Might work - maybe...

[Old Dad]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247421/ns/technology_and_science-security/

If they implement this carefully, it just might work to get some of the less-sophisticated computer users taken out of the botnets. One of the major obstacles I see that they will have to overcome is the simple fact that the bad guys will quickly duplicate their pop-up and sucker even more users into the pit.

BUT if they can work that out right and clean up other loose ends, then all the various ISP could duplicate their model and perhaps make a big dent in the botnet business. Hopefully. I seriously think they've got their work cut out for themselves, though.

[Elefino]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247421/ns/technology_and_science-security/

If they implement this carefully, it just might work to get some of the less-sophisticated computer users taken out of the botnets. One of the major obstacles I see that they will have to overcome is the simple fact that the bad guys will quickly duplicate their pop-up and sucker even more users into the pit.

BUT if they can work that out right and clean up other loose ends, then all the various ISP could duplicate their model and perhaps make a big dent in the botnet business. Hopefully. I seriously think they've got their work cut out for themselves, though.

That article reads in part ". . .The message points to a Comcast site with tips for cleaning infected computers. It reads: "Comcast has detected that there may be a virus on your computer(s). For information on how to clean your computer(s), please visit the Comcast Anti-Virus Center. . . ."

I already receive popups saying similar things occasionally. I consider them an attempt to get me to click on a virulent link or sell me scan software. I ignore them, and would probably ignore Comcasts's popup as well.

[Old Dad]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247421/ns/technology_and_science-security/

If they implement this carefully, it just might work to get some of the less-sophisticated computer users taken out of the botnets. One of the major obstacles I see that they will have to overcome is the simple fact that the bad guys will quickly duplicate their pop-up and sucker even more users into the pit.

BUT if they can work that out right and clean up other loose ends, then all the various ISP could duplicate their model and perhaps make a big dent in the botnet business. Hopefully. I seriously think they've got their work cut out for themselves, though.

That article reads in part ". . .The message points to a Comcast site with tips for cleaning infected computers. It reads: "Comcast has detected that there may be a virus on your computer(s). For information on how to clean your computer(s), please visit the Comcast Anti-Virus Center. . . ."

I already receive popups saying similar things occasionally. I consider them an attempt to get me to click on a virulent link or sell me scan software. I ignore them, and would probably ignore Comcasts's popup as well.

Hi, Joel,

Yeah, that's *exactly* the kind of thing I was concerned about. A lot of people (including me, too) have seen those things and just ignore them. They'll have to do **MUCH** better than that if they're going to make it work at all.

[Requiel]

Part of the problem is that ISPs have no real incentive to take action against compromised hosts. There are a lot of things that could be done at the ISP to detect and block these sort of problems but there's no good business reason for the ISP to do so. Simple network management stuff like blocking spoofed or fragmented packets would shut down an appreciable percentage of the malicious traffic but that would require more network management infrastructure than most commercial ISPs would invest in without coercion.