Summary: Gauss, not the famous person but the Windows malware, is not reported on accurately

THE other day we saw a report titled "Gauss Malware Detected Through Unique Palida Narrow Font". It reminded us of Stuxnet because the press fails to name Microsoft Windows as the only affected platform.

The latest threat, this one called Gauss, is also not being tied to Windows. To quote part of the report we saw: "Malware researchers believe that Gauss was created by the same development group as Flame, an espionage program thought to have spread to thousands of systems over at least a three-year period. Unlike its cousin, Gauss spread faster by an unknown means like infecting three or four times as many systems. While Flame gathered intelligence on and from the systems it infected, Gauss focuses more on surveying specific targets, and gathering financial data. It also carries an encrypted payload that will only execute on specific systems, according to Schouwenberg.

"It helps shows how Microsoft passively or actively enabled selective governments to break the law."""All these things hint towards the creators going after an air-gapped network," said Schouwenberg. Military and other sensitive networks are typically cut off from the Internet, a configuration referred to as "air-gapped."

"While the Gauss malware carries all the hallmarks of the same development program as Flame, it is only distantly related to Stuxnet and Duqu. U.S. administration officials acknowledged developing Stuxnet with the Israelis, according to a recent book."

That last part is important because it is now confirmed, too. It helps shows how Microsoft passively or actively enabled selective governments to break the law. It shows darn well why software freedom is essential. And until everyone calls out Windows people just won't get it, will they? No country, except the US (and perhaps US allies), should ever deploy Windows anywhere. It's a Trojan horse. ⬆