More attachment trouble!

September 2009 IT in Manufacturing

Here is another way that virus writers get people to open attachments!

Subject: "Coca Cola is proud to accounce our new Christmas Promotion." 

Sender: "[email protected]"

Attachment: promotion.zip

Entices users to download the Coca Cola Promotion attachment. Obviously some people fall for the trap otherwise the virus would never be downloaded and hence be spread by curious and unsuspecting users

Attachments are compressed files, containing the worm itself.

The worm will also spread by copying itself into any removable media connected to the system, creating an 'autorun.inf' file to execute the worm when the device is connected to another system.

Infected computers are subjected to:-

1. It will add itself to the firewall's authorised applications list and not warn you of any of it partners in crime coming onto your computer.

2. One of these partners in crime is another component detected as Backdoor.Bot.67413 that is loaded. This one has backdoor capability, and will also log everything you type (think about passwords, pin numbers, credit card details etc), and save in a file (drm.ocx). Then will send this file to a server.

3. This worm is also a mass-mailer using its own SMTP engine, like many others. It sends itself to the harvested e-mail addresses it has collected from infected computers.

So by opening attachments like this you not only endanger yourself, but also endanger all  the e-mail addresses that it collects from your computer.

This also explains how you receive this mail from an unknown source and how they could have received your e-mail address.

Further reading:

Even in autonomous systems, human insight is important
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
As AI, IIoT and digital twins reshape industrial operations, Schneider Electric’s Kobus Vermeulen and Bafana Msibi argue that the operator’s role is shifting from controlling equipment to interpreting intelligence, validating AI recommendations and making decisions that improve

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AI-based quality inspection scales across P&G operations
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens and Procter & Gamble are expanding an AI-based visual inspection system across P&G’s manufacturing operations worldwide, inspecting products in real time at full line speed, and reducing scrap rates by 10 to 20% depending on the product.

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How sustainability unlocks real business impact
Rockwell Automation IT in Manufacturing
Sustainability has moved from a compliance obligation to a strategic driver of resilience and value for manufacturers. Rockwell Automation explains how its Triple A framework and connected-data approach help producers cut energy, water and waste while improving productivity.

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Mining’s AI future will depend on people as well as technology
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry is embracing digitalisation and AI, but AvenirHoldings chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele says the real test is whether the people behind the industry are equipped to move forward with it, and outlines five things mining needs to get right.

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How BIC overcame operational silos to integrate technology and people
Rockwell Automation IT in Manufacturing
Manufacturing giant BIC deployed Plex MES from Rockwell Automation at its Bizerte plant in Tunisia, replacing fragmented, partly in-house software with a single cloud-based execution system that broke operational silos and improved shop-floor visibility.

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AI in industry is an early warning system, not a guarantee
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric’s Paul Steyn argues that AI in industrial maintenance is only as good as the infrastructure and people behind it, and explains the three layers a facility needs before predictive maintenance can deliver on its promise.

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SA’s mining industry must put people at the heart of its digital future
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry employs around 470 000 people while its digital transition accelerates. Avenir’s chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele argues that technology should enable and upskill the workforce rather than replace it, setting out five ways mining can make technology work for its people.

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Quality control supports efficient tissue production
Valmet South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Valmet’s advanced quality control technology is helping tissue producers improve product consistency while reducing energy and raw material consumption. Its latest installation at KORO Paper in Vietnam combines real-time measurement, process optimisation and non-contact, nuclear-free quality control.

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Patented algorithm maximises operator efficiency
Rockwell Automation IT in Manufacturing
Rockwell Automation piloted a patented anomaly detection algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix at its Twinsburg electronics plant, giving operators 30 to 60 days’ advance warning of stencil failure, improving fail rates by 22% and achieving a 200% return on investment.

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Cybersecurity must become part of the next era of industrial automation
Adroit Technologies IT in Manufacturing
The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act is setting a global benchmark for connected products, making cybersecurity a core engineering requirement in industrial automation. Adroit Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric explain how building security into controllers, PLCs and drives from the outset helps South African manufacturers protect production and meet international expectations.

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