full-disclosure - CyberInsecurity: The cost of Monopoly

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Message-ID: <20030927135248.GD32262@trusteddebian.org>
From: peter at trusteddebian.org (Peter Busser)
Subject: CyberInsecurity: The cost of Monopoly

Hi!

> Destroying the monopoly also lets the World get rid of (Anti)Virus 
> companies, since they are protected by Microsoft Virus Support(TM).

The fact that writing virusses and worms is easier and more rewarding on
MS-Windows systems, that doesn't mean that they are impossible on free software
systems. Free software desktops are complex beasts too and they are bound to
be loaded with bugs too, many of them with security implications.

> Viruses are a threat which has been intentionally neglected by Microsoft 
> since the AntiVirus thing became a business. A BIG business. Imagine if 
> Microsoft removed the Virus Support. Billions of dollars would stop 
> being moved from people's pockets to the software giants. Mega companies 
> would simply disappear from the Market. Hundreds of people would be 
> unemployed. Given the facts, Microsoft is simply UNABLE to fix such 
> vulnerabilities.

That is not really a good argument, because most people are full of unfulfilled
dreams. So if they have money in their pockets, then that money is going to
roll. In other words, if it isn't spent on anti-virus stuff, then it will be
spent on something else.

I think it might be more of a problem for Microsoft itself. How can you fix
the problems and still try to sell new versions to the public?

> Virues have never been a threat for Open Source systems, since they 
> (viruses) use vulnerabilities that get fixed by users *regardless* of 
> some company liking or not.

This reminds me of the story about the three pigglets. Where Microsoft lives
in the house made of straw. And the free software people live in the house made
of wood... Yeah, we free software people are REALLY safe from the wolf! I mean,
have you ever seen a wolf breaking into a house made of wood? No? See, that's
my point, no wolf has ever done that. And therefore we're perfectly safe.

Groetjes,
Peter Busser
-- 
The Adamantix Project
Taking trustworthy software out of the labs, and into the real world
http://www.adamantix.org/