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CERTStation Threat-Level Aggregator

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the if-you-don't-like-the-weather-wait-a-minute dept.

sloit writes "Just spotted, the CERTStation Threat level Aggregator displays the current threat level, in real-time, as assessed by 8 of the Internet's leading vulnerability watch services such as Symantec Threatcon, ISS Alertcon and SANS Infocon on one publically accessible Web page. Well, that saves a lot of daily trudging!"

9 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. If it would only just *tell* me by milo_a_wagner · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Fine, fine, I guess. But with all those flicks and ticks and whooshes, isn't this the most annoyingly designed page *ever*? I can barely see anything. I think I'm about to have an epileptic fit, and I'm not epileptic.

    --
    Man wird am besten für seine Tugenden bestraft.
    1. Re:If it would only just *tell* me by thetroll123 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Try it with Flashblock enabled, gives a far cleaner interface...

  2. Because we all know... by hellfire · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...breaking down threats and dangers in to colors like magenta, cyan, mauve, ash, and indigo, rather than actually telling us what the threat is, is a great way to communicate to the populace the danger they should think they are in, and thus keep control over the small minded populace.

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  3. Now with Flashy goodness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wow, with my Linux box, I can't see any threats at all! Linux makes everything more secure!

  4. Flash and gravity by Toby+The+Economist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    > the CERTStation Threat level Aggregator displays the current threat level,

    Well, it does if you have Flash installed.

    Which makes the page 100% useless to all those who do not.

    Making a page useless to a proportion of your viewers, in exchange for (supposedly!) looking better, is a poor exchange; even more so when you consider that Flash sites in practise often violate user-interface guidelines and are a nightmare for users.

    My view is that the larger the number of people involved, the more strongly the decisions taken gravitate towards the worst possible choice.

    This is why they have Flash on their site.

    If just one reasonably talented bloke had been given responsibility for the site, it would, I think, be likely to be useable and functional.

    1. Re:Flash and gravity by rk · · Score: 3, Informative

      "we see it fine"

      For a liberal interpretation of the word "fine". Gah! I have Flash installed and this site was hideous enough to consider UNinstalling it.

      To the GP, it's 100% useless to those who have Flash installed, too.

  5. Virus checker companies by sdo1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Companies that make their business on selling virus checking software will almost always over-exaggerate the threat. I'd be shocked to see Symantec and McAfee show anything much lower than their showing (yellow). It is in their best interest to keep the perception of impending doom alive and well.

    -S

    --
    --- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
  6. Interesting... by DaveM753 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The vertical ticker on the right showed 10 flaws in Firefox and 8 flaws in Thunderbird. Oddly, it didn't list Internet Explorer, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Vista, Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.

  7. Re:Another commercial /. plug by DigitalSorceress · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't know as I'd go so far as to claim that /. was paid for it, but it is certainly a case of advertisement in the guise of news. When I used to work for an NBC affilliate as a news photog, I had a chance to see first-hand, the constant stream of "press releases" and other crap that ended up at the news desk. They generally spiked most of it without a second thought... unless it was a really slow news day. Then, all bets were off.

    So, either it was a: slow news day, or b: flew under the radar. (Hey, if /. readers are constantly failing to rtfa, maybe the editor forgot to as well. :)

    --

    The Digital Sorceress