No mutiny from Microsoft's bounty

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Vapourware $billion V actually fixing insecure Windows

Let's just remind outrselves of one important fact. Microsoft (and their army of astroturfers here on ZDnet) spent the entirety of the anti-trust trial asserting that IE was not a stand alone browser, it was a component of the Windows Operating system. It could not be removed without breaking Windows OS. This is what was argues. Heck, Microsoft were even caught falsifying evidence to the court, in an attempt to prove this point. So what do we have now? We have "Windows", which is ostensibly an Operating System, but which is in fact a hybrid monstrousity of low-level functionality and Microsoft proprietary applications embedded and folded into it. Sure, this helps Microsoft to snuff out 3rd party software innovations, 3rd parties are forever writing for a moving playing field.

There are currently 24 un-patched vulnerabilities in IE, you can find them (and some exploits to demonstrate) here

http://www.safecenter.net/UMBRELLAWEBV4/ie_unpatched/

Every single one of those "IE" un-patched vulnerability is actually a Windows un-patched vulnerability. You cannot remove IE from WIndows, remember? So "IE" only web sites are "Windows only websites" web sites (that's why Microsft are anxious to enforce Microsoft "standards" for browsers, it'll lock out all non-Microsofyt platforms) and Windows is only as unsecurable as IE and all the other Microsoft sepcific worm holes they have embedded (ActiveX etc).

So offering a vapourware ?1 billion reward is simply a PR exercise, since if Microsoft cared about security to the tune of ?1 billin they would re-work their un-patched, flawed, virus prone IE browser. But of course there's no need to do that, every user has to "I Accept" the MS EULA which absolves Microsoft of any and all responsibility for the shoddy crud you paid good money for.

Posted by: whisperycat   Posted on: 11/08/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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