[LINK] Ponderings on the effects of computer viruses

[Chirgwin, Richard]

> There are viruses and exploits out there for the unix and 
> other systems
> also.  Don't you think that when all systems are "dumbed" down enough
> for mass distribution for all users that there will just be a shift in
> targets and the same old same old will continue?

Dassa,

I'm not so sure. It's not the dumbing-down (which I believe can be a good
thing), it's the 'features' that permit viruses. The features are not a
"neccessary" or inevitable outcome of the dumbing down.

For eg: why would a "dumbed down" Linux e-mailer include, as a "must have"
feature, the ability to run executable files with no user permission from
received e-mails?

The feature that permits (say) Bugbear isn't about dumbing-down Outlook:
it's about including a feature which is out of the reach of the average
user; and because the user doesn't touch the vulnerable controls (Richard
never tries to program Outlook), the user doesn't realise there's a
vulnerability. So it's putting sophistication in the wrong place that
creates the problem, not ease-of-use.

RC

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dassa [mailto:dassa@dhs.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, 2 October 2002 21:31
> To: 'Link Institute'
> Subject: RE: [LINK] Ponderings on the effects of computer viruses
> 
> 
> |> -----Original Message-----
> |> From: owner-link@www.anu.edu.au 
> |> [mailto:owner-link@www.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Chirgwin, Richard
> |> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 9:33 AM
> |> To: Link Institute
> |> Subject: RE: [LINK] Ponderings on the effects of computer viruses
> |> 
> <SNIP> 
> |> Sal, there's enough users silly enough to still open 
> |> infected messages, in spite of history. Are those same users 
> |> smart enough to say "oh, a virus, maybe I should install a 
> |> copy of Red Hat Linux 8 and compile my own kernel!"?
> |> 
> |> Methinks not. I know that Linux "isn't hard", but that's not 
> |> the point. Consumers don't think of themselves as buying an 
> |> operating system - they think they're buying an appliance. 
> |> Make a PC that really IS an appliance (including cheap), and 
> |> they'll buy it.
> 
> There are viruses and exploits out there for the unix and 
> other systems
> also.  Don't you think that when all systems are "dumbed" down enough
> for mass distribution for all users that there will just be a shift in
> targets and the same old same old will continue?
> 
> Darryl (Dassa) Lynch 
> 
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