Re: [OT] Emsisoft
By default OpenOffice is set to not allow macro execution - perhaps someone in the staff specifically went round and enabled it? Douglas On 22/05/2010 22:08, Richmond Mathewson wrote: On 22/05/2010 23:47, Mark Wieder wrote: Richmond- Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:34:20 PM, you wrote: However; all my client's computers (whether they run Windows or Linux) use Open Office; I was unaware that a Word Macro virus could operate via Open Office. If macro execution is not disabled then there's no reason why a macro virus shouldn't propagate. I realize that's tautological, but you asked... Right; first thing tomorrow I will have to disable macro execution on all 10 machines. Thanks so much. As 99% of my work is with Linux and Mac I had actually forgotten about Word Macro viruses, although I had one messing up my LC 475 in illinois a while back. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
On 23/05/2010 15:10, Douglas wrote: By default OpenOffice is set to not allow macro execution - perhaps someone in the staff specifically went round and enabled it? You don't know these people! They keep downloading the Windows version of Skype onto Linux machines because it is better than the Linux version and then throwing tantrums because Windows programs don't work on Linux; What is wrong with these computers? everybody knows that computers cannot run without Windows. Enabling Macros . . . Having installed Linux on a 'new' machine I left it to do an apt-get update overnight; telling the people not to touch the machine. The next day I had to start installing from scratch, because, being unable to turn the machine off (despite post-it notes and so on saying DON'T) they had yanked the power cable out the back This IS Bulgaria; or, as an American friend once put it; I love Bulgaria, it allows me to experience the same sort of thrills my ancestors experienced in Texas in the middle of the 19th century. Have you seen that film Wild Wild West; a sort of steam-punk America through distorting glasses? The problem about Wild Wild East is that one is unable to remove the distorting glasses. - I have the perfect plan for the virus problem these people are experiencing: take all their computers to the gypsy quarter where they will be scavenged for precious metals . . . :) ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
ROTFL (spitting coffee) -- you made my morning laugh On 23 May 2010 07:21, Richmond Mathewson richmondmathew...@gmail.comwrote: I have the perfect plan for the virus problem these people are experiencing: take all their computers to the gypsy quarter where they will be scavenged for precious metals . . . :) ___ -- - Stephen Barncard San Francisco ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
[OT] Emsisoft
I have been sorting out several machines for a client; an office that uses a mixture of machines running Windows XP, Ubuntu and MintLinux. The Windows machines work in an intranet that has no connexion to the internet or to the other intranet consisting of the Linux boxes that are connected to the internet. One job I had to do was to take 2 hard disks out of a Pentium 4 running XP and pop them into a faster machine. However the machine was running slowly and behaving queerly; so, although it has not direct contact with the internet I thought just for fun I would run some anti-virus stuff on it. I downloaded Emsisoft because it allows one a 3 day full-featured trial. It is extremely impressive insofar as it does a job which I don't believe should be necessary on any operating system in an efficient manner. Well my just for fun very rapidly became egg all over the face when it became clear that the Windows machines were infected with an even dozen of nasties; the most ugly being Trojan.Win32.FakeAV!IK and Trojan-Downloader.Agent!IK The only way I can account for these computers having become infected is through workers in this office transferring infected MSWord and MSExcel files from the Linux boxes to the Windows ones with USB Flash drives. The only other possibility is that the staff are being 'disingenuous', and have also been using their Flash drives on computers running Windows at home or elsewhere. --- As an essentially Non-Windows person (and my recent finding only serves to make me even more 'Non' than I was before) I should be very grateful if somebody who knows more about this than I do (well, that shouldn't be difficult) could tell me: 1. Can virusus / trojans attach themselves to MSWord / Excel documents? 2. Can viruses be downloaded simultaneously as documents onto USB sticks plugged into Linux boxes that then infect Windows boxes on transfer? sincerely, Richmond Mathewson ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
Some of the nastiest and earliest viruses were macro viruses in excel and word documents. Most corporate machines prevent macro's from allowable execution without a warning (if they allow it at all). Also, thumb drives are possibly the biggest threat to corporate computers. An audit team from a top 3 firm I know tested the security mechanisms in a company by dropping infected thumb drives in the parking lot and watching how people picked them up and plugged them into the corporate computers. As the thumb drives, like cds/dvds, will play an autoplay file when mounted, its a perfect way to inject a virus if people allow it to run. Most secure shops prohibit thumb drives. Best wishes Neal Campbell Abroham Neal Software ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
On 22/05/2010 23:20, Neal Campbell wrote: Some of the nastiest and earliest viruses were macro viruses in excel and word documents. Most corporate machines prevent macro's from allowable execution without a warning (if they allow it at all). Also, thumb drives are possibly the biggest threat to corporate computers. An audit team from a top 3 firm I know tested the security mechanisms in a company by dropping infected thumb drives in the parking lot and watching how people picked them up and plugged them into the corporate computers. As the thumb drives, like cds/dvds, will play an autoplay file when mounted, its a perfect way to inject a virus if people allow it to run. Most secure shops prohibit thumb drives. Thank you for that useful information. However; all my client's computers (whether they run Windows or Linux) use Open Office; I was unaware that a Word Macro virus could operate via Open Office. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
Neal- Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:20:38 PM, you wrote: Most secure shops prohibit thumb drives. ...and disable autoplay as well. -- -Mark Wieder mwie...@ahsoftware.net ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
Richmond- Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:34:20 PM, you wrote: However; all my client's computers (whether they run Windows or Linux) use Open Office; I was unaware that a Word Macro virus could operate via Open Office. If macro execution is not disabled then there's no reason why a macro virus shouldn't propagate. I realize that's tautological, but you asked... -- -Mark Wieder mwie...@ahsoftware.net ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: [OT] Emsisoft
On 22/05/2010 23:47, Mark Wieder wrote: Richmond- Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1:34:20 PM, you wrote: However; all my client's computers (whether they run Windows or Linux) use Open Office; I was unaware that a Word Macro virus could operate via Open Office. If macro execution is not disabled then there's no reason why a macro virus shouldn't propagate. I realize that's tautological, but you asked... Right; first thing tomorrow I will have to disable macro execution on all 10 machines. Thanks so much. As 99% of my work is with Linux and Mac I had actually forgotten about Word Macro viruses, although I had one messing up my LC 475 in illinois a while back. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
