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UK Government Launches Virus Alert Service

Posted by Zonk on from the had-this-been-an-actual-virus-pr0n-would-have-appeared dept.

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)?"

11 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. Anti-Virus package? by DaHat · · Score: 5, Informative

    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
  2. how does the average user validate the source? by MrRTFM · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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
    1. Re:how does the average user validate the source? by Folmer · · Score: 4, Informative

      When you sign up for the ITsafe mail, you will have to provide a "ITsafe word" which will be in the subject of the email, and therefor its easy to see if its a forged mail..
      read more here: http://www.itsafe.gov.uk/terms/itsafeword.html

  3. We all know what's next by gowen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.
  4. doesn't make sense. by jwcorder · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This does not make sense. Almost all anti-virus vendors offer this same alert. All you have to do is go to their website and signup. I know because I get 3-5 of them a day in my inbox. Why the government would want to waste taxpayer dollars on this is beyond me. Of course, I have no reason to talk because I don't live in the UK.

    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
    1. Re:doesn't make sense. by gowen · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Almost all anti-virus vendors offer this same alert.
      And in 19th century New York, there were any number of competitive Fire Companies you could call if you wanted a blaze extinguished. And yet somehow, it was decided that people with a commercial interest in selling you stuff were not the people you wanted to call for an emergency.

      Governments are flawed, but AV companies have a vested interest in selling you things you don't want.
      --
      Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
  5. Better suggestion! by bigtallmofo · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.
  6. The Dutch are doing this for 2 years already by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  7. Belgium has this: BIPT by wimbor · · Score: 5, Informative

    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...

  8. Re:Next story about this will be... by ggvaidya · · Score: 5, Funny

    You must be new here.

    Obviously, the next story will be this story posted again by another editor. :)

  9. Election coming up? by badfish99 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    There's no useful information on the site, but the front page features a press release and several big pictures of a government minister.

    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".