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View Poll Results: In your opinion, what is the most likely source of computer viruses?
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 27.27%
Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Netscape or the like 0 0%
Email 4 36.36%
Source other than the above 4 36.36%
Voters: 11. You may not vote on this poll

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Apr 25th, 2005
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Where do viruses originate?

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There is an ongoing argument on where you pick up viruses (we´re not talking about spyware here) What do you think? Do you have specific examples or instances you can tell about?
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Nearly a Posting Virtuoso
zeroth is offline Offline
1,220 posts
since Mar 2005
Apr 26th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

I put source other than above because I thought its bound to be something clever like mainstream Software Downloads / patches. That said I would of thought popups, other areas where you have to click on dodgy adds, would be the worst

I'd be interested to hear some stories as well, AV Management is a big part of my job.
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Practically a Master Poster
MartyMcFly is offline Offline
675 posts
since Feb 2005
Apr 27th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

The majority of virusses spread via pirated software and other crap people download over P2P networks.
Email virusses used to be big but have been on the decline for a year or more.

Direct infection through websites is low and generally not viral in nature but limited to installation of spyware or trojans that are usually not self replicating (though they may take actions to trick others into infecting themselves) and therefore don't class as virusses.
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duckman
jwenting is offline Offline
7,719 posts
since Nov 2004
Apr 27th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

file sharing networks. I think 50% of files on kazaa are corrupt.
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Postaholic
server_crash is offline Offline
2,108 posts
since Jun 2004
Apr 27th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

At one point security firms estimated 90% of files on Kazaa had malicious payload.
I believe it's gotten a bit better but noone's ever done a similar survey on bittorrent and similar networks AFAIK.
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duckman
jwenting is offline Offline
7,719 posts
since Nov 2004
Apr 27th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

My PC used to be spyware-ridden and I only used internet explorer and a very inactive hotmail account. Coincidence? I think not. Explorer is definitely to blame.
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Posting Pro in Training
JJ___ is offline Offline
461 posts
since Apr 2005
Apr 27th, 2005
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Re: Where do viruses originate?

Quote originally posted by jwenting ...
The majority of virusses spread via pirated software and other crap people download over P2P networks.
Email virusses used to be big but have been on the decline for a year or more.

Direct infection through websites is low and generally not viral in nature but limited to installation of spyware or trojans that are usually not self replicating (though they may take actions to trick others into infecting themselves) and therefore don't class as virusses.
You can play 'games' with voting and listening to uninformed opinion, but if you listen to this fella instead you'll get the truth!
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Grandad
Catweazle is offline Offline
3,826 posts
since Mar 2004
Apr 30th, 2005
1

Re: Where do viruses originate?

No, listen to me for the truth

Viruses may spread through P2P networks, but they originate in the computer of an evil computer hacker (see here). Then that hacker sends it to someone, who sends it to someone else.... you get the point.
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Posting Whiz in Training
mmiikkee12 is offline Offline
274 posts
since Oct 2004
Jun 7th, 2005
0

Re: Where do viruses originate?

Mean people write them, of course. They aren't just spontaneously generated.

Then those people sneak them into innocent looking software and trick you into downloading the software.

Or they email you a link that downloads a virus.

Microsoft is the real culprit, by making Windows so it can run software from a remote source.
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Posting Whiz in Training
Real-tiner is offline Offline
207 posts
since Dec 2004
Jun 8th, 2005
0

Re: Where do viruses originate?

uh, the first virusses ran on Unix computers in the 1970s...

They were intentionally created and non-mallicious (except for slowing down network traffic). Their goal was to spread updates to software automatically to all users whereever they might be. Problem was they were too effective at spreading

The first recorded mallicious virus for DOS was created unintentionally when a university student in Jeruzalem made a programming mistake.
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duckman
jwenting is offline Offline
7,719 posts
since Nov 2004

This thread is more than three months old

No one has posted to this discussion for at least three months. Please let old threads die and do not reply to them unless you feel you have something new and valuable to contribute that absolutely must be added to make the discussion complete. Otherwise, please start a new thread in this forum instead.
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