From lhecking@nmrc.ucc.ieTue Jun  6 23:23:36 1995
Date: 06 JUN 1995 10:10:15 GMT 
From: Lars Hecking <lhecking@nmrc.ucc.ie>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy, comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Xpost from comp.risks (Was: Re: Virus in Widows-95 ...) 

In article <johnv.0xzz@tower.actrix.gen.nz> johnv@tower.actrix.gen.nz (John Veldthuis) writes:

   Just because it does not replicate itself does not mean it is not a virus.
   This virus is evil because it will watch all programs run on your machine
   and then when it connects with the proper site it will feed all this info
   onto someone. Now just imagine if it was more than what they said and could
   transfer information that you dont want known. This is especially so about
   commercial places. Someone should take a lawsuite out against Microsoft


Have a look at the following,especially the second part ...

:  =========================================================================
:  ----- SECURITY FORUM appended at 14:42:34 on 95/05/24 GMT (by BRESLAU at
:  YKTVMV)
:  Subject: F.Y.I.
:
:  NEWSCOPY FORUM appended at 13:30:46 on 95/05/24 GMT (by 61822135 at VIEVMA)
:  Subject: Windows 95 Warning on comp.risks, in Information Week
:  Source:  Usenet newsgroup comp.risks, Originator:
: cnorloff@tecnet1.jcte.jcs.mil
:           (unverified)
:  Date: Wed, 17 May 95 13:44:40 EDT
:  Discuss: OS2ARENA FORUM on IBMPC
:
:  Microsoft officials confirm that beta versions of Windows 95 include a
:  small viral routine called Registration Wizard.  It interrogates every
:  system on a network gathering intelligence on what software is being run
:  on which machine.  It then creates a complete listing of both Microsoft's
:  and competitors' products by machine, which it reports to Microsoft when
:  customers sign up for Microsoft's Network Services, due for launch later
:  this year.
:
:  "In Short" column, page 88, _Information Week_ magazine, May 22, 1995
:
:  The implications of this action, and the attitude of Microsoft to plan
:  such action, beggars the imagination.

And here comes the interesting part :-O

:  An update on this. A friend of mine got hold of the beta test CD
:  of Win95, and set up a packet sniffer between his serial port and the
:  modem. When you try out the free demo time on The Microsoft Network, it
:  transmits your entire directory structure in background.
:  This means that they have a list of every directory (and, potentially
:  every file) on your machine. It would not be difficult to have something
:  like a FileRequest from your system to theirs, without you knowing about
:  it. This way they could get ahold of any juicy routines you've written
:  yourself and claim them as their own if you don't have them copyrighted.
:
:  Needless to say, I'm rather annoyed about this.
:  So spread the word as far and wide as possible: Steer clear of Windows 95.
:  There's nothing to say that this "feature" will be removed in the final
:  release.
:
:  David
:  Klaus Johannes Rusch              IBM Austria
:  Team OS/2                         AD/M Customer Projects
+:

