Here's what happened to the New York Times

Aug 23, 2007 07:16 GMT  ·  By

The New York Times is one of the largest publications in the entire world, having millions of readers in both offline and online mode. In order to read all the information provided by the online version, the folks working at the NYT created a special Windows application, codenamed 'Times Reader', that downloads full editions of the newspaper straight on your computer. Please keep in mind that this software solution is currently compatible only with the Windows operating system, so no Mac flavor. Don't ask me why I'm saying this, you'll find out later.

Now, let me tell you a short story. The New York Times recently announced in an internal memo that a virus called 'trafficjam' managed to infiltrate into their computers, numerous systems being infected by it. Because some of them were working with the application that distributes the information through 'Times Reader', some of the employees might be notified by their security tools that there is something wrong with the application. Although the NYT engineers managed to repair it fast, they are still encouraged to update their virus definitions to the last version.

"We had a breakout of a couple of computer viruses yesterday afternoon and evening. Several PCs were identified, among them only a handful in the newsroom, and virus protections were updated overnight. You may be prompted to reboot your PC today. The two specific viruses were identified as "trafficjam" and one that seemed fixated on Excel files," a memo written by the NYT stated according to Gawker. "Also, you can update your own shields at Programs - Utilities - Symantec (Norton) - Live Update, which takes a few seconds, here, at home, on your laptop. It's a good habit."

Now, let's get back to the Mac-related information. Here's what the memo reads: "None of the reports yesterday involved Macintoshes." Well, this might influence the folks working at the New York Times and who knows? Maybe a new supply of Macs will arrive soon...