NJITGS wrote:
> Anti virus scanners that scan software are one thing, but what
> about virus' that are flashed into the soft memory or other micro
> chips within a computer and hibernate there and execute at any time
> when the system is rebooted?
> Antiviral programs and malware removal programs only scan the
> physical hard drive and sometimes (if you have a good malware remol
> tool) deep scan the RAM memory for malicious software. What
> happens when other memory modules become infected and launch at
> system startup?
> Something to ponder for the holidays...
>
> Season's Best!
>
> Elaine Beauxrauxgard-Weiderhoff
<snipped>
Entire Thread:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...21aba?lnk=st&q=author:NJITGS#194771d086c21aba
More postings from NJITGS (Elaine Beauxrauxgard-Weiderhoff):
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NJITGS wrote:
> I'll give the readers of this thread the right to draw thier own
> conclusions and opinion about my theory. Thank you...
I have to agree with Paul Adare on this one.
What you are describing is just non-existent. Most antivirus applications
(and the OS for that matter) would prevent such infections from occurring...
You do not have the hardware access necessary without warning to do what you
are describing and most antivirus software will catch things trying to
'reside in memory' simply because they have to be READ into that memory in
the first place - thus being scanned in the process.
The weakest factor in computer security is human beings.
At one point you described, "... someone in ... AOL or MSN chat be able to
send a boot code to a computer that reboots it and flashes a virus into it's
soft memory" <- without describing what 'soft memory" was or without
pointing out that the person on the receiving end would need a badly
configured client or bad judgment in accepting and automatically executing
whatever was sent to them by someone they supposedly trusted enough to have
on their IM lists.
The flashing of hardware devices is not something that can be 'just done' -
not to mention that the number of variable involved (different computer
specs, etc) would make such a tool impractical EXCEPT in an attack against a
SPECIFIC single target. If I know you, know your computer system and know
your habits/idiosyncrasies - then maybe I could pull off something like you
describe - on you and a specific computer of yours. It would have to be a
conspiracy against *you* by someone you knew (or someone who has been
quietly collecting a lot of information on you and your stuff for some time
in order to know exactly what/how to do it so it would work.)
In other words - this is just one conspiracy theory that is just unlikely to
happen to any given person on the street.
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
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