Experts: Internet Attack Possible

"An alert distributed Thursday among U.S. government agencies warned of 'widespread scanning and exploitation' of victim computers by hackers who were developing 'improved and automated exploit tools.'

Alan Paller of the SANS Institute in Bethesda, Md., said a disruption could be worse by orders of magnitude than previous high-profile attacks -- such as the summer 2001 outbreak of the "Code Red" virus -- because of the numbers of vulnerable systems. "

In typical dumbed down alarmist fashion the article relays the danger in generic terms that relate absolutely no useful information. You see this danger is due to "a flaw in Windows software from Microsoft Corp". What flaw? I guess there's only the one. No need to specify then. Which Windows? There' a freaking dozen flavors in common use now.

Aparently the hackers are going to get control of our computers using their "improved and automated exploit tools." Nothing is said, of course, about what these tools might be or how they could be used or countered.

The biggest fear is "that hackers will quickly unleash automated "worm" software that attacks large numbers of computers within minutes". Ah, yes. The obligatory "worm" that must appear in all articles having to do with the internet, computers and/or technology. Newsies eventually came to realize that "virus" was becoming understood and accepted by the populace at alarge so they have to use "worm" now if they want to be scary. By the way, why is "worm" always in scare quotes?

The attack could come "any day now", it "could be worse by orders of magnitude than previous high-profile attacks" causing a ""significant impact" on the internet". Note the scare quotes around "significant impact". There is a brief note that Microsoft has a security update (they call it a "repairing patch") but no mention of which one they are talking about, who needs to use it or how to get it. The only thing they say about it is that "a large rollout may need to take some time". It's a race against the hackers! Why won't these people hurry up!?

Run away! Run away!

Feh. I hate news.

UPDATE: I just realized that my first fisking was a pointless rant at a local news article. I feel so... so... unfulfilled.