Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock
Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock

Microsoft is reporting today that the “Tear-drop attack” sample code that was claimed to successfully crash Windows 7 remotely can’t touch Microsoft’s upcoming golden child.

It seems that the person who was testing the code tested it on a release candidate version of Windows 7.  The release candidate was impacted by the security problem, however Microsoft responded in their bulletin that the final release of Windows 7 (pressed to DVDs in July) is not impacted by the flaw.

This is the first specific example of a security threat impacting Windows Vista that was preemptively blocked by Windows 7.

I am sure there will be other exposed threats that will impact Windows 7, but this victory comes just in time for 7’s October 22nd release.  Windows 7 is expected to be the most advanced operating system on the planet (a claim that Apple is making in their music on hold right now about Snow Leopard).

The latest fake-alert variant spreading on the web right now attempts to play on the passions of the green-Earth movement to trick unsuspecting victims into installing fake security software.

Green AV infects your computer through click jacking (only Norton 360 can stop it).

The new threat actually plays off of a Norton 360 trade name, calling itself the 3.0 Premier Edition, and claims to be the “World’s First Antivirus Which Cares About the Environment.”

Unlike other fake alert infections, Green AV demands a price premium for those who are unfortunate enough to fall for the scam.  Typically fake alert infections demand around $50 to stop popping up in your face and “heal” your PC.  Green AV demands $99.

Green-AV’s website reads:

Fighting viruses, spyware, malware is not only a question of security. Spyware actualy abuses your computer, overuses CPU speed, network bandwidth, makes your PC run slow. As a result you start consuming more power, working longer, think of replacing your PC with a new one which brings more unrecyclable wastes (many computer’s parts contain toxic wastes).

This way Green AV actualy cares about the environment. We thought that our application can guard not only your PC, but whole Earth – our home planet. So to show how much we care we desided to send $2 from each product sale on saving green forests in Amazonia.

The misspellings, poor English, and the fictional land of Amazonia should tip off any reasonable person that this is a scam.