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Virus FUD Spreads To iPods
from the what-now dept
Well-known anti-virus firm Kaspersky is no stranger to mobile malware FUD. While it usually is talking about mobile phones, the iPod is its latest target, as a post on its site proclaims "Kaspersky Lab discovers the first virus for iPod". That's a juicy headline, but the details really don't live up to the hype. The virus, called Podloso, only affects iPods whose owners have gone to the trouble of installing Linux on them, while the user also has to launch the virus themselves. Kaspersky admits it's nothing more than a proof of concept, and poses no real threat, so the headline might be technically accurate, but its awfully sensationalistic. How long before Kaspersky or another vendor starts selling firewalls and AV software for iPods?
13 Comments | Leave a Comment..
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Goodness...
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Re: Goodness...
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Not even technically accurate
The bottom line is that Kaspersky has flat out lied, and dummy news agencies (not Techdirt) have blindly picked up on the sensationalist headline.
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Wow, that's so unfortunate for those 8 people in the world.
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The headline may have been made to grab attention, but they didn't lie.
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Re:
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Re: Re:
On the other hand, advertising is, by definition, an attempt to grab attention.
On the gripping hand, there are good and bad forms of advertising and creating sensationalist and misleading headlines is a bad form of advertising.
IMHO, of course.
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Pff
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So viruses that are only transferable through injection or direct body fluid are not worth finding?
Someone go tell all those labs to stop their AIDS research..
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Re: Paul
Just wondering?
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Re: Re: Paul
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How much more inoculates could the title have been?!
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Linux
I also installed Linux on my old black and white iPod Mini. I tried to watch a movie, but in the end, it was a worthless experience (except now I can tell everyone I can watch videos on my iPod Mini).
And in response to #3:
It is still an iPod even with Linux installed. It still retains all iPod functions with some added (or tweaked) ones.
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