Free computer virus finds willing victims

[snopes]

Computer specialist Didier Stevens put up a simple text advertisement on the Internet offering downloads of a computer virus for people who did not have any.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddly...64466120070523

[Troberg]

Surprisingly, he found as many as 409 people clicking on the ad saying "Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!" during a 6-month advertising campaign on Google's Adword, said the IT security expert.

(snip)

There was no virus involved, it was an experiment aiming to show these kind of advertising systems can be used for malicious intent, Stevens told Reuters.

Isn't that false advertising, and as such illegal?

"Some of them must have clicked on it by mistake. Some must have been curious or stupid," said Mikko Hypponen, head of research at data security firm F-Secure.

Or they may just have wanted to try their virus protection on a disposable computer. I've done such tests, although with de-fanged viruses, in order to evaluate the strength of my virus protection.

If that's the case, this fake may even serve as a way to compromise their systems.

[BluesScale]

Hmmm. I would have gone for that - and I sometimes use Limewire to download trojans (the class of malware, not the condoms) - but then, researching malware is part of my job :-)

I also report sites hosting malware and part of the test as to whether it is naughty or not involves downloading content into a secured and limited environment.

Blues

Well it's free! I'd go for almost anything that was free....

Note, I'm making fun of the situation, but I bet the truth is not far from my statement.

[Floater]

What's wrong with the Irish computer virus?

[rogue74656]

Originally Posted by Floater

What's wrong with the Irish computer virus?

That is bigoted, racist, and offensive.


This version is much better

Ha. Irish virus. I just got back a few weeks ago from visiting my uncles in Ireland and one of them said, "That'd be grand" about everything. So that made me laugh.

Originally Posted by Troberg

Isn't that false advertising, and as such illegal?

I honestly didn't know that false advertising was illegal on the net. At least, the penile enlargement and free sex SPAM in my mailbox don't worry about it...