RE: The home user problem returns

["Bill Royds" <bill () royds net>]

One of the main problems with MS Operating Systems is that one must run as root
(administrator) to make it useful since a local user can't even use things like
USB ports since they require admin privileges to connect. Supposedly Microsoft
Vista will run as local user by default, but 90% or more of Windows home users
now run with admin privileges.
  Anyone who has ever administered a Unix shop would shiver if all users were
running as root be default. Yet that is what most home users are doing.
Funny enough, Mac OSX does not run as root be default yet people can install
software. 
   If Microsoft simply added a patch to XP SP2 to force a password dialogue when
something was installed or registry changed, we would reduce the virus threat
considerably.

-----Original Message-----
From: firewall-wizards-admin () honor icsalabs com
[mailto:firewall-wizards-admin () honor icsalabs com] On Behalf Of Jim Seymour
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 8:51 PM
To: firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com
Subject: Re: [fw-wiz] The home user problem returns

Mason Schmitt <mason () schmitt ca> wrote:
>
[snip]
> I don't think people should have to know much about computer security,
> "security apps" like anti-virus, firewalls, etc.  I think that computers
> should be ubiquitous, non intrusive and largely trustworthy.  The
> problem is that this is so far from current reality as to be easily
> confused with fantasy.  
[snip]

As long a companies like Microsoft continue to sell a general purpose
operating system to the public, much of it poorly thought-out and/or
poorly designed and/or poorly coded, complete with applications that
are "designed" with a fine disregard for what those of us with more
sense regard as "security boundaries," representing it all as an easy,
user-friendly, maintenance-free "experience," this will not change.

Jim

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