bugtraq - RE: Your Opinion

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Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:55:18 -0700
From: "Jim Harrison" <Jim@...tools.org>
To: "Mark Litchfield" <Mark@...software.com>,
	<bugtraq@...urityfocus.com>, <vulnwatch@...nwatch.org>,
	<full-disclosure@...ts.netsys.com>
Subject: RE: Your Opinion

Thanx, Mark

One phrase; "consider the source".

The expert participant in this interview is (catch me before I faint) -
Symantec CEO John Thompson.  Symantec and other security vendors have
had more than ample opportunity to get in this game and it wasn't until
Vista hit the Beta track that Symantec folks even started noticing that
their hooks were (re)moved.  It's a potentially questionable process
that uses the same mechanisms as the malware they seek to defend
against.  Yes, I know; "think like a criminal"...

I agree that functional and security patches should be free (and they
are), but software packages to protect Jo(sephin)e User from their
propensity for digital self-abuse should be sold.  You want me to
protect you from your own actions? - pay me.  This is the basis for most
consultant businesses.  The argument that the OS vender shouldn't "get
into the security game" is self-serving at best (remember the source?).
Thanks to recent EU and DoJ decisions, no one can argue that "they don't
have access to the same information as MS teams".  This is freely
available on MSDN and if you want protocol specifics, to anyone willing
to sign a licensing agreement with MS.

IMHO, he's just plain wrong and is only making "they're being
meanie-poo-poo-heads" noises.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Litchfield [mailto:Mark@...software.com] 
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 11:49 AM
To: bugtraq@...urityfocus.com; vulnwatch@...nwatch.org;
full-disclosure@...ts.netsys.com
Subject: Your Opinion

I have heard the comment "It's a huge conflict of interest" for one
company 
to provide both an operating platform and a security platform" made by
John 
Thompson (CEO Symantec) many times from many different people.  See
article 
below.

http://www2.csoonline.com/blog_view.html?CID=32554

In my personal opinion, regardless of the vendor, if they create an OS,
why 
would it be a conflict of interest for them to want to protect their own
OS 
from attack.  One would assume that this is a responsible approach by
the 
vendor, but one could also argue that their OS should be coded securely
in 
the first place.  If this were to happen then the need for the
Symantec's, 
McAfee's of the world would some what diminsh.

Anyway I am just curious as to what other people think.

Thanks in advance

Mark 

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