Slashdot Mirror


HomeSec Warns Again About Microsoft's Insecurity

cbrandtbuffalo writes "The Department of Homeland Security has posted this advisory about an impending attack on MS systems. This RPC attack has already been seen in some localized systems, but may spread as unpatched computers are exploited. Some of the national news like CNN are running stories too."

38 of 497 comments (clear)

  1. How long? by Voltas · · Score: 5, Funny

    2 years / millions of dollars and the Home Land Security people tell me that people like to attack Microsoft Products.

    I'm glad I pay all those taxs!

    --
    -- Disclaimer: I can't really back up anything I post on /. --
    1. Re:How long? by Jonsey · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm glad I pay all those taxs!

      And I'm glad our "edjacashun" budget keeps rising to make the US more smarterer.

      --
      I assert that my comment is only my opinion, not that of any employer, past, present or future.
  2. Now if we can get them to arrest by MECC · · Score: 2, Funny

    If ew can get them to arrest the board of MS directors, in cluding BIll Gates, and treat them as POWs, that would help things considerably.

    --
    "We are all geniuses when we dream"
    - E.M. Cioran
    1. Re:Now if we can get them to arrest by Zemran · · Score: 4, Funny

      The whole Microsoft staff end up in Gauntanamo bay without trail or legal representation :) Seems fair to me...

      --
      I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
  3. Ugh. by JohnGrahamCumming · · Score: 5, Funny

    Could we not go around referring to The Department of Homeland Security as HomeSec? The last thing we need is /. popularizing a cool sounding name for this behemoth.

    If we need to refer to it then use the initial letters of its name... DoHs.

    Somehow appropriate when they put out warnings like the last one.

    John.

    1. Re:Ugh. by glwtta · · Score: 4, Funny

      I just tend to call it MiniPax - is that better?

      --
      sic transit gloria mundi
    2. Re:Ugh. by chrisgeisel · · Score: 2, Funny

      I prefer "Ministry of Love". We are at war with drugs err, al queda err, iraq err, gay marriage. We have always been at war with gay marriage.

  4. They should know! by jocknerd · · Score: 3, Funny

    After all, they're giving Microsoft $90 million to run their computers.

  5. Godwin's Law! Godwin's Law! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Worst Thread Ever. (TM)

  6. Hilarious! by Wilersh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft is now officially a threat to Homeland Security. Maybe George should drop some bombs on Redmond! We know where they are and they keep putting out a product that threatens our security. Oh wait, the government saw fit to give them a slap on the wrist and turn around and contracted even more unsafe software from them. They'll undoubtedly be mentioned in future hindsight publications from congress but on blanked out pages for national security reasons. That's what we do for "friends".

    Ugh.

    Wilersh

    1. Re:Hilarious! by kinnell · · Score: 2, Funny
      Maybe George should drop some bombs on Redmond

      ...or maybe he should summon the giant penguin of the apocalypse.

      --
      If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
  7. Color scale? by Elendil · · Score: 5, Funny

    On the DHS alert color code, blue means "guarded", just one notch lower than the alert level the USA have been living in for the last few months (with occasional orange flares). Should this color be reconsidered in sight of the well known Blue Screen of Death?

  8. Why are they even working on this? by slusich · · Score: 1, Funny

    Shouldn't the Department of Fatherland Security be working to eliminate terrorists and Democrats instead of pointing out the obvious?

    1. Re:Why are they even working on this? by admbws · · Score: 2, Funny

      Can't you see??? If they don't tell anyone about these vulnerabilities, "terrorists" will take advantage of them and kill hundreds of thousands of people! What if "terrorists" hacked into the Win98 computer controlling one of the many Nuclear Reactors based in the United States? Can you imagine the havoc that could cause?!?!

  9. Re:How big a threat is this? by rde · · Score: 4, Funny

    windows 98/windows 98se is vulnerable but Microsoft has not released a patch because they no longer support the product.#

    So upgrade to Windows XP, or the 73rr0r1575 \/\/1ll win.

  10. Re:Pretty Bad by tarquin_fim_bim · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Which port is it that you need to block?"

    To make windows secure?

    All of them.

  11. Re:How big a threat is this? by mjmalone · · Score: 0, Funny

    ah, I can see it now.

    You are either with US, or you are with the TERRORISTS. We want YOU to upgrade to Windows XP!

  12. Contract? by WPIDalamar · · Score: 0, Funny

    Didn't the department of homeland injustices sign a big fat contract with MS to provide a bunch of software a little while ago? Wouldn't announcing this be againse the EULA of microsoft products or something =)

  13. HomeSec. Ingsoc. MiniPax. Double-plus good. by thelandp · · Score: 5, Funny
    The name "HomeSec" reminds me of a few similar terms from George Orwell's important (and never more appropriate) book, 1984.

    Most government departments actually are designed to achieve the opposite of their names. For example, the "Department of Homeland Security" is in fact designed to control the level of insecurity that people feel. Likewise, the ministry of defence is really about offence, and in 1984 the Ministry of Information is about disinformation and so on.

    In the book, the language was controlled to the point of creating new terms like IngSoc, MiniPax (ministry of peace, really designed to perpetuate war), and Double-plus good.

    The whole point here is to justify the actions of the government. Because it becomes alot easier to justify removing civil rights when there is the perceived threat of some common enemy.

    --

    -- the only thing we have to fear is really scary things
  14. the patch is really a trojan (funny) by number6x · · Score: 2, Funny

    The patch from MS is really a trojan!

    Go to this link to learn more!

  15. security through obscurity by BigBir3d · · Score: 2, Funny

    I guess that is why our IT Department doesn't want to update the desktops beyond Windows 98. "Hackers target the newest OS" is what he said. Apparently system stability is not a high concern :(

  16. No patch for Win98/SE? by shunnicutt · · Score: 5, Funny

    This suggests a new marketing slogan:

    "If you don't upgrade to Windows XP, then the terrorists have already won!"

  17. That's not true by TheConfusedOne · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Which port is it that you need to block?"

    To make windows secure?

    All of them.


    You only have to block the port where the power cord goes into the computer. :-D

    --
    --- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
  18. Can I suggest some newspeak by Rogerborg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Instead of saying open source versus closed source, how about we just start saying open source versus untrustable? That might help to chivvy things along.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  19. d'oh by saskwach · · Score: 1, Funny

    And the Code Red/Nimda spam was just starting to not fill the majority of my apache logs...grumble

  20. WoMD? by vgaphil · · Score: 3, Funny

    Windows of Mass Destruction?

    --
    A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. -- Einstein
  21. Re:how long has the patch been available? by Rogerborg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jeez, you Microserf zealots are getting irrational and touchy. Back off man, that's our shtick. ;-P

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  22. Re:Well engineered worms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...Or, maybe, create a set of worms...

    if a set of geese is a gaggle,
    a set of whales is a pod,
    a set of cows is a hurd,
    is a set of worms a can ?

    ...Or, maybe, open a can of worms...

    HA! I Crack my self UP!

  23. Re:Again.. by White+Roses · · Score: 5, Funny
    RPC port open to the word? Why?!

    So it can be saved and get into heaven. Oh, you mean world.

    --
    Do not touch -Willie
  24. To be really exact... by Shenkerian · · Score: 1, Funny

    or the HIV virus if you want to be exact

    Actually, to be really exact, it's just HIV. The 'V' is for virus.

    I bet you enter your PIN number at ATM machines, too.

    --
    You tell me how "whilst" differs from "while," and I'll stop calling you a pretentious jackass.
  25. Security by atcurtis · · Score: 5, Funny

    To make your computer truely secure, follow these simple steps:

    1. Get a decent firewall
    2. Configure it to deny everything except the ports you really need.
    3. Unplug any conputer with really sensitive data from the network
    4. In fact, unplug it from the wall power socket
    5. Heck with it, it's still vulnerable from someone at the console - encase it in concrete
    6. Cover the concrete block with copper sheeting to prevent against Echelon
    7. Cover it with lead plate just to be safe from X-Rays.
    8. Put it on a back of a trailer and tow it into a deep mine shaft. Salt mines go pretty deep.
    9. More concrete please!
    10. Use a tactical device to ensure that access to the bottom of the mine is difficult.

    Should be truely secure... But for the overtly paranoid, concider dropping the planet into your local black hole. Please note that there may be information leakage as any entropy is represented on the black hole's event horizon.

    Not practical... But fun.

    --
    -- The universe began. Life started on a billion worlds...
    -- Except on one where stupidity was there first.
  26. Re:Well engineered worms by chef_raekwon · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...the mother of all conspiracy theories....

    i wonder if you watched a helluva lot of star trek when you were a kid....(or maybe Bill Nye the Science Guy, you really seem to like worms.)

    (this is meant as a joke for all you moderators...im not trolling, atleast not here)

    --
    We're like rats, in some experiment! -- George Costanza
  27. It's all right by Rogerborg · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Based on this notification, no change to the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) is anticipated; the current HSAS level is YELLOW."

    Hasn't it been yellow for like ever? I think they just can't figure out how to change the bulb.

    Slightly more seriously, are we all comfortable with the idea that the Vaterland Security Advisory System is now here to stay, and that it's now featured in contexts where the words "external" or "terrorists" don't appear? That Homeland Security bulletins, much like the "troops killed in Iraq" daily scorecard, are now routine routine occurances?

    I've just had a kid. When he starts asking what the HSAS is, what do I tell him? "We're at War, junior. We've always been at War. Terrorists, drug barons, organized criminals, religious extremists, crackers, hackers, commies, arabs, they're all out to get us, and it's important to know just how scared the government wants us to be that we're going to die today."

    Nice world he's going to grow up in.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  28. THIS IS TOOOOOO RETARDED by Bob+Abooey · · Score: 1, Funny
    I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANY FRIGGIN MORE!!!

    If you need to be secure then UNPLUG YOUR FUCKING NETWORK CARD AND TAKE YOUR DATA OFFLINE!!! And yes I know, even if it's offline someone can still get to your data by social engineering or physically breaking into your box and all that, but taking it offline (ie., off any public network) will make it much more secure. LET ME REPEAT THIS: IF YOUR BOX IS CONNECTED TO A PUBLIC NETWORK LIKE THE INTERNET THEN IT'S NOT SECURE. PERIOD.

    And isn't it ironic that the department of homeland stupidity just announced they're spending a metric buttload on Microsoft software a few weeks ago, and now they come out to tell us about how insecure it all is?????

    I give up, it's all just too retarded for me to deal with anymore...

    --

    All the best,
    --Bob

  29. Microsoft's Insecurity? by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 2, Funny

    Perhaps all it needs is a big hug? I know we all call Microsoft a massive anti-competative tool of the Devil, but these comments do HURT.

  30. DHS warns about windows. by Mr_Icon · · Score: 2, Funny

    DHS warns about Windows.
    I see.
    Did their solution involve duck tape and plastic sheeting?

    (Though I must admit, after about 20 minutes the computers protected this way will be VERY secure. :))

    --
    If you open yourself to the foo, You and foo become one.
  31. The Net is safe from my computer by frovingslosh · · Score: 2, Funny
    I have right here a computer that is much more powerful that the million dollar plus CDC computer that provided services to my entire University when I went to school. It's more powerful than the 90 user time sharing system I was in charge of for another university. But the Internet is safe from having all of this potential computing power unleashed against it. Why? Because I hobble that dangerous computing power with Microsoft(R) brand software! Yes friends, that's right. No matter how powerful your computer is, you can rest assured that it can do little harm on the 'Net when it's running Microsoft(R) brand software, the software that not only opens security vulnerabilities but makes your system so slow that it just can't do much harm to the rest of the 'Net. And , as an added bonus, my Microsoft(R) software crashes frequently, so I reboot it often and just maybe that might eliminate or at least confuse some exploits. And when a world full of computers are crashing several times a day, it's just that much harder for exploits to find ones that are up long enough to exploit. And any exploit is likely to be minimally more inconvenient that running the Microsoft(R) software in the first place.

    Don't unleash your powerful computer on the Internet. Tame it with Microsoft(R) brand software today.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
  32. Conputer??? by Evil-G · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unplug any conputer with really sensitive data from the network

    is a conputer one which is running windows?