[LINK] The bad guys have won (was Re: www.ipv6.org.au/summit)

[Stilgherrian]

On 01/09/2008, at 10:15 AM, Karl Auer wrote:
> On Mon, 2008-09-01 at 07:12 +1000, Stilgherrian wrote:
>>     http://stilgherrian.com/internet/who_do_you_trust_everyone/
>
> In marked contrast to much of your other writing, this one was
> disappointingly lax.

Re-reading what I wrote more than a year ago, you're right. Thank you  
for putting it so... politely. :)

All your technical points are correct, especially the one that Unix /  
Linux / OS X have one fundamental "superiority" over Windows is that  
the computer owner does not directly run as the root user. While one  
can set up "limited" accounts in Windows, so much Windows software is  
written assuming that you're administrator that in everyday use it's  
far, far too difficult to set up and use these limited accounts.

I will disagree with one point, though...

>  For most home
> users, there is nothing really critical stored locally, and why should
> they care if their system is spewing spam?

Actually their home computer is likely to contain enough information  
to allow theft of the owner's identity, and often their family  
members' as well.

There may also be other data that they don't immediately think of as  
critical. For example, the very same business client I'm dealing with  
now has a "birthday club" whereby customers' children are sent a  
special treat. A database of kids' names, dates of birth, home  
addresses and phone numbers would be a pedophile's dream... "Happy  
birthday, Julie. Your mummy Susan asked me to give you a special  
present."


> My own belief is that the solution is legislative. Make software
> manufacturers responsible for damage that their products cause. Make
> computer owners responsible for the damage their computers do (spam,
> whatever). Only then will we see any real attention paid to security.

Agreed.

Stil


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