Re: [NTLK] [OT now] The OQO should have been the new Newton?

From: John Goggan (jgoggan_at_dcg.com)
Date: Thu Jun 06 2002 - 17:56:59 EDT


richard_at_cyberphotographer.com wrote:
>
> > >I fail to see why Microsoft should be blamed for idiots running
> >viruses like Klez.
>
> The fact that you agree that 'IDIOTS' are capable of bringing the
> world's network to its knees by exploiting basic vulnerabilities in
> the world's most lucrative software should be a pointer.

Um, if a virus like Klez brings your network to its knees, then you need to
get new network people. So it emails a few hundred people. If you've got a
bunch of employees executing unknown binaries -- and it is flooding your
network to the point of bringing it down, then you need two things:

1. Brighter employees.

2. A real network.

:)

> The fact that it happens every two weeks starts to look like
> carelessness and/or incompetence on the part of M$.

Why?? I don't see how it is MS's fault if people execute software and it does
things. heh. I mean, are you telling me that OS X would somehow magically
prevent people from executing something that might email a bunch of people?
Because, if so, then I guess I won't be able to develop that company email
application that I was writing, right?

Again, I don't see how it is the OS's fault that people run viruses. If the
OS did something to STOP that, then it would create so many other problems
that it wouldn't be usable for real work. I don't want an OS that prevents me
from running whatever app I want. What you need is people that don't run
whatever they get emailed when they have no idea what it is.

> M$ software is not only exploited owing to its popularity, but also
> to its sloppiness.

I disagree. It's pretty much popularity. There are plenty of sloppy OSes out
there that viruses/trojans could run rampant on if anyone cared enough to
write one. Most of it is not related to anything except popularity.

> I think the script kiddies are doing us all a service by highlighting
> the general insecurity of a product for which we are all forced to
> pay a huge tax (even us Mac zealots).

There are quite a few script kiddies breaking into *nix boxes and doing mass
DOS attacks (floods and such) from them. Are you going to blame Linus
Torvalds for that "tax" on all of us? Security holes in *nix boxes tend to be
the big causes of issues for our networks. People breaking into insecure
boxes and doing floods or FTP servers for their junk -- basic bandwidth
hogging that CAN bring a net connection to it's knees. But, again, that isn't
Windows related...

> There are more sinister forces in the world than script kiddies. See
> if your bank will tell you how much money they lost last year to
> hackers. Wonder if they even know.

So, when Windows is insecure, it means that Microsoft is a big evil giant.
When *nix is insecure, it means that everything is fine?

Interesting...

 - John...

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