They could take a page out of Kentucky's book and just have the domains transferred to their name and close them down.

Sounds like it, up to the trusted source bit.

I was bombarded with an inline dhtml (Does anyone even say that now?!?!) popup for a mac equivalent of the 'OMG you have 9 billion viruses on your system" system scanning software.

It was for the MacScan software. I took a screenshot thinking I'd bagged the most recent mac malware, but it turns out it was a genuine, retail, product after a bit of googleing. My further research is that its pretty much a cookie cleaner - not quite living up to the impression of evil that the initial advert portrayed; Death, Dooom , EXPLODING COMPUTERS!.

Maybe I overstated their overstatements.

Ban MS's FUD too.

It might be time to retire the word "dyke" when used to refer to "a wall built to restrain floodwaters", especially since there is an acceptable and widely-used variant, "dike".

I'm just sayin'....

Heh. Before the university here finally started blocking the windows messenger port in about 2000 or so, I was mainly seeing ads on how I should make my wang bigger. Luckily I did not personally use a Windows box -- I mainly used a Mac to ssh into a Linux box.

MS and DC, no two are more reliable and competent to ensure online safety and rounding up evil-doers.

Only the truly stupid.....click!

There are so many wars on abstract concepts, Wikipedia has made a list of them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_on_concepts

"...I was mainly seeing ads on how I should make my wang bigger. Luckily I did not personally use a Windows box -- I mainly used a Mac to ssh into a Linux box."

Certainly an unorthodox way to make your wang bigger...

"I took a screenshot thinking I'd bagged the most recent mac malware, but it turns out it was a genuine, retail, product after a bit of googleing."

Now *that's* sad!

Re the original article, can anyone remind me of the legitimate reason why a browser might need to open a popup window, and why the benefits of such marginal cases justify the phishing risks? Put another way: Why do browsers not have an *absolute ban* on popups?

Rocket science this ain't, When Java was invented (about 15-20 years ago?) it was obvious to its creators that a popup window should be *forced* to have the web-site in its title bar, and that no Java application should be able to draw outside its own windows. How can anyone implementing a language embedded in a web browser be unaware of this? Do we need to introduce the notion of negative IQ here -- someone whose stupidity actively repels a clue, in a way that (say) a rock doesn't.

Starting with Microshites 'you are running pirated software' popups?

No I am not!

The States Attorney, for the State of Washington is called Rob McKenna?!?!

I guess the All Weather Haulage, got to be to much for Mr. McKenna now didn't it?

No bleeding wonder why it rains so much up there in Washington State...

Then again this could be just another meaningless coincidence...

The Mac, with the battered well-worn copy of the Hitchhikers Guide in it turned to the entry on Eccentrica Gallumbits the Triple-Breasted Whore of Eroticon-6

Rant, MS, Evil, Pointless bash, Flame, evil MS, <alternate> OS good, MS spawn of Satan...

Sigh......

Those scarewares have been around for ages. Via the messenger service and on lots of sites as well.

Back in the days it was even funny to see on my win2000 pro box how I got such pop-ups in winXP layout.

If they act now, I guess they will start to tackle spam somewhere around 2050.

Paris, because she would even embrace protective measures sooner.

OK, M$ being seen to 'take a responsible stance' by trying to drag a scareware peddler into court. Such a pity, then, that it is due to the egregious performance of their product - built and peddled on the gullible public without security aforethought - the poor reputation of which such chancers and dodgers are now hitching a ride.

"This program needs privileged access. Cancel or Allow?"

"This DLL is no longer referenced but may still be used. Dhould I remove it? Yes No"? (how would I know, YOU'RE the Operating System. YOU tell ME!.)

"Linux have over 200 of our patents unlicensed in it!"

Monkey Dancing.

?

"...I was mainly seeing ads on how I should make my wang bigger. Luckily I did not personally use a Windows box -- I mainly used a Mac to ssh into a Linux box."

Certainly an unorthodox way to make your wang bigger..."

Yes, but everyone knows a Linux box is tighter than a Windows box... *

(*security-wise of course) What did you think I meant...

I have just spent a marvelous week on the Norfolk Broads and there were loads of dykes and not one dike. What is your issue?

"Heh. Before the university here finally started blocking the windows messenger port in about 2000 or so, I was mainly seeing ads on how I should make my wang bigger. Luckily I did not personally use a Windows box -- I mainly used a Mac to ssh into a Linux box."

Does this mean you still have a small penis?

MS and DC? Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard? Now if it was road safety I'd understand...

I shall sit up and take notice after they've nailed the guys responsible for XP Antivirus...

>I have just spent a marvelous week on the Norfolk Broads

Yeah, Elsie and Bernice of Slag Row, Great Yarmouth - two of the biggest Norfolk Broads around - cheap too...

Well, as frustrating as scareware is, "programs" such as XP Antivirus and all the Registry Destroyers -sorry- Cleaners keep me in work. I see a couple of these every day while fixing slow computers and promptly remove them.

But the oddest thing is that people get annoyed with me for removing them - either because they paid for them - or because they think they are part of Windows.

Don't get me started on MyWebSearch and Zango.......