[Am-info] Open source poses security risks

[John J. Urbaniak]

Joe Moore wrote:

> On Tue, Jun 04, 2002 at 03:56:53PM -0400, Fred A. Miller wrote:
> > Morons!!!!!!!!! Gates and Ballmer HAD to have paid for this one!!
> >
> > Fred
> >
> > "Computer systems are the backbone to U.S. national security," said
> > ADTI Chairman Gregory Fossedal. "Before the Pentagon and other
> > federal agencies make uninformed decisions to alter the very
> > foundation of computer security, they should study the potential
> > consequences carefully."
> >
> > <http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2868851,00.html>
>
> Isn't it wonderful how "a conservative U.S. thinktank" can tell everyone
> what their upcoming report will say, without actually releasing the report?
>
> And it gets covered by ZDNet?
>
> This is FUD.  Pure and simple.  It's vaporware from the benchmarketing
> department.  Since this "journalism" has no facts in it, there is no
> way to respond.  Since this "thinktank" has not published its paper, there's
> no way to refute its outlandish claims.
>

Oh, I'd be willing to give high odds that a team of Microsoft "R & D experts" are
feverishly working right now on a series of Linux viruses, worms and hacking tools.

And when they're finished, I'd be willing to give high odds that Ziff-Davis (maybe
even Mary Jo Foley) will blast the networks with screaming headlines "Catastrophic
Linux Virus Discovered," or "Newly Discovered Virus Dooms Linux."

John