IBM report reviews Internet crime

Wed Feb 13 22:54:01 UTC 2008

On Feb 13, 2008 3:28 PM, JC Dill <lists05 at equinephotoart.com> wrote:
JC,

Nice conjecture.

> I'm really surprised that ISPs haven't banded together to sue Microsoft
> for negligently selling and distributing an insecure OS that is an
> Attractive Nuisance - causing the ISPs (who don't own the OS infected
> computers) harm from the network traffic the infected OSs send, and
> causing them untold support dollars to handle the problem.

I'm really surprised, too.  However, it's more complicated than that.
Read the book, "Geekonomics" for more information on this topic.

> If every big ISP joined a class action lawsuit to force Microsoft to pay
> up for the time ISPs spend fixing viruses on Windows computer, Microsoft
> would get a LOT more proactive about solving this problem directly.  The
> consumers have no redress against MS because of the EULA, but this
> doesn't extend to other computer owners (e.g. ISPs) who didn't agree to
> the EULA on the infected machine but who are impacted by the infection.

Hence the "Trustworthy Computing Initiative" which was started by Bill
Gates / Craig Mundie in 2002 -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trustworthy_Computing

Only now we're too late - Bill has a parachute.

Cheers,
Andre