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Mr. Gibbs, let me introduce myself

30.01.2009
First of all this week I wanted to correct something I wrote last week: I discussed the technique of "freezing" PCs to prevent malware changes and mentioned a previous version of Faronics' Deep Freeze, which does just that, had been hacked. The current version, which has been out for four years, has not been hacked. also has an enterprise version, which I plan to look at in a future Gearhead column.

So, where was I? Oh yes, talking about malware. The reader feedback continues. 

Zdravstvujtye! So, my friend, you thought you were going to be reading the Backspin column. Ha! You read about Gibbs' malware problems in Gearhead and Backspin, da? And you read about how he got rid of his little problem? Well, not so fast, Mister Gibbs! As you Americans say "All your base are belong to us!"

Mister Gibbs should know there really is no substitute for the "nuclear" option (you Americans are so amusing with your catch phrases and "sound bytes"). Like we say in my country "As you make your bed, so you will sleep." Well, I think Mr. Gibbs is maybe not sleeping too well.

Now it is time to introduce myself. I am Vladimir -- Vlad to my friends -- but to Mr. Gibbs I am Mr. Vlad, and he owes me money. Yes, for his mistake of not cleaning out my little friend completely I will, as we say in my country, "Pokazát', gde ráki zimúyut" (literally "have to show where the lobsters spend winter" -- it means punish but we have a lobster thing). Let me tell you a little story about how this works.

In the three-ninth kingdom ("V tridevyátom tsárstve," which is like your "once upon a time"), my little friend got into Gibbs' computer from one of the Web sites he visited or from some "interesting" piece of software he installed.