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Old 24th May 2006, 21:17
  #11 (permalink)  
Saab Dastard
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Twickenham, home of rugby
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Welcome to the 21st century! Top marks for romance, nul points for reality.

Like everything that needs to be learnt - driving a car, flying an aeroplane etc. - you have to put in some effort to get from "I'll never be able to do this" to "what was all the fuss about"?

Computers ain't no different - doesn't matter whether it's a PC, a MAC, a Linux box, a UNIX box, a mainframe. The principles remain the same, the requirements are the same, the challenges are the same.

There were hackers and phreakers long before the PC and windows. If you want the benefits of accessing the global internet, you have to live with the problems - and if that means getting your head around security, then so be it.

If you want the convenience of driving, you've got to commit to learning how, getting your licence, paying insurance, paying for maintenance. Or hire a chauffeur.

I forecast a couple of years ago that it would not be long before private individuals would have to take out liability insurance of some kind to protect themselves from litigation when their unprotected PC was used as a zombie in an attack on some corporate sytem.

Already I have seen the first cases of individuals being held accountable for the use their PCs were put to - and ignorance was not considered a defense.

To operate a computer connected to the internet will soon require a license showing some degree of computer competence - the insurers are going to want some way of mitigating their risk, just like with drivers.

The point is fast approaching when the developed world becomes so reliant on the internet for communications, commerce, banking, etc. etc. that it would be simply catastrophic to have significant outage or attacks - what a target for terrorists and criminals. Every weak link is a potential target. That's you, that is!

SD
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