priit@imke

Today Kakk spoke about viruses, trojans and other bad software around us and how we must live with them and protect against them. Here are questions for discussion and my answers to them:

*  Try to outline the main techniques used in malware from the 80s to today.
    
Modern malware affects emotionally to users, who are addicted in buying and shopping. "I must get it because it’s so cheap or even for free". Using emotional side of humans, we will find some day that our computer is full of installed crap but nothing cheap we still don’t have. Techniques have turned quite nasty.
    
* Some people say it would help to fight malware if MS Windows was open-source. Do you agree? Explain.
    
It might, but disputable - avarage user doesn’t even know, how to update windows (in case automatic update is turned off). There can be tens of updates and fixes per day but dumb-users remains.
    
* Uneducated users are often quoted as one of the main reasons to the malware pest in Windows. Propose some ways to improve the situation.
    
MS has said that new Vista and Office will be simpliest tools ever - anyone can use them, have fun with them and same time having a feeling like beeing best computer-guy in the World. Next people think: "Why should I pay money for learning basic skills how to use internet and MS Office, instead of just using them?". Result will be more uneducated users, who knows maybe expression "virus" but never "seen" one or needed to prevent those either. Time goes by and this uneducated user will go to work where all PC-s are running with Windows 98, for example. And this will be a first time when he/she actually feel that there are more "creatures" inside the internet than we can imagine. But lack of skills, how to defend yourself against these makes user vary vurnable. Some solution are that software companies should prevent malware intruding by working more effectively against these, but I cannot agree with it: users should be able themselves think about this problem and keep the door shut. Has anyone heard, that living in a luxury apartment means automatically no burglars?
    
* Propose some solutions to decrease the malware business (especially commercial worms like Zotob)
    
Online world needs some serius amount of respect and skills, how to live together without disturbing your naighbour and friends. Olso stickers like we do have in Estonia on mailboxes "no ads, please!". Now I have to think, where to put those stickers :]