Typhoid Mary Suggests You Be Quarantined

Brad R Thursday 07 October 2010 - 19:40:05  

I find it hard to believe that any reporter could be so credulous as to pass this on straight, but the BBC is reporting "Virus-infected computers that pose a risk to other PCs should be blocked from the net, a senior researcher at software giant Microsoft suggests."

Allow me to paraphrase: "We've given up hope of ever selling secure software. Most Windows-based computers get infected. Since we're incompetent at security, we've decided that the blame and the cost should be pushed off onto our users."

There may, however, be a hidden agenda. The Microsoft spokesman, Scott Charney, is a member of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing team. And "Trustworthy Computing" -- a laughable phrase coming from them -- has long been recognized as Microsoft's insidious attempt to take control of your computer away from you, and to cripple their competition. It's gone through several name changes, but Palladium/NGSCB/Trusted Computing has always had the same goal:

...let Microsoft

* control the applications you can run on your computer
* control the data you can view, save, or use on your computer
* prevent you from moving applications or data to another computer
* force you to buy upgrades

Microsoft has been wanting to get "Trusted Computing" into PCs for years, and this latest proposal is more of the same. Charney suggests that computers have a "health certificate" to be allowed to connect to the 'net. Somehow I suspect that that certificate would require that software come from an "approved" commercial vendor -- none of that home-made open-source stuff need apply -- and I rather expect a Trusted Platform Module will be on the list of requirements. "Relevant legal frameworks would also be needed," says Charney, implying that they'll use the force of law to get you to stop using their competitors' products.

But, you say, Microsoft products are the most likely to get infected? Doesn't matter. Microsoft is one of the largest campaign donors on the planet, and can well afford an army of lobbyists to ensure that the legislation is written so as to favor them. (Recall what happened when Massachusetts decided to require ODF for public documents.) The entertainment industry would support this, too.

Last word to FotB (Friend of the Blog) Charles Curley:

There's a much simpler fix than what Mr. Charney proposes, something you can do right now, without waiting on some international bureaucracy. Save yourself a lot of hassle: go get the world's largest and most effective anti-malware program. Linux. Then learn how to use it securely.

(A tip of the hat also to our friends the Millers, for sending this link to more commentary.)
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