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ed
Linux Today reader Miko
Wakabayashi has been doing a little thinking about an
article she just read:
This may not be directly releated to LINUX, but…. it
underscores a point about software.Imagine a Chinese agent working at Microsoft. How difficult do
you think it would be to insert a little “backdoor” into a Windows
.dll file or somewhere else? With the Government jumping into NT
left and right, a secret backdoor or even an “easter egg” that
shuts the system down on command could cripple our entire defense
network, law enforcement and just about anything else. How much
easier it would be to fight a war against an enemy whose computers
are all crashed beyond repair?They used to worry that the Soviets would detonate a nuclear
device in the atmosphere causing an EMP spike to cripple our
computer networks. If a spy inserted as little as 5 lines of code
into every Windows system in the country, a signal could be
broadcast over the internet to simultaneously crash every NT server
and workstation with an internet connection.Firewall be damned, it is NT based as well. With the dozens of
“accidental” security holes in NT, how hard would it be to create
one intentionally, and a trusted programmer in Redmond could do
this easily and hide it fairly effectively.In my opinion, articles like this as well as the Eeye
announcement, absolutely requires that we insist the Government
adopt Open Source software.That way the agencies can control their own systems and it would
be impossible to hide security holes and backdoors. Plus if one is
uncovered, it can be fixed right away.
This is a scary article and can be used to promote the adoption
of Linux in any enterprise.Daniel Oran wrote a novel “Ulterior Motive” about “MegaSoft”
inserting secret code into their operating system that enabled them
to spy on people. Now we know Microsoft can do this and has already
admitted to doing this. Can you imagine the implications of a spy
having total access to the CIA, NSA, FBI, IRS, the Pentagon and
every other agency? Think about it, then write your
congressperson.