Aardvark Daily

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Your PC, "owned" by Microsoft?

Attacks on your computer can come from almost anywhere and are becoming increasingly common in a world where malware lurks around every corner.

Trojans on government websites, rootkits installed by previously trustworthy multi-national corporates, worms and viruses that arrive by way of spam -- the list is virtually endless.

But there's one company we can trust 100% not to try and interfere with our computer without our permission right?

I'm talking about Microsoft of course.

They would never dare take advantage of their exclusive position as supplier of the world's most popular operating system to make unauthorised changes to your PC -- would they?

Well apparently they would -- and they do.

According to this story, Microsoft is doing some "covert" file replacements and updates on Windows systems -- even if the machine has supposedly been configured not to perform such updates.

No doubt lots of folks are saying "so what, who cares?" -- but perhaps they don't realise the importance that these little covert "tweaks" can have.

Lots of folks using their PCs for "critical" applications need absolute assurance that nothing in the OS is going to change from day to day. Once they've certified the system to work, they don't want unexpected surprises popping up because a file has been updated or replaced without permission or even notification.

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Almost overnight, a huge percentage of the world's computers could be compromised -- without their owners knowledge and despite (in fact because) being regularly updated online.

Then there's the whole issue of trust.

In a world where the globe's superpower has become somewhat paranoid about its security and has appointed itself the planet's "supercop" -- do we really think for one minute that they wouldn't demand Microsoft provide them with the ability to access, interrogate and spy on any Windows PC on the planet?

Remember that in the USA, there's already legislation enacted that allows authorities to collect information on individuals deemed to be suspected of terror activities. That they can collect such information is one thing, the fact that nobody seconded to help in that task can tell anyone else that they did so is something altogether another.

If Microsoft were recruited by US authorities to bug your PC or scan your hard drive and monitor your communications -- Microsoft (and the relevant employees) would likely suffer huge penalties if they disclosed this fact.

So, given that it's been proven MS has (and is willing to use) a back-door into your PC, how on earth can we be sure that this isn't being used for whatever purpose suits those who have access to such a system?

It strikes me that if ever there was a real argument for Open Source software, this just has to be it.

We all know that power and abuse of power go hand in hand -- and the chances of the later are almost directly proportional to the level of the former.

Should we be worried that Bill (or the US security services) might be poking around in the bowels of our PCs without our knowledge or permission?

Even worse -- why are we worried about the Chinese poking around on a few government-run webservers when it seems that the US Government (a friend but not an ally), through Microsoft, can covertly access just about anything they want on any NZ Government PC at any time?

Is the only way to veto this kind of power to vote with our wallets and move to Linux, FreeBSD or whatever?

By the way Microsoft -- Aardvark is still looking for a sponsor, just trawl through my mail folder and you'll get an idea of what it'll cost. (I wasn't giving you permission to do so).

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