Presented as a public service for Windows users: CME
According to this article in eWeek, begininng next month US-CERT will issue uniform names for malware (which refers to viruses, worms and other software designed to cause harm). The new program will go by the appropriately geeky name of the "Computer Malware Enumeration Initiative," or CME for short.
The program is intended to clear up confusion that results from the current decentralized system for naming Internet threats, which often results in the same virus or worm receiving different names from different anti-virus vendors.
It sounds like an impressive bureaucracy in the making:
Work was begun on the program about one year ago. So far, CME numbers have been assigned to a handful of critical worms and viruses, said Julie Connolly, principal information security engineer at Mitre [the contractor hired by the Department of Homeland Security to oversee CME].
New malicious code samples are held for 2 hours and, if no other example of the new code is submitted, assigned a CME number.
When multiple examples of new malicious code are submitted within the 2-hour window, Mitre will ask anti-virus company researchers to work out conflicts in definitions and submit one or more samples for numbering, Connolly said.
New malicious code samples are held for 2 hours and, if no other example of the new code is submitted, assigned a CME number.
When multiple examples of new malicious code are submitted within the 2-hour window, Mitre will ask anti-virus company researchers to work out conflicts in definitions and submit one or more samples for numbering, Connolly said.
I suppose there's a certain segment of the IT industry who welcomes this development, and for its sake, I wish it well. But, my reaction would be the same as this one quoted in the article:
"I don't care what they name them as long as they kill those suckers," said Hap Cluff, director of IT for the City of Norfolk, Va.
Well, that would be my reaction if I didn't use a Mac and therefore view this whole exercise as academic.
Tip o'the hat to Schneier on Security
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Tieing? There's no tieing in gymnastics!
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Education is paramount. Well, next to jet skiing.
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