(malware) malware see, malware do

You may have noticed I always classify Microsoft stories as "malware" (not using blogspot's tagging system, but -- when I remember -- in the subject line itself, like in this post).

This is because I consider Microsoft to be the biggest piece of malware floating around.  Mostly legal, (although some posts are tagged "criminal" also; what can I say, a spade is a fscking shovel!).

Now there is proof that the 800-lb legal malware company is inspiring the really illegal malware authors.  Here's an excerpt from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/12/new_zeus_features/ :

The latest version of the Zeus do-it-yourself crimeware kit goes to great lengths to thwart would-be pirates by introducing a hardware-based product activation scheme similar to what's found in Microsoft Windows.

[...]

The hardware-based licensing system isn't the only page Zeus creators have borrowed from Microsoft. They've also pushed out multiple flavors of the package that vary in price depending on the capabilities it offers. Just as Windows users can choose between the lower-priced Windows 7 Starter or the more costly Windows 7 Business, bot masters have multiple options for Zeus.