Re: Microsoft's Charney Suggests 'Net Tax to Clean Computers

["Tomas L. Byrnes" <tomb () byrneit net>]

But wait, aren't we all already paying the "Microsoft Tax" on every
computer we buy from a major OEM, whether it has Windows or not?

http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2007/05/windows-tax-is-50-according
-to-dell-linux-pc-pricing.ars

Methinks we've already paid, so perhaps we should get the benefit of the
tax we've been paying for some time, by Microsoft paying $50 per license
they receive from the OEMs to the gov for cybersecurity.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: funsec-bounces () linuxbox org [mailto:funsec-bounces () linuxbox org]
> On Behalf Of Paul Ferguson
> Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 6:54 PM
> To: funsec
> Subject: [funsec] Microsoft's Charney Suggests 'Net Tax to Clean
> Computers
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> What?!
>
> PC World.
>
> [snip]
>
> How will we ever get a leg up on hackers who are infecting computers
> worldwide? Microsoft's security chief laid out several suggestions
> Tuesday,
> including a possible Internet usage tax to pay for the inspection and
> quarantine of machines.
>
> Today most hacked PCs run Microsoft's Windows operating system, and
the
> company has invested millions in trying to fight the problem.
>
> Microsoft recently used the U.S. court system to shut down the Waledac
> botnet, introducing a new tactic in the battle against hackers.
> Speaking at
> the RSA security conference in San Francisco, Microsoft Corporate Vice
> President for Trustworthy Computing Scott Charney said that the
> technology
> industry needs to think about more "social solutions."
>
> That means fighting the bad guys at several levels, he said. "Just
like
> we
> do defense in depth in IT, we have to do defense in depth in [hacking]
> response."
>
> "I actually think the health care model ... might be an interesting
way
> to
> think about the problem," Charney said. With medical diseases, there
> are
> education programs, but there are also social programs to inspect
> people
> and quarantine the sick.
>
> This model could work to fight computer viruses too, he said. When a
> computer user allows malware to run on his computer, "you're not just
> accepting it for yourself, you're contaminating everyone around you,"
> he
> said.
>
> The idea that Internet service providers might somehow step up in the
> fight
> against malware is not new. The problem, however, is cost.
>
> [snip]
>
> More:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/190581/microsofts_charney
> _sug
> gests_net_tax_to_clean_computers.html
>
> Enjoy.
>
> - - ferg
>
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> --
> "Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
>  Engineering Architecture for the Internet
>  fergdawgster(at)gmail.com
>  ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/
> _______________________________________________
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