Re: Cobol data protection? Get a dog...

From: RKRayhawk (rkrayhawk_at_aol.com)
Date: 10/08/03 

Date: 08 Oct 2003 03:47:24 GMT

"Peter E.C. Dashwood" dashwood@enternet.co.nz
Date: 10/7/03 7:27 PM EST
Message-id: <3f835b32$1_7@news.athenanews.com>

Made valued comments, concluding with ...

<<

It would be foolish to abandon the network because it is perceived to be
"insecure". The fact is, it can be as secure as you are prepared to make it.

>>

You are right.

The problem is the generalization of these impressive system features. When we
turn on the capability for the good guys we turn it on for the bad guys.

In a small way you are dancing very near the area that I call arrogant. Kind of
a dangerous word to use, I know, especially when there are such generous
contributors such as your self that might sense that expression wrong.

I am calling to task everyone who is anyone technically. It really is not
personal.

The idea that the fix for people who have had damage to their system is to let
them have a system administrator, is exactly analogous to let them have cake.
We need to wake up.

I have interacted as a consultant, looking for an opportunity in Atlanta, with
a non-white placement firm. They were not able to retrieve my resume on the day
of the call back because there system was down. A virus was making it crash as
soon as it booted. Those fighting their way into the economy from the least
advantaged position are the ones least able to combat the incompetence of
remote control system destruction. They are the least able to afford another
expensive employee, the system administrator. And it is harsh to describe them
as unprepared, they are doing everything they can to be prepared. Such groups
are the ones who would benefit most from computer technology, the efficiencies
give them a fighting chance.

I have interacted with female self employed placement professionals from
Columbia, South Carolina to Los Angeles, California, who have spent useless
time trying to reinstall productivity suites and operating systems. Folks in
this category are generally less financed by banks, less favored by consumers
of the placement services, and in fact disadvataged because they are not
associated with a large establishment that can afford to pay someone to set
permissions, review CERT warnings and to apply patches. The exact people that
information technology should help the most as a playing field leveler are the
most harmed by the data processing industry's refusal to achnowledge a serious
problem. These people do no agree to relinquish control of their assets when
they buy computers or software or ISP sevices. They have not agreed to lose
control.

I am interested in continuing my education at Berkeley by taking a Java course
online. I noticed that a day or two into the semester, all Berkeley.edu sites I
needed were not up. There were reports that day that major university were
finding a sudden surge of viruses as students returned to school and commenced
using campus systems for email (I am not clear on how extensive or how long the
shut down lasted). This is a big problem. It is a real problem. And it is
fundamental.

The handing of a reference to an internal executable capability to an active
mechanism that came from outside of the business computer is not wise.

The arrogance is not coming from excellent technicians such as yourself who
would use these capabilities. The arrogance comes from a number of people in
much more important positions. The designer of the foundation software that
installs with active capabilities by default is responsible. The purveyor of
OSes and productivity suites that by default allow the external control.

I do not think that we should abandon the network. However, I will stick with
my basic view,
which is we have not thought through the idea of
remotely activated controls. The entire first generation must be considered a
failure. It is causing palpable damage, and eroding confidence in the
technology and the people who deliver it.

I believe that OSes, productivity suites, _and_ the hardware that delivered
them, should be subject to recall if they are bring forth loss of control of
the business's assets. No one is agreeing to the loss of control. There is a
fundamental problem here.

It is exactly here, where the fun technology moves away from the toasters and
in the direction of the serious corporate assets that the tripwire must spark.

We have a need for technicians that better understand references, and a need
for professionals that understand peoples lives
are impacted when the net delivers active damage. Those people count and they
do not
want cake. They want reliable system that they
can trust.

We have all been arrogant, and there is clear evidence that the time for change
has arrived.
We need to bring this back home and rethink it.

Best Wishes
Bob Rayhawk
RKRayhawk@aol.com

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