Trojans likely to follow Win 7 activation hack

for more details see

http://www.schneier.com/blog/ the current second entry on malware detection

So if I wanted to crack Win7

I should download the cracks now, before they're 'Trojanised'?

Thing is, I genuinely don't want Windows 7, even for free.

If MS sent me a completely free, kosher, Win7 licence and install media out of the blue I'd put it in a cupboard and it would quite happily go unused for years, possibly forever.

Why steal crap when there are people in this world going to tremendous effort to give you a real alternative for free?

Oh yeah, it doesn't play gaymes wah wah wah. Have you SEEN how much spyware the average game installs on your system, to run EVERY time you start your PC (gaming session or not). Just in case you might be a cheat or a thief? My Windows machine has been f*ked up the ass by trojans from every major games company. And that's what I get for paying for games? Enough is enough.

quick, quick

better go download my copy now.

Then wait a while, ear to the ground, if i hear about any actual trojans, and get hold of actual W7 installation media. Then, finally, replace the rarely-used and malware-infested WinXP partition that i have around just to run Sibelius. Suck on that Steve Ballmer.

Games install spyware?

I just bought Left 4 Dead 2: - no spyware. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 I am not going to buy, but still, no spyware. Wolfenstein:- no spyware. Please take your head out of your vagina.

Anti-malware software doesn't help

Unfortunately, it's easier to detect the keygen/crack routines pattterns (which don't change), than to attempt to detect the malware that's been added. So you can't use your security software to check the thing you downloaded. Most packages complain about KeyFinder, even though it doesn't do anything particularly illegal.

The new tactic

Rather than sueing into the ground why not use scareware tactics to stop people from copying software.

They did it with the pre-release versions, now the activation hacks, wonder what is next.

Re: The new tactic

"Rather than sueing into the ground why not use scareware tactics to stop people from copying software."

I see your point, but I think there is now ample evidence that the scare tactic doesn't work and so I don't think there's a Microsoft conspiracy here.

You could (and occasionally commentards on this site do) threaten actual bodily harm to anyone double-clicking on an attachment and it still won't stop people doing it. The thing is, most people don't care that their PC is horribly infected, because the really clever malware does such a good job of shutting the back door behind it that, once infected, you are pretty much good to go from then on. Yes, you'll lose a little bit of bandwidth because your parasite has spam to send, but mostly it will send that when you aren't looking. Yes, if the police ever search your computer for dodgy material they'll find stuff to make your eyes water, but most folks will never attract enough police attention to be searched.

Yep. Get a decent root kit inside you and you'll never have to pay a penny to the AV vendors again, and (subconciously, I presume) Joe Public seems to know it.

Games install Spyware #2

ROFL - some people are muppets...

I've never had a single bit of Spyware installed on my machine by a game - legal or otherwise because I protect my PC with antivi software - which anybody with two brain cells to rub togeher ought to have anyho...

There really ought to be a intelligence test you should have to pass before being allowed near a keyboard or mouse...

Beware Greeks bearing security bypasses

Surely that should be "Beware Geeks bearing security bypasses" ??

I always wear a Trojan when dealing with Windows

Wouldn't want to catch any nasties from it...

Why oh why oh why

are MS doing this? Surely if you make your software too hard to crack you'll end up losing market share, isn't piracy what made Windows and Office the number 1 selling thing around. More and more youngsters are finding Linux and Open Office, they play their games on console, and older people, who have little interest in Fallout3 just wanna surf the web, check out their kids on Facebook and knock out a few emails / letters - all perfectly doable on Linux or Mac.

Mind you, WGA on XP was a joke, a couple of registry edits and two file deletions, set updates to inform only and you were away... er, so I was told.

A friend bought a PC from a huge shop in Manchester, legal XP and everything. Two years later the shop went into receivership (is that the right term?) and a little while later her Windows complained it wasn't a legit copy. She phoned MS and explained how it had been fine for two years and she'd bought it preinstalled and they couldn't give a crap (can't recall the reason they gave her), but they wanted £90 off her for a valid activation code. Change your MB on a fried system with OEM Windows and you're also screwed.

Disclaimer: Desktop running Win7RC and new HP laptop with Win7 premium (and dualboot Ubunto for online security and learning). Come March probably gonna put an old XP back on desktop (basically games and ... well nothing), and dualboot Ubuntu for everything else.

Six months ago I'd forgotten Linux even existed. (can't believe I used 'that' icon;)

WPA announced to world M$ non relevant

WPA was a great technology that finally got me to get off my ass to run the myriad other OS's (freebsd, linux, hell even Mac less draconian for now) available for everyday use. Mandatory WPA will go down in the history books as the tech that officially announced the downfall of the M$ monopoly. Mines the coat with numerous completely free forever OS isos in the pocket.

Howto

Step 1: Download crack from dodgy warez site.

Step 2: Wait a few days

Step 3: Upload crack to www.virustotal.org

Step 4: If trojan detected, goto step 1

What cheeses me off thoroughly

is that clean and working keygens get identified as spyware. I therefore have an AVG directory exclude covering my main software folder, which is not a good thing.

Coat as the cops will be looking there after this post.