Microsoft's security chief suggests internet usage tax to clean computers

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

How will we ever get a leg up on hackers who are infecting computers worldwide? Microsoft's security chief laid out several suggestions today, including a possible Internet usage tax to pay for the inspection and quarantine of machines.

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"I actually think the health care model ... might be an interesting way to think about the problem," Charney said. With diseases, there are education programs, but there are also social programs to check people for disease and quarantine the sick.

This model could work to fight computer viruses, too, he said. When a computer user allows malware to run on his computer, "you're not just accepting it for yourself, you're contaminating everyone around you," he said.

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So who would foot the bill? "Maybe markets will make it work," Charney said. But an Internet usage tax might be the way to go. "You could say it's a public safety issue and do it with general taxation," he said.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/916...clean_computers

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Would anyone agree with me that much of the damage by hackers/worms/viruses is due to human mistakes. People install stuff they shouldn't, take phishing bait, use weak passwords, don't shred stuff.... etc.

Any thoughts?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Not necessarily.

Worms can be called to initiate if you open an attached file. Without realizing that the worm is attached. Worms will lead to vulnerability to hackers. And, hackers can stealthly setup a virus on your machine. Or, he can have the worm send a program to him/her which signals for a batch file to return a whole load of viruses back to the breached machine.

Or, if there's a DNS that has been hijacked to redirect traffic to a fake DNS which points your computer to a hacker is also a big problem unrelated to the user.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Niels Bohr

[Nagishkaw 510]

Would anyone agree with me that much of the damage by hackers/worms/viruses is due to human mistakes. People install stuff they shouldn't, take phishing bait, use weak passwords, don't shred stuff.... etc.

Any thoughts?

Yes, I agree with you.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Would anyone agree with me that much of the damage by hackers/worms/viruses is due to human mistakes. People install stuff they shouldn't, take phishing bait, use weak passwords, don't shred stuff.... etc.

Any thoughts?

Often, not always.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

We need more taxes.