[OT] Re: Windows woes

[Kevin Bealer]

In article <442D6DD7.8050204 at nospam.org>, Georg Wrede says...
>
..
>If I were the *head* of a three-letter government agency [you name it, 
>or then it's one whose name we don't even know] today, I'd sure as heck 
>tell B. Gates to install a for-me-only backdoor to Windows, such that if 
>"we" really feel threatened, then I can shut down all the Windowses in 
>the [non-free] world. Or hopefully, a more accurately defined selection.

I work for a gov. agency, but all our code is public domain - I don't think it's
one of the ones you are referring to.  So I have no knowledge of the following,
but that said...

With all the back doors, side doors, tunnels, and hacks that are already built
into windows now (i.e. Sony *accidentally* installed one...), I'm not sure what
difference one more would make.  The biggest problem for said agency or agencies
is probably that their agents are constantly tripping over and being trampled by
all the Sony executives, hackers, phrackers, citibank employees, encyclopedia
salesmen, and ordinary catburglars that are the normal traffic through those
doors now.

Seriously, a system that lets *any application* install drivers UNDER the cd-rom
is not even trying to implement security.  This is what happened in the Sony
instance as I understand it -- a Sony-procured software agent was slipped under
the CDROM driver to keep an eye out for assorted naughtiness.  In reality, the
Sony debacle happened when their sub-contractors waltzed in through the *front
door*.

The "hack" they did went through a supported and documented Microsoft API, being
used more or less for its intended purpose.

[ In fairness, as a Linuxoid, I should point out that most Linux dists. install
all software as root, which could almost have the same effect.  The primary
difference then, is that the software on Linux systems is usually open source
and from the Linux or distribution people, whereas in MS-land it is closed and
from various vendors. ]

( Perhaps the pertinent observation here is one of human nature.  A prison is
confining, but a navy submarine is probably even more confining than a prison.
However, most people would much rather be on a navy submarine.  Because the
critical question in life is not where you are but who you're with.  Corporate
and anti-corporate politics aside, most of the difference is that you can trust
Torvalds, Stallman, de Icaza, and so on, further than the fellow at Sony. )

Kevin