Slashdot Mirror
UK Government Launches Virus Alert Service
Phil1 writes "The BBC is reporting that a rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the UK government. Has this been attempted anywhere else in the world? Was it successful? And will they be plugging the Microsoft Anti-Spyware package (once it leaves beta)?"
You linked to the Anti-Spyware app... and mentioned the AV app... have they already released a beta of the AV? I know it's been purchased and in the process of rebranding... but come on!
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
UK security alert service hacked, all your personal info are belong to us!
*signs up*
Only problem with email or TXT alerts is that the sender is easily forged.
Hi, this is your government alert - please download the latest patch from http://www.alerts.gov.uk
The problem is that (apart from Slashdot users of course) that the hyperlinks are hidden, so any spammer can forge these messages to catch the unwary.
That alone would bring this thing down - it would only take a few lords or half a dozen grandmas to see goatse (or worse - gator spyware) to cause a public lack of confidence in the entire government program.
You can't expect to wield supreme executive power, just because some watery tart threw a sword at you
When will we expect the first Trojan masquerading as an update from the "IT Safe" service. The over/under is about 6 hours after the service goes live.
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
But when going on the US's past programs like this, any time you get the government involved, things tend to get out of hand.
I just don't understand the need especially when symantec will do this for free.
http://jayceecorder.blogspot.com
I have to say that I am very happy with the antispyware package that they have released. It consistently finds more spyware on my girlfriend's PC than any other program I have tried.
Products such as this, and released for free, start to wash away Microsoft's evil image
Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know. ~Lao Tzu
They could come up with a color-coded "Virus Threat Advisory System". Just off the top of my head, they could use something like:
Low = Green
Guarded = Blue
Elevated = Yellow
High = Orange
Severe = Red
Who the hell knows what users should do at each of these levels, but at least they'd be using techniques that have been used in other successful alert systems.
I'm a big tall mofo.
The Dutch Government CSIRT is doing this for two years already. So you can chill out to a cool Legowelt CD and get warned when there's a new threat.
On the site: http://www.itsafe.gov.uk/ theres no check to see if you are an UK citizen.. Also theres no mention of it being for UK'ers only on the site or in the press release...
Although i migth just use the service from DK-cert or some anti virus company..
for the las 3 years. At Alerta Antivirus
If the day of the week has a Y in it, Microsoft had a security problem today.
I just saved the government (pinky to corner of mouth) 1 Billllion dollars!
Since a few years the Belgian regulatory body for postal services and telecommunication (BIPT), has a special unit that tracks and warns for (possible) virus attacks.
Sometimes you get a warning of the BIPT in the radio news or during the traffic information announcements.
http://www.bipt.be/bipt_E.htm
I do not know how they work or how they are structured, and if it helps at all, but the UK is not the first country to do this...
Now that the UK is going to spend tax payer's money to prevent problems caused by poor design by private companies, are they going to put extra tax on the purchase of vulnerable products and licenses (mostly Windows)?
I wouldn't want my tax money being spend on plugging the holes in software I don't use.
The topic asks if this has been attempted anywhere else.
Well, there is the Computer Emergency Response Team at Carnegie Mellon University, and I like their approach.
I mean, one way they respond to threats is to contact anti-virus manufacturers. From there, it's a short step patches available via subscription.
You get the deep pockets of government to maintain the watch, and the rapid response of industry when a threat's been isolated. I like that division of labor.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
There's an election coming up, so it looks to me like another useless publicity stunt. I'm sure the web site will be left to wither once it's been reported in all the newspapers that the government is keeping us safe from "cyber-terrorism".
Why, just last night I got a bunch of helpful popup windows alerting me that "we have detected that your computer may be infected with spyware or a virus." There was also a button that I could click to download software that would fix it. Sounds like we're way ahead of the game, so chew on that for a while, U.K.!
Evil is the money of root.
Heard they are considering not releaseing it.
If they charge money for it, their makeing the industry rely on their buggy software, and then instead of fixing the software sell you "protection", sound familiar?
If they give it away, will be seen as anti competitive with all the very big business anti virus software manufacturers out there.
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