Busy as anything in the office yesterday, a few of us took time to find the rumored patch that would inoculate our computer system from the up-and-coming "Blaster" worm. Logically, we went straight to Windows Update - no luck. It was when we followed the general link distributed by news reports that we realized we were never in any danger: the patch has been available for all major Microsoft operating systems for nearly a month, and the entire office updated within two days of its release. Bless that pesky "New Updates" system tray icon.
I understand that large organizations contend with hundreds or thousands of computers - many in different locations and at use across numerous work shifts - but to the last one, each giant is supported by a paid tech staff. Given that the worm is beginning to garner headlines that include words like "havoc" and "mayhem," you've got to ask: what have those paid service personnel been doing up until now?
The virus also seems to have targeted individual users, whereas Melissa and ILoveYou tended to go straight for the big fish. That's a shame, especially with the internet becoming a place not at all appropriate for the unprepared. All in all, it's good news for Norton, I'm sure.