RE: @Stake CTO fired for Microsoft comments

["Claussen, Ken" <Ken () kccweb com>]

Mr. Ferris Wrote:
"The real irony to this is that the technology Microsoft condemns as
being un-American, gets developed here and then adopted abroad."
<snip>
"we can blame ourselves and our great "capitalist nation" that
utimately discouraged entrepeneurship and innovation by practicing
fascism,
corruption, and a virulent brand of savage, monopolistic capitalism."

I thought this was a list of security professionals, not purveyors of
FUD. I agree with Paul's comments, security is more about diversity and
defense in depth than big words with little true meaning (referring to
above statements). Snort can run on Windows as well as Linux, if
Microsoft was not truly the fascist you claim (Ryan) would they not have
found a way to keep Open Source software from working on the Windows
Operating system? And the cracks on Windows security have little to do
with the Operating system itself (there have been numerous Root level
compromises of other operating system) and more to do with the skill of
the administrator. How many Windows Servers have you worked with in a
security context? I can say none of my servers (personal or work) have
ever been compromised, and I have worked with hundreds. Let's tone down
the rhetoric and get back to discussing security. I have seen people
fired for much less than outright bashing of the operating system your
company is contracted to audit. I prefer the Pix for firewalling due to
the OS being integrated into the security code. A general purpose OS is
always more likely to develop security vulnerabilities than a purpose
built operating system. Instead of writing a report (which I have not
read) criticizing Windows, would it not have been more productive to
write a report describing methods which can be used to properly secure
the OS in a language the average home computer user could understand?
Let's face it most of the backlash from these worms is caused by home
users who are not the technology zealots that frequent lists such as
this. A Security Guide for Dummies would make more sense than senseless
criticality and outright slander.  Isn't it ironic that so many Open
Source proponents are so close minded? I actually use a combination of
Open Source and commercial software everyday. 
Ken 

PS If you are going to make statements such as the ones quoted above, at
least provides refrences to support your argument, otherwise I think you
should adopt Paul's .Sig (no disrespect intended Paul, I always thought
it was amusing myself).

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan M. Ferris [mailto:rferris () rmfdevelopment com] 
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 11:39 AM
To: Gwendolynn ferch Elydyr; firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com
Subject: Re: [fw-wiz] @Stake CTO fired for Microsoft comments

Gwendolyn:

Last year DARPA cancelled a contract with OpenBSD researchers in
Pennsylvania, after Theo deRaadt made a comment like:
"I try to convince myself that the DARPA grant is saving the cost of
half a
cruise missile."

If you use fascist logic to fire CEOs for telling the truth and deny
funding
to the study of other more secure OS because of political commentary,
you
will end up with the mixed results of a fascist technology.  In this
case,
our country will continue to have weak network security due to a fascist
agenda, leaving us vulnerable to other countries who have no such
monopolies
or politics to prevent them from choosing security vendors in an
unbiased
fashion. If we let Microsoft have it's way, open source software like
Snort
and BSD would be labelled "un-American". ( A highly ironic label given
the
academic start BSD has at a public university....)

This logic extends well beyond network security.  The space shuttle was
used
extensively during Gulf War I.  For reasons that are not clear, we do
not
have that technology in place for Gulf War II.  The real irony to this
is
that the technology Microsoft condemns as being un-American, gets
developed
here and then adopted abroad. Have you heard the rumour of the
complaints by
the administration about the DPRK using Linux clusters to develop
nuclear
weapons?

When we wake up 15 years from now and find Russian, Chinese, and Indian
technology dominating network security  and other technologies across
the
world, we can blame ourselves and our great "capitalist nation" that
utimately discouraged entrepeneurship and innovation by practicing
fascism,
corruption, and a virulent brand of savage, monopolistic capitalism.

Ryan M. Ferris
rferris () rmfdevelopment com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gwendolynn ferch Elydyr" <gwen () reptiles org>
To: <firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com>
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 7:40 PM
Subject: [fw-wiz] @Stake CTO fired for Microsoft comments


> For anybody that hasn't caught up with this yet:
>
> http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2003/09/25/rtr1092228.html
>
> @tStake CTO loses job after Microsoft report
> Reuters, 09.25.03, 6:46 PM ET
>
> SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The chief technology officer of
> computer security firm AtStake, which consults for Microsoft Corp.
> (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people), has been fired after taking part in
> writing a report criticizing Windows as posing a national
cybersecurity
> risk, an associate said on Thursday
>
> cheers!
========================================================================
==
> "A cat spends her life conflicted between a deep, passionate and
profound
> desire for fish and an equally deep, passionate and profound desire to
> avoid getting wet.  This is the defining metaphor of my life right
now."
> _______________________________________________
> firewall-wizards mailing list
> firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com
> http://honor.icsalabs.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards

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