At 12:02 PM 6/19/2005 +0200, Arnt Gulbrandsen wrote:
Paul Smith writes:
On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 17:55:25 +0100, Keith Moore
<moore(_at_)cs(_dot_)utk(_dot_)edu> wrote:
I'd even go so far as to say we're going to continue to have massive
amounts of spam as long as Windows is the dominant PC operating system.
I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. The only link between Windows and
spam is that lots of people have Windows, and it's relatively easy to
use, so lots of spammers use it. Lots of spammers also use Linux or Macs,
you just see less of that, because there are less of those systems in use
by the 'spammer' sort of person, but if that's all there was, that's what
the spammers would use.
Easy to use, you say.
I read a computer magazine called c't. High-quality thing. For example,
when it reviews Windows games, the review specifically notes whether the
game requires administrator rights to play. (Not to install. To play.)
About 40-50% of the reviewed games require that. Now, isn't that ridiculous?
I bet that if Microsoft ever changes Windows such that people don't
routinely run their day-to-day applications as Administrator, Windows will
also be less "easy to use" for spammers.
That comment is like saying 'If Ford stopped making cars, there'd be
less car accidents'.
The operating system is irrelevant. Don't try to turn this into a 'Gates
is a bad guy' argument!.. Whether he is or not is irrelevant to the
spamming issue!
A less trojan-friendly Windows may still be the dominant spammer OS, but
the degree to which it currently dominates surely is connected to its
_bad_ _bad_ security.
I have also heard that M$ is unwilling to make its security updates
available to unlicensed systems, which probably includes most of the
zombies. My guess is they are trying to turn this PR disaster into a win
by timing the zombie shutdown so the credit for saving the email system
goes to SenderID.
Seems like someone should develop an open-source "anti-zombie" program that
could be used by ISPs to neuter their zombies. Any user system that is
open for spammers would also be open for a benign patch. "Sorry, your mail
has been blocked, because your system has been infected with a mail
worm. <Click Here> to install a patch on your system and re-activate your
account." Of course, there would need to be some user education follow on,
and stricter measures if it happens again.
--
Dave
************************************************************ *
* David MacQuigg, PhD email: david_macquigg at yahoo.com * *
* IC Design Engineer phone: USA 520-721-4583 * * *
* Analog Design Methodologies * * *
* 9320 East Mikelyn Lane * * *
* VRS Consulting, P.C. Tucson, Arizona 85710 *
************************************************************ *