The whole point of being a rootkit is to be undetectable. It is very hard to find rootkits Ah, but I know I have this rootkit. If I were invisible, you could still find me by my shadow. And you'd be even more likely to find me if you knew you were not alone in the room.
If the purpose of the rootkit is to be undetectable, then the fact we know it's there should make it that much easier.
Against Sony? No way, that's stretching the point too far. It's as daft as suing P2P software authors because people are using their software to violate copyright. Oh, wait...
P2P has legitimate uses. I can share non-copyrighted stuff. There isn't much need to hide stuff on computers legally.
Look, I'm all for open-source. I really am. I want to see it expanded to all sorts of things. But fundamentally, the simple fact that something is open-source does not promise it victory. I use Firefox because it is better, not because it is open source. If you want to argue that by being open-source, Linux will overtake Mac OS X (and eventuall OS 11), then I want to have that discussion, b/c you may be right. But I don't think being open source is a de facto reason for victory.
He goes on to detail the steps that were necessary to bring his computer back to fully-functional condition. It's not for Joe Q. Public.
But if this guy can do it, can it be done twenty times, then someone smart out there in EFF or something writes a script to remove it and fix things?
I was actually moslty talking about legally, are you allowed to do it. But is deleting the drivers the only way? Couldn't you nail the rootkit if you know it is there, and then get anything with $sys$ in it's name?
This probably won't be a popular comment, but I think Mac OS will eventually be bigger on the desktop than Linux.
1) Easier Support - your computer breaks, you know who to go to 2) Less of a learning curve. 3) Less confusing in terms of options (there are a lot of types and kinds of Linux, or so it seems). 4) Media acceptance. Macs are more well known than Linux, which isn't Linux's fault, it's just the fact that OS X has Apple behind it. 5) Application Support - Things are ported to Mac quicker than to Linux usually. Apple also stands to get more software compatibility when they go to Intel computers.
As soon as you have agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions of the EULA, this CD will automatically install a small proprietary software program (the "SOFTWARE") onto YOUR COMPUTER. The SOFTWARE is intended to protect the audio files embodied on the CD, and it may also facilitate your use of the DIGITAL CONTENT. Once installed, the SOFTWARE will reside on YOUR COMPUTER until removed or deleted. However, the SOFTWARE will not be used at any time to collect any personal information from you, whether stored on YOUR COMPUTER or otherwise.
Emphasis is mine. Anyways, nothing is the EULA says that I can't just go and delete it. Sure, it may reinstall, but can't we delete it the minute we eject the CD? Can we write a script to do that?
Yes, it says "software", but it doesn't say "I agree to allow Sony to install software commonly associated with hackers that may infringe upon my computer's security". And I think that'll make a bit of a difference.
You're right, there must be a grace period, because I didn't get mine until I was two. But we still lived where they adopted me, so I didn't think about that. And actually, out of the two of us, my little sister has the lower SSN
Since Social Security numbers are non-random, could they be sourced? The first 3 digits are where you were born geographically, and if you knew the year, you could narrow it down to a few thousand possibilities, right? then use death records or something to narrow that further?
I don't know what impact this has on the discussion, but it seemed important to consider.
Actually, the lowest it can be is 001-01-0001, as I recall. I remembe watching some New Deal movie in class, or something about the recent Social Security discussion, and it came up.
Wait, run this by me again. As I read the article, my friends and I, who have done funny amateur videos, and would like to do more, would be out of luck. We would have to have anything that converts to MPEG formats approved by Hollywood? Doesn't that drastically cut down on the creation of original works?
Yeah, I agree. At $600 at least for a good enough computer, plus $50 for each copy of WoW. That's a lot of money down, and you need to work for a while before you make those profits back. then when you figure in subtracting wages, you are making like half the profits for each hour.
Once it reaches like 10 ounces or something, I can't stick it in the mailbox, I have to go to the post office. but the idea of getting them to pay the shipping is tempting. Very tempting, actually. But do they get a bill for those envelopes you have to stamp, or do they pay up front? Because if they pay up front, I have to pay beyond the first or second ounce.
I'm not saying Macs would be immune. Or that they can't be hacked. I'm saying that against this particular hypothetical virus, you get some degree of protection in that you suddenly are prompted to enter your admin password. Which is harder to socially engineer. I mean, I can say "Hey, I need your bank account number to wire you your winnings" or "We need your AOL password to reactivate your account", but saying "Enter your administrator password so we can send you an iPod" doesn't sound too good. Sure, they can lie, and say they're installing a game, and stupid people might buy it, but at least we're back to where we started.
Where do I mail the check for $699? Or more precisely, where do I mail $699 in Monopoly money? I was considering $699 in pennies, but then I thought about the shipping costs...
Never thought I'd be saying GO IBM!!, but this is getting ridiculous.
It doesn't sound like Google to work as a personal DVR. I think it seems more likely that they will get a copy of every TV show they can find, and let you view them over a streaming connection. that way, you can see it as often as you want, but only when you're connected to Google, so there isn't a "permanent ownership" issue we get from a DVR, so we avoid the broadcast flag.
And then people wouldn't be so mad about ads, since the idea would be time-shifting. "wait, I get to watch pretty much any tv show whenever I want? Ads, meh, I'll browse in another window when ads are on"
Could they get content from channel affliates in England/Canada/Australia or something, where there are no broadcast flags, and then show it over the internet here? I know that due to some legal issues, you have to get transcripts to some tv shows from servers in Europe.
I don't expect anyone to IM me at random, so I'm simply going to block IMs from anyone not on my list.
That's not a solution the public will implement. I want to get IMs from people I just met who aren't on my buddy list yet. And I want to IM someone who probably doesn't have me on their buddylist.
At the bare minimum, that would re-introduce social engineering, as you would be prompted for your admin password (and sometimes the account password too) everytime you wanted to make a change. Period. Which makes Mac a good bit safer from this at least. I mean, a Mac could wind up with AIM getting modified in such a way that it could spread the virus, but without the admin password, I don't think the virus can do a lot to you.
Is this just an attempt to keep Pluto in the "planet" catagory? Because it seems like someone says "So what makes Pluto so special? We've got dozens of KBOs that big and bigger" and some people refuse to consider the idea that Pluto is nothing special. Now we suddenly have 3 moons on Pluto?
I don't know. I'm probably just crazy, but it seems possible to me.
We (the western world) aren't doing this. the Chinese are. They can't stand the idea of the world not agreeing with them, so they want to block anything that doesn't agree with them. And we aren't going to change the entire internet to pro-chinese stuff (and I'd like to see them try, because it'd be a pathetic failure).
You'd pay the termination fee? I wouldn't. I'd have my lawyer write them a nice letter explaining that they are in breach of contract for failure to provide service, and just cut them off.
Wow, that's downright nice of you. I'd send them a bill for early termination of my service. It wouldn't work, but I'd get a laugh.
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The whole point of being a rootkit is to be undetectable. It is very hard to find rootkits Ah, but I know I have this rootkit. If I were invisible, you could still find me by my shadow. And you'd be even more likely to find me if you knew you were not alone in the room.
If the purpose of the rootkit is to be undetectable, then the fact we know it's there should make it that much easier.
Against Sony? No way, that's stretching the point too far. It's as daft as suing P2P software authors because people are using their software to violate copyright. Oh, wait...
P2P has legitimate uses. I can share non-copyrighted stuff. There isn't much need to hide stuff on computers legally.
Look, I'm all for open-source. I really am. I want to see it expanded to all sorts of things. But fundamentally, the simple fact that something is open-source does not promise it victory. I use Firefox because it is better, not because it is open source. If you want to argue that by being open-source, Linux will overtake Mac OS X (and eventuall OS 11), then I want to have that discussion, b/c you may be right. But I don't think being open source is a de facto reason for victory.
He goes on to detail the steps that were necessary to bring his computer back to fully-functional condition. It's not for Joe Q. Public.
But if this guy can do it, can it be done twenty times, then someone smart out there in EFF or something writes a script to remove it and fix things?
I was actually moslty talking about legally, are you allowed to do it. But is deleting the drivers the only way? Couldn't you nail the rootkit if you know it is there, and then get anything with $sys$ in it's name?
This probably won't be a popular comment, but I think Mac OS will eventually be bigger on the desktop than Linux.
1) Easier Support - your computer breaks, you know who to go to
2) Less of a learning curve.
3) Less confusing in terms of options (there are a lot of types and kinds of Linux, or so it seems).
4) Media acceptance. Macs are more well known than Linux, which isn't Linux's fault, it's just the fact that OS X has Apple behind it.
5) Application Support - Things are ported to Mac quicker than to Linux usually. Apple also stands to get more software compatibility when they go to Intel computers.
::Braces for "-1 Flamebait"::
As soon as you have agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions of the EULA, this CD will automatically install a small proprietary software program (the "SOFTWARE") onto YOUR COMPUTER. The SOFTWARE is intended to protect the audio files embodied on the CD, and it may also facilitate your use of the DIGITAL CONTENT. Once installed, the SOFTWARE will reside on YOUR COMPUTER until removed or deleted. However, the SOFTWARE will not be used at any time to collect any personal information from you, whether stored on YOUR COMPUTER or otherwise.
Emphasis is mine. Anyways, nothing is the EULA says that I can't just go and delete it. Sure, it may reinstall, but can't we delete it the minute we eject the CD? Can we write a script to do that?
Yes, it says "software", but it doesn't say "I agree to allow Sony to install software commonly associated with hackers that may infringe upon my computer's security". And I think that'll make a bit of a difference.
You're right, there must be a grace period, because I didn't get mine until I was two. But we still lived where they adopted me, so I didn't think about that. And actually, out of the two of us, my little sister has the lower SSN
Since Social Security numbers are non-random, could they be sourced? The first 3 digits are where you were born geographically, and if you knew the year, you could narrow it down to a few thousand possibilities, right? then use death records or something to narrow that further?
I don't know what impact this has on the discussion, but it seemed important to consider.
Actually, the lowest it can be is 001-01-0001, as I recall. I remembe watching some New Deal movie in class, or something about the recent Social Security discussion, and it came up.
Wait, run this by me again. As I read the article, my friends and I, who have done funny amateur videos, and would like to do more, would be out of luck. We would have to have anything that converts to MPEG formats approved by Hollywood? Doesn't that drastically cut down on the creation of original works?
Yeah, I agree. At $600 at least for a good enough computer, plus $50 for each copy of WoW. That's a lot of money down, and you need to work for a while before you make those profits back. then when you figure in subtracting wages, you are making like half the profits for each hour.
Once it reaches like 10 ounces or something, I can't stick it in the mailbox, I have to go to the post office. but the idea of getting them to pay the shipping is tempting. Very tempting, actually. But do they get a bill for those envelopes you have to stamp, or do they pay up front? Because if they pay up front, I have to pay beyond the first or second ounce.
I'm not saying Macs would be immune. Or that they can't be hacked. I'm saying that against this particular hypothetical virus, you get some degree of protection in that you suddenly are prompted to enter your admin password. Which is harder to socially engineer. I mean, I can say "Hey, I need your bank account number to wire you your winnings" or "We need your AOL password to reactivate your account", but saying "Enter your administrator password so we can send you an iPod" doesn't sound too good. Sure, they can lie, and say they're installing a game, and stupid people might buy it, but at least we're back to where we started.
Where do I mail the check for $699? Or more precisely, where do I mail $699 in Monopoly money? I was considering $699 in pennies, but then I thought about the shipping costs...
Never thought I'd be saying GO IBM!!, but this is getting ridiculous.
It doesn't sound like Google to work as a personal DVR. I think it seems more likely that they will get a copy of every TV show they can find, and let you view them over a streaming connection. that way, you can see it as often as you want, but only when you're connected to Google, so there isn't a "permanent ownership" issue we get from a DVR, so we avoid the broadcast flag.
And then people wouldn't be so mad about ads, since the idea would be time-shifting. "wait, I get to watch pretty much any tv show whenever I want? Ads, meh, I'll browse in another window when ads are on"
Could they get content from channel affliates in England/Canada/Australia or something, where there are no broadcast flags, and then show it over the internet here? I know that due to some legal issues, you have to get transcripts to some tv shows from servers in Europe.
I don't expect anyone to IM me at random, so I'm simply going to block IMs from anyone not on my list.
That's not a solution the public will implement. I want to get IMs from people I just met who aren't on my buddy list yet. And I want to IM someone who probably doesn't have me on their buddylist.
At the bare minimum, that would re-introduce social engineering, as you would be prompted for your admin password (and sometimes the account password too) everytime you wanted to make a change. Period. Which makes Mac a good bit safer from this at least. I mean, a Mac could wind up with AIM getting modified in such a way that it could spread the virus, but without the admin password, I don't think the virus can do a lot to you.
Is this just an attempt to keep Pluto in the "planet" catagory? Because it seems like someone says "So what makes Pluto so special? We've got dozens of KBOs that big and bigger" and some people refuse to consider the idea that Pluto is nothing special. Now we suddenly have 3 moons on Pluto?
I don't know. I'm probably just crazy, but it seems possible to me.
So, um, what's going to happen when this gets out (if it does) and DRM is equated with virii/malware/trojans/hackers etc?
Somehow, I don't think Sony wants to be known as the guys who put illegal software on your computer to protect "digital rights".
We (the western world) aren't doing this. the Chinese are. They can't stand the idea of the world not agreeing with them, so they want to block anything that doesn't agree with them. And we aren't going to change the entire internet to pro-chinese stuff (and I'd like to see them try, because it'd be a pathetic failure).
St. Augustine - "An unjust law is no law at all".
Therefore, I would feel no remorse "breaking" this "law".
"The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers" - Leia, Ep. IV
You'd pay the termination fee? I wouldn't. I'd have my lawyer write them a nice letter explaining that they are in breach of contract for failure to provide service, and just cut them off.
Wow, that's downright nice of you. I'd send them a bill for early termination of my service. It wouldn't work, but I'd get a laugh.