Security Watch | Matt Hines » Does your computer have rabies?

September 25, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Does your computer have rabies?

TAGS: Security

Ah yes, the day we give up on our old friend because they're acting a bit crazy. Maybe they're trying to bite us, or maybe send out a few spam emails without us knowing about it, maybe even installing a keylogger to capture our private information and send it to nefarious individuals. It's not our little friend's fault, it can't help being bitten, especially with the company it has to keep these days, running around with sometimes unsavory types who may or may not have had their shots. Just yesterday it was romping around without a care in the world and now it's sluggish and limping along, baring it's teeth at anyone who comes close.

Nonetheless, it's time we took our foaming-at-the-mouth old friend out back and put a bullet between his eyes. And it's not all bad fer old Yeller. Quick and painless OS reinstall and we've got a new puppy, jumping up and down with a boatload of energy and no mange.

I had to breakdown and commit this atrocity last night. The sound of the shotgun blast is still ringing in my ears. The security practice I work for had decided that one of our client's machines was just too far gone and that we should wipe it and start from scratch. The client is fairly new and has been maintaining their systems fairly haphazardly up until we came into the picture.

I and another principal don't like to give up on such systems, but this specific IBM laptop was just too far gone and we (I) eventually had to pull the trigger. Now we can deploy sound security policies and keep this machine current without too many headaches. It seems to me that gone are the days of trying to fix these systems, at least trying extraordinary measures (and spending the client's money) to keep them on life support while they bite and struggle the whole time.

I remember with some shock when I read about Microsoft condoning this same practice earlier this year. But it looks like even with all the security tools I have at my disposal that a machine can just get way too diseased to come back to us. Too many apps installed and uninstalled, too many registry entries mangled, too many nefarious programs slipping in.

These days time is just too short, so I guess I'll have to keep more shotgun shells handy.

Posted by Victor R. Garza on September 25, 2006 08:38 PM

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