We had a bunch of experimental computers running Windows 98/2000. Since they are computers meant to run simulations, I hardly ever have to interact with them. The users were supposed to apply the patch for the RPC vulnerability that has been making everybody panic. They did'nt. There machines are now of the net. Those that had been compromised have been thrown of the net completely. Those that were vulnerable but not compromised cannot get out of the University. For now. When the users found they could'nt actually get out of University, they came running over to me.

I've applied the patch, and put a firewall on those machines, and hopefully the network guys will put them back on the net.

On another note, the machines that are directly under me, were patched, and firewalled, and never even showed up on the network guys scans. Thats what I keep telling these people. Give me complete control, and your machines will be safe.

There is a problem with there scanning though. Windows 98 machines are not vulnerable to this particular exploit. But they for some reason do show up on the scans, and are blocked even though they cant be hacked. Some poor people got swept into this for no reason at all. And they have no choice. They have to run Windows 98 because the data acquisition cards will only run in Windows 98.