Worst Case Scenario Archive

  • Be alert! Mac malware targets unsuspecting users of adult Web sites

    Be alert! Mac malware targets unsuspecting users of adult Web sites

    Posted on June 23, 2010 | No Comments
    If I've said it once I've said it 1,000 times: the best way to stay safe online is to keep your wits about you and not to venture off into the darker corners of the Internet, if you know what I mean. I bring this up because there's a nasty bit of kit out there that means to attack unsuspecting Mac users. It sorta makes sense from the malware creator's perspective: Mac users tend to operate under the assumption that they're immune from malware because A) their numbers are too few to be a juicy target B) their system is inherently more secure. You can debate point B all day long, but as Apple sells more and more Macs you can bet that miscreants will be targeting the platform with increasing frequency.

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  • Windows 7 exploit (the first?) confirmed by Microsoft

    Windows 7 exploit (the first?) confirmed by Microsoft

    Posted on November 16, 2009 | No Comments
    Windows 7 users would be well-advised to block outgoing ports 139 and 445. Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a vulnerability that affects SMB in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 RC2. Worst case scenario: you connect to a malicious server then it crashes your PC.

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  • This is what it sounds like when Net Neutrality dies

    This is what it sounds like when Net Neutrality dies

    Posted on October 28, 2009 | No Comments
    The Net Neutrality argument is fairly nebulous for the average user but this image from a Reddit reader shows the effects of the law in a way everyone can understand. If you're tired of paying tiered pricing for stuff like cable and Internet access, how would you like to pay tiered pricing for the websites you visit. Want to watch Hulu? Add $10. Need eBay, even for a month? $5, please.

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  • Man, the U.S. had a crazy cyberwar plan against Iraq (that it didn’t execute)

    Man, the U.S. had a crazy cyberwar plan against Iraq (that it didn’t execute)

    Posted on August 2, 2009 | No Comments
    How great is this: in 2003, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies had a plan on the books to launch a cyberattack on Iraq that would have zapped the country's money supply. In other words, Saddam Hussein wouldn't have had any money to pay his troops or whatever. Three cheers for destruction!

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