“Some computer manufacturers have a vested interest in
ensuring the instability of desktop PCs…”
“With the “Iloveyou” virus we have seen yet another virus attack
against Windows PCs. This has occurred despite assurances made by
the antivirus software companies, after last year’s Melissa virus,
that the precautions they had made would prevent similar attacks.
Viruses are becoming more vicious. They are possibly the single
biggest threat to security that organisations face. In the near
future we can expect to see a derivative of the “Iloveyou” virus
that will do real damage. This virus will spread rapidly and will
be able to destroy the computers’ firmware – software embedded in
the heart of the machine.”
“So, who is to blame for the mess we are in? The computer
industry saw how electronic calculators rapidly went from
high-priced luxury items to low- cost commodities. There was a
determination on the part of the vendors to ensure the same would
not happen to PCs. …The computer vendors have agreed to this
strategy simply to maintain their revenues. They force their
customers to upgrade to new and expensive PCs every few years.
Viruses are a result of this culture where there is no proper
concern paid to the engineering of desktop computing. The security
of Windows is fundamentally flawed. “
“Viruses are not a threat to operating systems such as Unix and
Linux which can be configured to prevent e-mails from starting the
execution of a program. Unix was designed in association with the
US Department of Defense to be a stable and secure operating system
to run the internet. Linux is a rewrite of Unix and has been
developed by programmers co-operating over the internet. What’s
more, it is free. It runs well on low-cost hardware and eliminates
the constant churning the computer vendors impose on the users of
Windows.”