Microsoft Finds U.S. Leads In Botnets

Found this article in the CompTIA smartbrief. MS is using these stats in it's argument in favor of quarantining infected computers. This relates to a previous thread or 2 here since we have had a couple discussions already about MS wanting the entire US to use some form of isolation for infected computers.
Microsoft Finds U.S. Leads In Botnets -- InformationWeek

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eMeS

earweed wrote: »

Found this article in the CompTIA smartbrief. MS is using these stats in it's argument in favor of quarantining infected computers. This relates to a previous thread or 2 here since we have had a couple discussions already about MS wanting the entire US to use some form of isolation for infected computers.
Microsoft Finds U.S. Leads In Botnets -- InformationWeek

It's easy to read into this that Microsoft is proposing that they be the agent that decides what is quarantined. However, this is not the case. They are simply proposing something equivalent to a public health service or center for disease control for the internet.

I would definitely not want a corporation that has a financial interest at stake making these kinds of decisions on behalf of everyone. I'm also not certain that I like the alternative of having some governmental or super-national organization do this. However, I do understand the need for it.

Also, I really don't want to pass up an attempt to take a jab at Microsoft. I'd propose that a high percentage of those botnet-infected systems are running a Microsoft OS. Why not just quarantine all devices with a Microsoft OS from the internet until they prove that they're not infected.

earweed

Personally I think that with the number of free AV products available that there should be some kind of way to require an AV be present to have internet access. I've had a number of clients who were infected with viruses and malware who haven't been back for cleanups just because I always hook them up with Microsoft Security Essentials and Malware Bytes.

Mojo_666

Although I think this is a good idea I cannot help but think that MS will maybe hope this will lead to older unsupported OS's get a prema ban which may force people to purchase an upgrade, which can only be something running Windows Activation V2.

But either way I think it is a good thing.

eMeS

earweed wrote: »

Personally I think that with the number of free AV products available that there should be some kind of way to require an AV be present to have internet access. I've had a number of clients who were infected with viruses and malware who haven't been back for cleanups just because I always hook them up with Microsoft Security Essentials and Malware Bytes.

But would it piss you off if someone proposed this:

"Because there are a number of health insurance products available and vaccines for various maladies people should be required to both be vaccinated at certain ages to reduce the risk of spreading dangerous diseases, and should be required to have health insurance in order to reduce the costs associated with misuse of emergency care."

Not jabbing at you specifically, but I think the parallels are terribly interesting.

earweed wrote: »

Personally I think that with the number of free AV products available that there should be some kind of way to require an AV be present to have internet access.

I'd also point out that "free" does not necessarily mean "effective".

MS

Devilsbane

eMeS wrote: »

It's easy to read into this that Microsoft is proposing that they be the agent that decides what is quarantined. However, this is not the case. They are simply proposing something equivalent to a public health service or center for disease control for the internet.

I would definitely not want a corporation that has a financial interest at stake making these kinds of decisions on behalf of everyone. I'm also not certain that I like the alternative of having some governmental or super-national organization do this. However, I do understand the need for it.

Also, I really don't want to pass up an attempt to take a jab at Microsoft. I'd propose that a high percentage of those botnet-infected systems are running a Microsoft OS. Why not just quarantine all devices with a Microsoft OS from the internet until they prove that they're not infected.

MS

No you don't want Microsoft to be at the head, but who do you want? Do you want the US government to be doing it? Or should we turn it over to the United Nations or something?

earweed

eMeS wrote: »

But would it piss you off if someone proposed this:

"Because there are a number of health insurance products available and vaccines for various maladies people should be required to both be vaccinated at certain ages to reduce the risk of spreading dangerous diseases, and should be required to have health insurance in order to reduce the costs associated with misuse of emergency care."

Not jabbing at you specifically, but I think the parallels are terribly interesting.

MS

We're practically doing this now. If you go to any school (not home schooled) you are required to be vaccinated and with the new health care laws that recently came out it will soon be almost mandatory for health insurance to be provided.

eMeS

Devilsbane wrote: »

No you don't want Microsoft to be at the head, but who do you want? Do you want the US government to be doing it? Or should we turn it over to the United Nations or something?

Actually I clearly said that I'm not comfortable with either option.

MS

eMeS

earweed wrote: »

We're practically doing this now. If you go to any school (not home schooled) you are required to be vaccinated.

Not in every state. I caught whooping cough in September because jackasses are not getting their children vaccinated based on completely discredited research. If you've ever had whooping cough you'll understand why this sucks. I hope you never catch it, and you wouldn't if people were getting their children vaccinated, as it was mostly eradicated until very recently.

earweed wrote: »

and with the new health care laws that recently came out it will soon be almost mandatory for health insurance to be provided.

My point is it's exactly the same concept. However, you will find people that will gladly accept the requirement to have AV protection on their PC, but will be up in arms about the equivalent argument for human health care.

That contradiction is weird to me.

MS

tpatt100

Ugh don't get me started on the anti-vac crowd. I ran into somebody who said "I never got my kids vaccinated and they never caught anything". I wanted to say "well dumb ass its because most of us get our kids vaccinated which protects them as well as your kid from getting anything"....

ehnde

You can't regulate the internet. Governments and organizations may try to do it, but smart people always will find a way around it.

Zartanasaurus

We're #1! We're #1!

South Korea, fourth in overall infection count, had the highest density of botnet infections, with 14.6 per thousand machines scanned by Microsoft.

Before I had even clicked on the thread, I was curious about their methodology. Seems like they ranked the US #1 based on total infections, but not % of total hosts. Us or another large population country with lots of internet access will generally lead in that type of ranking.