Scanning pirated software before installation does not protect a computer from viruses. In fact, using pirated software tremendously increases the risk of computer infection. There are many reasons why this is the case; not the least of which is hacker motivation, mechanics of pirate software, and the AV signature lifecycle. The issue is deep and could be the basis for a good doctorate thesis.
What is TDSS? TDSS is a rootkit. …but what is a rootkit? Rootkits are a way to control another computer on the network. This of course sounds very foreboding, and it is. A number of commercial companies sell rootkits to help people. These legitimate programs have recently made headline news. Rootkits are very powerful and scary tools.
Are there Filipino hackers? Probably. Marc Roger’s old paper on demographics of hackers would have us believe that. Demographics aside, it is fun to think about how hacker’s respond to bizarre unintentional downloads.
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