments · 10

  1. "Brain" - misguided response to piracy? by coldnebo · · Score: 1 · on 20 Years of Computer Viruses
    From http://www.brain.net.pk/aboutus.htm I found the following extremely interesting context:
    "What no American journal had the courage to admit at that time was how badly the virus had hurt America's painfully cultivated image of the world's leading copyright protector. Almost overnight, it had shown Americans to be the world's biggest copyright violators. Every time the virus found a new home in the USA, it signalled one more copyright violation by an American."

    Apparently this "virus" was originally intended to sit on people's PCs and ensure that they didn't run certain copyrighted software without a license. It explains the apparently silly idea of placing the authors contact information into the virus message along with a request for contact.

    Although this is a rather bad idea for copy-protection enforcement I've seen similar schemes (INT13 hooks minus the virus transmission part) in CAD/CAM and music software. What's interesting is that it casts a completely different light on the intentions of the authors (misguided vs. malicious) that isn't reported in TFA.

    I can't find any specifics about what the original software that was being protected was used for. Why was it so widespread? Did we (the USA) really screw Pakistani developers out of income for a useful utility? Or is this a case of a bad copy-protection scheme getting out of hand and falsely reporting violations?

  2. Re:Message in the virus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative · on 20 Years of Computer Viruses

    These two Brothers who created this virus are now millionries, have built Pakistan's largest ISP Brain Net and are also WLL service providers. See.. http://brain.net.pk/

  3. Re:perfect business model by jonnosan · · Score: 1 · on 20 Years of Computer Viruses

    they're still in business. : http://www.brain.net.pk/aboutus.htm

  4. Re:Message in the virus? by dotpavan · · Score: 5, Informative · on 20 Years of Computer Viruses

    people did take them seriously, so seriously that they were interviewed by TIME, for more story, over to this link, but alas I think it was short-lived.. now they are kinda reduced to ISP and stuff

  5. This sucks... by h2d2 · · Score: 2, Informative · on Internet to Pakistan Goes Down

    Two years ago I noted in my blog about how Pakistan's entire bandwidth is depended on this one undersea connection (SMW3) and how 'little' it is when compared to what ordinary consumers have in the developed world.

    Since then, Pakistan has leased a Hughes HGS-3 satellite and using it for various purposes, including telecommunications. Apparently now, all internet traffic is going through that and other satellite links... and from what I can tell even the country's biggest ISP Brain.NET (known for it's founders' famous DOS virus of the same name) site is taking forever to load. (Damn 6 second lags!)

    Obviously, this is bad for the country's outsourcing ambitions, especially with a recent spike in interest in this sector due to rising costs in Bangalore.

    Repost due to errors in original. Damn no edit rule!

  6. This sucks... by h2d2 · · Score: 1 · on Internet to Pakistan Goes Down

    Two years ago I noted in my blog about how Pakistan's entire bandwidth is depended on this one undersea connection (SMW3) and how 'little' it is when compared to what ordinary consumers have in the developed world.

    Since then, Pakistan has leased a Hughes HGS-3 satellite and using it for various purposes, including telecommunications. Apparently now, all internet traffic is going through that and other satellite links... and from what I can tell even the country's biggest ISP Brain.NET (known for it's of the same name) site is taking forever to load. (Damn 6 second lags!)

    Obviously, this is bad for the country's outsourcing ambitions, especially with a recent this sector due to rising costs in Bangalore.

  7. Re:Retro by HyperBlazer · · Score: 2, Insightful · on Virus Hold Computer Files 'Hostage' for $200
    Sounds like the first computer virus from what I remember. The one where some repair shop in India had the virus lock the user out of the system. It kindly displayed an ad for the repair shop that said they could fix it though.

    I think you mean the Pakistani Brain Virus.

    Software writers, not repair shop. Pakistan, not India. Not the first virus. It was intended to prevent piracy, and wasn't at all intended to be a "ransom."

    That's the short version of the story. "Welcome to the Dungeon. Beware of the VIRUS." ;-)

  8. First PC computer virus by mukund · · Score: 5, Interesting · on 20 Years of Virii

    Here's the company which created the first computer virus for the PC architecture. Interesting story on this page.

  9. Re:social life by doktor-hladnjak · · Score: 1 · on The Psychology of Virus Writers
    The article says Ms. Gordon has been studying this for 20 years.

    But seriously... I thought computer viruses haven't even been around that long. It was my impression that the first one was Pakistani Brain, written in 1986 and not really becoming widespread until the late 80s. 2003-1986 = 17 years.

  10. OFFENDED by Ziegerektum · · Score: 2, Funny · on Acknowledging Great Free Software

    As a Muslim and a longtime user developer of GNU/Linux, I am offended by your American cultural imperialism. My religion forbids the sonsumption of alcohol! Please attempt to honor the wishes of those who gvie their time to make software for you!

    I would like any donations to me instead be made to charitable organization such as:

    the PLO

    kill

    Muslim Aid

    The Nation of Islam
    Thank you.