Houston Courts Shut Down By Malware 126
Conficker is still at it: dstates writes "The municipal courts of Houston were shut down yesterday after a computer virus spread through the courts' computer systems. The shutdown canceled hearings and suspended arrests for minor offenses and is expected to extend through Monday. The disruption affected many city departments, the Houston Emergency Center was briefly disconnected and police temporarily stopped making some arrests for minor offenses. The infection appears to be contained to 475 of the city's more than 16,000 computers, but officials are still investigating. Gray Hat Research, a technology security company, has been brought in on an emergency contract to eradicate the infection. In 2006, the City spent $10M to install a new computer system and bring the Courts online, but the system has been beset by multiple problems. After threatening litigation, the city reached a $5 million settlement with the original vendor, Maximus, and may seek another vendor."
Oops (Score:5, Funny)
It's amazing what can happen when you "lose" a few dozen pen drives with downadup at various strategic places.
Dear Houston, (Score:2, Funny)
I hear you have an opening...
Substitution exercise (Score:2, Funny)
Houston court (Your mums PC), was shutdown by malware, and Gray Hat Research (You) were brought in on an emergency contract (Called up from the basement) to eradicate the infection (reinstall windows XP)
Gray Hat? (Score:2, Funny)
That would have been an interesting lawsuit (Score:2, Funny)
After threatening litigation, the city reached a $5 million settlement with the original vendor, Maximus
IANAL, but I suspect defending yourself in court against the city (with the city representing the court) could be difficult.
Slashdot has really gone downhill lately. (Score:1, Funny)
This story has nothing to do with Australia.
If I ever want to read about places besides Australia, I'll go to another site, thanks.
How much longer are we going to have to endure the non Australia-centric Slashdot?
Where the hell is kdawson?
What a great way to bust out of prison (Score:2, Funny)
Just write and spread malware that targets computers at the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice (along with everyone else's computers) on a date that's at some point into your sentence. Put code in the payload that searches for prison doors to open, in case we are infecting some controller they might be using. A long time ago before computers you had to tie four horses to the walls and bars of the jail and just try to pull the place apart without the ceiling collapsing on your friends' heads.
The Evil Empire Strikes Again (Score:5, Funny)
It's as if a thousand bureaucrats cried out "Houston, we have a problem" in terror, and were suddenly silenced.
Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:3, Funny)
...Ducks... So sorry for that.
Re:Dear Houston, (Score:5, Funny)
It's more of a gaping hole, it seems
Re:Gray Hat? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Oops (Score:5, Funny)
See . . . (Score:5, Funny)
After threatening litigation, the city reached a $5 million settlement with the original vendor, Maximus, and may seek another vendor."
That's what happens when you buy your network from a vendor just because you liked their SimCity games.
Re:Oops (Score:3, Funny)
> Should we consider, perhaps extending federal IT resources down to local levels?
And give the Feds complete control? I'll take the drug lords, thank you.
This is the solution to all of my legal problems! (Score:3, Funny)
I just have to make sure the court jurisdiction where I'm in trouble gets a major virus infection so that they suspend arrests for minor offenses (why are they making arrests for minor things?) and put off trials.
It's pure simplicity!
How could this have happened? (Score:3, Funny)
The mayor had just purchased a site license for AV360, this should not have happened... ahem. Wonder if they can cancel that check that they wrote with QuackBooks 2009 and the official letters sent out with EMESS Werd 2009... hmmmmm...
Re:Gray Hat? (Score:2, Funny)
But really, think about it. How did they pick the name?
Red Hat was taken.
Oh please, please, please (Score:3, Funny)