Ballmer security pitch leaves skeptics unswayed

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Its not just the users, its the platform

"You're trying to say a non administrative user is completely
unable to install executable code on a *nix box?!?! Sorry,
but wrong."

Who's wrong? Not only can I prohibit the setting of the
executable bit by a user for a file I can also mount user
accessible filesystems as NOEXEC.

No fear from "unpatched privilege escalation" nor any code
running in the user's environment. Get it?

"Do you really believe they won't enter it if they think
they're actually installing some neat game, or as in the case
of the RedHat article, a system patch?"

"What if the OWNER of this computer wants to upgrade to
the latest version of Firefox for example."

Your premise it that all users (regardless of experience)
need admin privileges. Many uses with a requirement for
office suite, web browsing, email, etc do not. These are the
very people being duped by malware. How many of these
users would still fall for it if it asked for a admin password,
or instructed them to open a terminal windows, etc?

Anyone could provide a fully maintained desktop where
patches are installed from a daemon running at an
escalated permission but can be called from userland? The
managed software might only be from approved yum
repositories.

The point is under *nix is is preventable for both the
corporate desktop, and some (large number of?) home
users. Neither is possible under windows.

Under windows all you do is dismiss a dialog, something
that any user of XP is so use to doing to dismiss the many
MS adware popping up all over the place anyway.

Too many years of using windows have made many of the
posters here at ZDNet totally unable to think outside the
windows square!

The point remains the same, if you acknowledge the users
are "stupid" then surely you must design a system to
prevent damage by their action. You seem incapable of
accepting that responsibility!

Posted by: Richard Flude   Posted on: 10/25/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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