I just realized that I find it very amusing that the debacle that has arisen from the rootkit(s) installed by Sony has called so much attention to a message that those of us in the security world have been repeating for slightly more than a decade:
Disable the Windows “feature” called Autoplay (also Autorun).
This is what makes installation programs begin automatically when a CD is inserted in the drive, and, as has been revealed by Sony’s anti-customer actions, this software does not always have to be for your benefit.
Here’s the Microsoft article on how to disable Autoplay/Autorun: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;126025
Also, a quick discussion of Rootkits, and how to tell if you’ve got one:
www.windowsitpro.com
And, a link directly to RootKit Revealer, widely considered the best utility out there for rootkit detection on Windows:
http://www.sysinternals.com/utilities/rootkitrevealer.html
0 comments