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Desktop Search Tools Will Help Virus Writers

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the helping-the-hurters dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With desktop search tools all the rage, ZDNet is reporting that virus writers could take advantage of the technology to produce more efficient malware. "Any software that can index and capture data on a users PC will be subject to virus and Trojan exploits. It is just a matter of time," said an analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "

2 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. Please.. don't shoot the messenger by Ckwop · · Score: 4, Informative

    Don't shoot the messenger. Desktop search is only exposing a weakness that is already there as it can only index stuff it has permission to index.

    As always, Schneier is particularly lucid on this issue, see his essay here

    Simon.

  2. Virus Source Code by totallygeek · · Score: 4, Informative
    For those interested, check out the Virus Source Code Database. As for the article, I don't think that making virus authoring easier is any concern. Why not make the software impervious to virus attack in the first place? I mean, the design of DOS, Windows, and now Windows XP does little to stop malware, viruses, trojans, spyware, etc.

    --
    Click here or here.