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Should we all install this patch?

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  • Should we all install this patch?

    Just had this forwarded from a secretary, asking if she should get everyone in the office to do it I can see this being quite convincing to a lot of people.

    Dear Microsoft Customer,

    Please notice that Microsoft company has recently issued a Security Update for OS Microsoft Windows. The update applies to the following OS versions: Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millenium, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista.

    Please notice, that present update applies to high-priority updates category. In order to help protect your computer against security threats and performance problems, we strongly recommend you to install this update.

    Since public distribution of this Update through the official website http://www.microsoft.com would have result in efficient creation of a malicious software, we made a decision to issue an experimental private version of an update for all Microsoft Windows OS users.

    As your computer is set to receive notifications when new updates are available, you have received this notice.

    In order to start the update, please follow the step-by-step instruction:
    1. Run the file, that you have received along with this message.
    2. Carefully follow all the instructions you see on the screen.

    If nothing changes after you have run the file, probably in the settings of your OS you have an indication to run all the updates at a background routine. In that case, at this point the upgrade of your OS will be finished.

    We apologize for any inconvenience this back order may be causing you.



    Thank you,

    Steve Lipner
    Director of Security Assurance
    Microsoft Corp.
    FT.

  • #2
    Oh yeah, this guy is legit... honest.

    1) No KB Number, no links to KB Articles.
    2) No Links to MSDN, Technet, Security or Developer sites
    3) No alternative download/ patch sites.
    4) Poor Grammar.
    5) Running "Experimental" software on production machines - NOT!

    Aside from the fact that Windows 98 has been out of support for over two years, and they completely missed Windows NT.

    Microsoft never personalizes patch releases, even for internal builds for specific customers; You get the same terse wording for public releases.

    Microsoft also never lets their engineers "sign" their work.

    Yes, this email is trying to get someone to install something via Social Engineering, but it's not a very convincing lie; in most businesses this ploy would fail because Executables are blocked from downloading in Email and that most users don't have installation rights.
    Last edited by MultimediaMan; 10 October 2008, 02:24.
    Hey, Donny! We got us a German who wants to die for his country... Oblige him. - Lt. Aldo Raine

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    • #3
      Originally posted by MultimediaMan View Post
      Oh yeah, this guy is legit... honest.
      Maybe it is my limited knowledge of English, but doesn't this sentence imply it is valid? Whereas your reply clears it up...
      (if it is sarcastic, smileys might help... )

      Originally posted by Fat Tone View Post
      As your computer is set to receive notifications when new updates are available, you have received this notice.
      Oh, so when I set my computer to receive notifications, they know my email address?
      Yeah right!


      Jörg
      pixar
      Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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      • #4
        Originally posted by VJ View Post
        Maybe it is my limited knowledge of English
        It is.



        Now, do you _really_ need a smiley with that?

        Join MURCs Distributed Computing effort for Rosetta@Home and help fight Alzheimers, Cancer, Mad Cow disease and rising oil prices.
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        • #5
          I'm up to my ears in C# code, C++ dll's, interfaces and libraries (plugging in my own C++ code into ArcGIS)... My text-interpretation skills dropped due to that...
          pixar
          Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow. (James Dean)

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          • #6
            Excellent. My nefarious plan is working spendidly. Soon millions of credulous cretins will be installing the "patch" in droves. When they do, VICTORY SHALL BE MINE!

            Kevin

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            • #7
              Unfortunately there are people on this Earth who believe these things and install them....

              VJ came up with the only question people should be asking themselves when this happens..."How did they get my email address ?" They didn't its not MS....
              PC-1 Fractal Design Arc Mini R2, 3800X, Asus B450M-PRO mATX, 2x8GB B-die@3800C16, AMD Vega64, Seasonic 850W Gold, Black Ice Nemesis/Laing DDC/EKWB 240 Loop (VRM>CPU>GPU), Noctua Fans.
              Nas : i3/itx/2x4GB/8x4TB BTRFS/Raid6 (7 + Hotspare) Xpenology
              +++ : FSP Nano 800VA (Pi's+switch) + 1600VA (PC-1+Nas)

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              • #8
                The first warning sign... the email is poorly written English.

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                • #9
                  Well, it certainly isn't so readily obvious to the people with English NOT as their first language (just count how many mistakes I made in this post )

                  Though, ultimatelly, I doubt the infection rates vary that much depending on the country; making people used to bad security practices/not enforcing good ones plays a much bigger role imho...

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                  • #10
                    I'm english and my English is poor so please install my patch.

                    Oops.
                    Chief Lemon Buyer no more Linux sucks but not as much
                    Weather nut and sad git.

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