Legal penelty for lack of microsoft security

Hey everyone,

Im starting another paper for school and have chosen to write it on microsoft security, well actually the lack of securtiy. I wanted to primarily focus on their continuous release of products with major flaws that are exploited time after time. So Im going to argue that there should be legal penelties for carlessness like this.

So im asking that if anyone has some reliable, credible sources on this topic, or the like, to please post them, I would be very greatful.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

1. Most obvious, the security bulletins on the Microsoft Website?
2. CERT advisories
3. Possibly CIAC and Bugtraq

If you are going to do what you propose, you will need to look up some law stuff as well, like due dilligence, fitness for purpose, and that sort of thing?

I will leave you with one thought:

If you go out and buy a brand new General Motors vehicle and park it on a lot. An accomplished car thief can steal it inside 10 seconds...............who is to blame? General Motors, or the car thief?

Good luck

nihil> If you buy a ford explorer with firestone tires on it and the tire blows, who was to blame? Thats why they have factory recalls :D

But it is almost as easy to break into a building and steal paper records as it is to hack a properly secured computer. So if someone comes in and takes paper records, who gets the blame. Also, no one is forcing you to use microsoft, that is by choice. You don't need to use a computer at all, so I don't think that you could reliably hold microsoft accountable for anything.

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Also, no one is forcing you to use microsoft, that is by choice.

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I agree with most of your post, however... if you purchase a desktop/laptop PC, it comes with a m$ OS.
I can think of only one exception, other than building your own or getting a different hardware setup (mac or sparc, etc).

If you go out and buy a desktop or a laptop at bestbuy or circuit city... do you have the option of NOT getting m$ and instead reducing the price of the laptop and installing linux? No... Same with many of the big manufacturers out there... gateway and dell.

If you try to customize your desktop/laptop online or in the store... they give you various versions of m$... not one single option for linux or any other OS.

You can however, go out and get a Mac, which doesn't have a m$ OS...

You can buy servers without m$, but with PCDOS. For some reason, you can't buy a computer without an OS... and PCDOS is their answer to not selling you m$.. at least with HP servers.

While they aren't forcing me to use it... I have to buy it with the m$ OS. If I never use the m$ OS, can I get a refund? No... Unless I build my own of course...

I just bought a laptop the day before yesterday... and I told them I didn't want m$ installed. They basically told me "too bad". You have to get it and you have to pay for it, whether you are going to use it or not.

What kind of choice is that?

BTW: you can dig up plenty to do with m$'s security...

Here is a new article to get you started.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...ty/mssecbp.asp

How m$ recommends that you run your systems... just like they do!

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Originally posted here by phishphreek80
[B]desktop or a laptop at bestbuy or circuit city... do you have the option of NOT getting m$ and instead reducing the price of the laptop and installing linux? No... Same with many of the big manufacturers out there... gateway and dell.

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You can purchase a dell PC and get it with RedHat on it. http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?...um=True&qmp=10

As for companies selling PCs with microsoft, the big ones do. However most companies also only support MS.. such as ISPs.... This is because it's simpliest for them. However if you don't deal with a big company (best buy, futureshop..etc) and go with a small neighbourhood computer store (there's about 10 within walking distance of my house) their systems all come OS free unless you request an OS.

HTRegz, thanks for the feedback.

I wasn't aware that Dell sold PCs with RH... /me wonders if they charge you for it, or if they are just tested with RH... I'll check.
(so far, looks like they are only TESTED with RH... not actaully sold with it. At least any of the systems I've tried to configure. Maybe you have to contact them directly?)

I'll have to look into a small shop next time... but most of them around me are RIP OFFS!
I've known plenty of people to buy systems at small shops with a 30day LIMITED warranty, and after the first couple days, something breaks and its the "users" fault. Yes... it was the "users" fault... for going there in the first place.

At least with the manufacturers, you can argue them into a replacement. :D

Thank you for all of the responses, I found the comparison between a new car and a computer especially helpful and will probably use it in my paper. Thank you for all the links, and the different opinions on the topic. :)