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[Previous entry: "Clichewatch: ...in a world he didn't create."] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Watch me make furniture."] 08/03/2003 Entry: "Homeland Security should stay the hell out of the IT industry."
Homeland Security should stay the hell out of the IT industry. Windows has yet to see a serious threat by a popular worm and when it does there will be a lot of heat on Microsoft, whether they deserve it or not. "Wintel everywhere" is a classic eggs in one basket gambit and heads are going to roll if 1/3rd of all computers on the internet suddenly refuse to boot up again. Something like 40% (?) of all computers on the net are not behind a firewall and who knows how many are patched. Or have patched their patches. What I'm afraid of is that if something this bad and on this scale happens then Digital Rights Management (DRM) will go from controversial content protection to a Tom Ridge mandated upgrade. Your computer WILL download the newest patch and you will not be able to rip MP3s from the newest Shania Twain CD or face the consequences (ISP banning you, fines, etc). HomeSec has already co-opted independent IT boards and email lists regarding announcing exploits. The really pathetic part of this is that the feds had Microsoft by the short hairs not too long ago with the anti-trust suit. They could have had a third-party audit Windows 2000 and XP code for security problems, on MS’s dime of course. They could have broken the company up into pieces to foster competition in the IT market. But they chose a light slap on the wrist and everyone went home happy. Well, that is until you realize that a company as ubiquitous and with such a poor record regarding security as MS let loose can equal a terrible Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) or a few hours or even days of no internet while network admins run out to block all those Microsoft Networking ports. So I’ve come up with a simple proposal. For every remote exploit in Windows NT, 2K, and XP Microsoft must delay their next operating system for one entire month. That month will be spent auditing their existing products for security problems. Short, simple, and to the point and probably effective. Also, every new Windows XP machine with Office XP forces MSN messenger to load up. You need to disable MSN messenger from both the app itself and from Outlook before it will even let you close it. MS should force the auto update app on us just like they do Messenger. People who don’t like it can make an effort to read the instructions to shut it off. Really now, is the Instant Messaging market so much more important than security? To MS it sure seems to be.
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