Sun's Gosling on security threats, development and Microsoft

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sad: Mac OS X Flaws:
http://antivirus.about.com/od/macintoshresource/a/macosxflaws.htm

Mac OS X antivirus programs:
- Norton Antivirus for Macintosh
- Virex
- Sophos Anti-Virus for Macintosh
- Intego Security

November 23, 2004 [Eweek]:
> A highly critical vulnerability in Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java
> plug-in has been discovered by a Finnish security consultant.
> The vulnerability could potentially allow a Web page to turn off
> Java's security feature and execute malicious code
> on a compromised machine.

> The vulnerability affects JRE (Java Runtime Environment)
> Versions 1.4.2_05 and prior, Versions 1.4.1 and 1.4.0, and
> Version 1.3.1_12 and prior, running on Windows, Solaris
> and Linux. [...] Third-party JVMs (Java Virtual Machines), such
> as Microsoft Corp.'s, are not affected.

March 13 [ZDNet]:
> Apple on Tuesday issued a security update for its Mac OS X to
> plug 45 security holes, including several zero-day
> vulnerabilities [...] Several of the flaws could be exploited
> to gain full control over a Mac running the vulnerable
> component, according to Apple's advisory.

March 20 [ZDNet]:
> JG: Part of me finds that rather mysterious given that everyone's
> complaining about things like security, and "you gotta keep your
> antivirus up-to-date." It's like, why are we using a machine that
> needs antivirus software? I don't understand why anyone would
> run Outlook, for example.[...]
> I go back and forth between Solaris and Mac OS X. Systems
> that have real security. They have real reliability. They
> don't break. They pretty much just work.

While I respect Mr. Gosling for his work on Java, he's losing a lot of that respect for two things: "expert" opinions on things he is knowledgable less than an average non-technical user, to put it mildly, and for not having the Internet connection for the last 4 years (the only rational explanation).

It's unforgivable, Mr. Gosling. Even more so because thanks to Web and search engines almost anyone can prove your views to be simplifications (at best) in a matter of seconds.; Posted by: the_fiddler_on_the_roof Posted on: 03/20/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use