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[infowar.de] [Vmyths.com ALERT] mi2g predicts ''catastrophic'' attack in 2004



Infowar.de, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath/liste.html
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Mal wieder mi2g-Hysterie... Diesmal soll es bald mit 30%
Wahrscheinlichkeit einen Malware-Angriff geben, der mehr als 100 Mrd
Dollar Schaden anrichtet. ;-)

Ach ja: Die Meldung von mi2g findet man hier
<http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/020604.php>, aber für den vollen
"Bericht" soll man noch extra £29.38 zahlen...
RB

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Vmyths.com ALERT] mi2g predicts ''catastrophic'' attack in
2004
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 18:49:48 -0400
From: Vmyths.com Virus Hysteria Alert <vmyths_news -!
- vmyths -
 com>
To: "Vmyths.com Virus Hoax Alert" <virushoax_alert -!
- lyris -
 rissnet -
 net>

Vmyths.com Virus Hysteria Alert
Truth About Computer Security Hysteria
{2 June 2004, 17:50 CT}

CATEGORY: Hysteria related to a publicity stunt

British firm "mi2g" issued a "news release" today to predict a heinous
Internet attack will occur this year.  They declared "the probability of
a catastrophic malware attack, defined as global damages in excess of
$100bn from a chain of combined events, has risen from 1 in 40 (2.5%)
for 2003 to about 3 in 10 (30%) for 2004."

Vmyths dismisses the prediction as a blatant publicity stunt.

mi2g is famous in the security world for using a digital crystal ball --
and this latest "news release" fails to buttress a supposed twelve-fold
increase in the accuracy of their beliefs.  Vmyths has documented a
string of bad mi2g predictions dating back to 1999.  Two recent examples
include (1) a terrorist cyber-strike on the first anniversary of the
"9/11" attacks and (2) a crippling cyber-war during the 2003 invasion of
Iraq.

mi2g did not pinpoint who might launch their newest predicted
catastrophe.  They talked only in vague terms about "hacking groups,"
"criminal syndicates," and "politically and ideologically motivated"
organizations.  mi2g speculated the masterminds will use diabolical
"automated malware agents distributed through email spam, viruses and
worms" to "convert millions of computers to zombies for nefarious
purposes."  mi2g left "nefarious purposes" to the reader's imagination.

mi2g defined a "catastrophic malware attack" as "global damages in
excess of $100bn."  This is convenient, because mi2g is the media's ONLY
source for absurdly precise virus damage costs.  Vmyths believes media
outlets will embrace the new publicity stunt for exactly this reason. 
Gullible reporters routinely fall for mi2g's fearmongering predictions,
wild damage guesstimates, irrelevant granfalloons, and creative phrases
like "global digital eco-system" and "digital risk fallout."

Vmyths has repeatedly slammed mi2g over the years for its blatant PR
stunts.  This latest "news alert" is actually a thinly veiled plug for
their "D2-Banking" service.  We've highlighted mi2g in multiple Hysteria
Alerts and we maintain a "Hysteria roll call" resource on them:

   mi2g "Hysteria roll call" resource:
      http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=64&page=1
   Hysteria Alerts archive:
      http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=34&page=1

Vmyths insists you should never take mi2g's claims at face value.  For
example, they trumpet themselves as a computer security firm "since
1995" when in fact they wormed their way into the security world in
1999.

mi2g has threatened in the past to sue Vmyths for libel (see
http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=497&page=4 for details).  For the record:
we stand by our criticisms.  However, Vmyths prides itself for an
industry-leading "corrections and clarifications" page.  Anyone may
write to VeaCulpa -!
- Vmyths -
 com to contest our claims & accusations. 
Anyone may visit http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=470&page=4 to rebut our
opinions & criticisms.

Don't take mi2g's "news alerts" at face value.  Stay calm.  Stay
reasoned.  And stay tuned to Vmyths.

Rob Rosenberger, editor
http://Vmyths.com
Rob -!
- Vmyths -
 com
(319) 646-2800

Acknowledgements: confidential source

CATEGORY: Hysteria related to a publicity stunt

--------------- Useful links ------------------

Remember this when virus hysteria strikes
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=31&page=1

Common clichés in the antivirus world
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=22&page=1

False Authority Syndrome
http://Vmyths.com/fas/fas1.cfm

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