[Keiretsu]

Read about this (http://www.dvforge.com/virus.shtml) in that thread (http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=52474) over at AppleInsider.

Amazing, DVForge is willing to pay someone for creating a virus and actually releasing it!

Follow up question: how long until someone sues them?

I will never ever buy anything from them! And I'm glad I did never so far!

[Ganesha]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
Read about this (http://www.dvforge.com/virus.shtml) in that thread (http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=52474) over at AppleInsider.

Amazing, DVForge is willing to pay someone for creating a virus and actually releasing it!

Follow up question: how long until someone sues them?

I will never ever buy anything from them! And I'm glad I did never so far!

It's a publicity stunt.

[budster101]

It's stupid.

[sideus]

Don't take it so seriously.

Symantec People Can Win Double!

DVForge, Inc. specifically invites the programming staff at Symantec Corporation to participate in our contest by creating and successfully delivering an executable virus to the two contest Powermacs. Should an employee or independent contractor of Symantec corporation win the contest, we will double the prize to $50,000 to that person.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

I don't think you understand the point of them doing that.

[jasonsRX7]

Since only the low visibility of the tiny little Mac user base has kept us safe from intimidating software geniuses like you, we expect to be completely overrun with virus infections within mere days of announcing the contest.

That made me laugh
I've read all the stories about this guy, but some people are just obsessed with hating him. I think those people are a little overboard. The guy is putting his money where his mouth is, getting some exposure, and taking a jab at Symantec at the same time.

[eddiecatflap]

they're simply proving that os-x is a secure os

someone did a similar thing with os-8/9 i recall

its no big dealio

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by eddiecatflap:
they're simply proving that os-x is a secure os

someone did a similar thing with os-8/9 i recall

its no big dealio

Nope, what you refer to was something completely differnt. That was about getting into a host that would run the WebStar (or something like that) web server.
That would mean you attack one single host in the internet and not like this, spread a virus that could break a lot of "bystander" hosts, meaning harm people that are by no means involved in this contest!

Your own Mac could be harmed by this contest!

[Keiretsu]

http://www.macintouch.com/mactable.html#virus
is quite interesting ...

[wdlove]

It's both criminal and stupid.

[sideus]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
Your own Mac could be harmed by this contest!

Not mine. I don't haphazardly open every attachment I receive or download suspicious files.

This isn't a big deal.

[CharlesS]

Indeed, this is one of the most idiotic things I've seen.

[King Bob On The Cob]

Default install of Panther == secure as hell. I don't think there's any services on by default, and I do not think Mail is going to arbitrarily start executing code, though Safari's on and running, so the first virus will probably be that Help exploit if they surf the web alot. (or perhaps that is a vulnerability that can be taken advantage of through Mail's HTML renedering...)

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by King Bob On The Cob:
Default install of Panther == secure as hell. I don't think there's any services on by default, and I do not think Mail is going to arbitrarily start executing code, though Safari's on and running, so the first virus will probably be that Help exploit if they surf the web alot. (or perhaps that is a vulnerability that can be taken advantage of through Mail's HTML renedering...)

While Panther doesn't leave any ports open by default, which is a hell of a lot more secure than the default Windows install, there's a possibility that they could find an exploit in other commonly used apps that make a network connection somewhere, such as iChat, or the iTunes song sharing feature.

[Keiretsu]

Slashdot has is now: http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/05/03/26/1757221.shtml

[CharlesS]

A Statement About The Contest Cancellation



"In response to the statements put forth this past week by Symantec Corporation suggesting that Mac users are at substantial risk to infections from viruses, our company crafted and announced a contest that would have paid a $25,000 prize for the successful creation of such a virus," said Jack Campbell, DVForge, Inc. CEO, "During the first several hours after making the public announcement, I was contacted by a large number of Mac users, and Mac software professionals who shared their thinking with me about the contest. A few of these people are extremely well-regarded experts in the field of Mac OS X security. So, I have taken their advice very seriously, and have made the difficult decision to cancel our contest. I have been convinced that the risk of a virus on the OS X platform is not zero, although it is remarkably close to zero. More importantly, I have been convinced that there may be legality issues stemming from such a contest, beyond those terminated by our own legal counsel, prior to announcing the contest. So, despite my personal distaste for what some companies have done to take advantage of virus fears among the Mac community, and my own inclination to make a bold statement in response to those fears, I have responsible choice but to retract the contest, effective immediately."

[sideus]

Jack Campbell is an a$$hole.

[Scifience]

The contest was cancelled - see his site for his "reasoning."

IMHO, he never intended to actually hold the contest. It was just one of his (in)famous publicity stunts - he got on /. and got people taking, didn't he?

[Keiretsu]

I have been convinced that there may be legality issues stemming from such a contest, beyond those terminated by our own legal counsel, prior to announcing the contest.

They must both be mentally challenged Jack Campbell and his legal counsel ...