New Social Virus Revealed
May 8th, 2009
Dan:
Eugene, welcome to the program. Nice to see you here, especially knowing that you don’t give interviews too often.
Kaspersky:
Good morning. Yes, I don’t like to give interviews, partially because my English is not very good, but today I have a reason and responsibility to go public. We just published the latest list of social viruses and one of them really dangerous. It is spreading very fast.
Dan:
Social virus? What is it?
Kaspersky:
You know what a computer virus is. It is a piece of code which can get into your computer system and live there for some time. Mostly, what it does is copy itself to other systems, infecting as many computers as it can. When it has populated many computers it can start utilizing them for someone’s benefit. It can help break security systems, or simply send thousands meaningless messages to a target server causing a so called DoS attack.
Dan:
Yes, that is a computer virus, but you said social?
Kaspersky:
A social virus is a piece of information which could infect not a computer system, but people’s minds. It is transmitted through information networks, radio, newspapers, television. Once you read it, or hear it, the “computer” in your head can get infected. We have been monitoring the public information networks for several years now. One of the most dangerous social virrii was the “Dow 14K”, it hit in the beginning of 2007.
Dan:
Does it mean Dow Jones 14,000?
Kaspersky:
Yes. We noticed a quick spread of extremely optimistic market related texts, many of them included the signature “Dow Jones 14,000″. The virus was very contagious. When the virus infected enough people it provoked an unprecedented activity on the stock markets. The Dow actually reached the 14K mark. The rest of the story you know.
Dan:
Oh, yes we do. So, lets get back to the list you published.
Kaspersky:
The dangerous one has a signature: “crisis of capitalism”. The virus has some mutations: “more government control”, “government’s money” and “nationalization is not that bad”. Our numbers show a huge spike of the infection.
Dan:
Wait a second, do you think in a crisis like that government shouldn’t act boldly to protect our society and the free market itself?
Kaspersky:
The government’s role in an economic crisis is known. First the government creates a crisis, and then it does everything to prevent the market from fixing it. Fortunately, sooner or later, in spite of the anti-market efforts, powerful market forces resolve all imbalances. Regarding the “government’s money” – there is no such a thing. And nationalization has never been good for anyone except the government itself.
Dan:
I see. Eugene, how can we protect ourselves?
Kaspersky:
Do not let the virus easily settle in your mind, resist as much as you can. Think about the meaning of words. Thinking is the best natural anti virus.
Dan:
You know, it takes a lot of time and energy to read, analyze, educate yourself.
Kaspersky:
At least do not listen to the infected people. Once you hear “capitalism in crisis” or “more government control” keep the sanitary distance and repeat this antidote:
I can see you on the moon Dancing squares with a goon In the game Only lame Tell me now what's your name?
