More Microsoft Security worries

Would you open it?

Aye but would not the Windows world be what it is without IE targetted viruses such as this little terror from the deep, then? Aye these viruses come in as many colours as Willy Wonka has flavours. Ok that was a commercial site and NOT for office surfing as its LOUD. Go on have a listen, I can wait. I am not giving them links for nothing! They sell the most divine chocolate in the world. They commissioned the good art in Flash that can be safely served by Linux or NT or the now aptly named Windows 2000. Manufactured in a state of unnecessary ignorance of threat.

Back to the virus. I have just launched a rich applications (with a voice crying out WONKA! the main threat) yet I know that I do not have a virus, despite running (gasp) Windows ME. What is wrong with me you ask? Nothing, I know it will crash in an hour or so, then I use my Linux system for development. Surfin' with windows is slower but more fun.

Now NZ's leading ISP filters virus attachments from MS universe email clients. So the virus writers will be faced with writing viruses that attack the server. If they are motivated by more then geekish instincts awkwardly gestating in their wicked selves? Virus writers are like suicide terrorists, they know they are going to be caught up in an investigation with a trail that leads to someone.

Servers are most often Linux or basically and quickly implementable on Linux. With a rich variety of really useful tools included in the Operating system, the Open Source world have produced a better working environment than Windows.

The beauty of a Microsoft focus in .Net is a possible final admission that the centric workstation must have a restrained view of the outside world, and perhaps we finally see this giant organisation grow through into a maturity of stable operating systems dreamed up by Uncle Bill. They are smart people.

Their planning is extensive and encompasses years, in the meantime that they do not provide the most stable or secure platform seems to increasingly be an embarssment even they are becoming remotely aware of, but all the same, they didn't develop the networking part themselves first so can't have seen local high bandwidth pipes as very important. It started as a way to share files and printers.

Of course no modern office would now be without high bandwidth immediate transfer capability, but do they know what to do with this capacity? Send emails? Well if they are running a Microsoft email server, I would start wondering about the same upgrade the ISP made to its servers to remove executable attachments.

It is not that hard to write a filter that kills any executable code attached to any email, or to attach an unbreakable validation certificates when offering a download. This is kindergarten stuff. We do not need Palladium to implement security. Ask any Linux guru.

That is the morning rave.