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Critical Forecasting and Planning Management Project Predicting possible outcomes and preparing for them! An engineering perspective. (A Johnston & Leigh project) New York
News Jan 2011:
Forecasting email viruses
Some software companies philosophy:
In the past few weeks we've seen a rash of email viruses. Of course, listening to
TV news one would think that all computers are affected and the sole
cause are those criminals creating the viruses. A closer look into the issue
reveals a multitude of culprits. Some of the computer programs have been around
for years but still seem to have the same vulnerabilities. I've spent all of
my email consulting time over the past two weeks addressing Microsoft Windows
and Microsoft Outlook ivulnerabilities. I've gotten no calls from clients
using Netscape, Lotus Notes, or are using Macintosh or Linux. Microsoft says i
this is due to the ubitquitous situation of MS Windows and also how software
development is in the early stages of building-in security and also the
complexity of software. Are these valid? Is security new to software ?
Maybe in the Microsoft culture, not elseware. Is software reliability
new? Why is Microsoft Windows the only OS that allows core OS files
to be modified by viruses that run from the users programs? Ever notice
that the Licensing Agreement that comes with software says that the
writer of the program has not liability for anything that may go wrong.
Something has to change here.
Last week several Asian contries are developing a replacement for
Microsoft Windows (see:
CNET:Asian trio in deal to replace Windows .
Attempts to fix problems don't work.
CNET:A patch released by Microsoft to fix a critical security vulnerability in its Internet Explorer browser does not work.
So far the License Agreements have held up in courts but some efforts
are under way in Congress to make companies liable for security
vulnerabilities that go unfixed.
More to come.
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We will not forget! WTC 09/11/01  |
