Counseling not to use Windows (was Re: Ano

[full-disclosure () lists netsys com (David F. Skoll)]

On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, Chris L. Mason wrote:

> However, there's no point in saying "I told you so" either.  So, while
> it's unfortunate that these products are still so widely used, it not too
> late.  Companies can still make the necessary decisions and more forward
> to ensure a more secure and productive environment.

Amen.

> My post was intended as a simple reminder that even if you've been banging
> your head against the wall for years, it's never too late to stop.  :)

Right.  And that is why I think security professionals *must* advise clients
to make long-term plans to wean themselves from proven-insecure products.
While security is a process, not a product, the flip side is that
insecurity can indeed result from a specific product.  The use of insecure
products can upset even the most careful security process.

So, security professionals who don't mind getting dirty should, by all
means, help their clients patch up their Windows networks.  (I happen
to mind getting dirty, so I decline that work.)  But all security
professionals should help their clients maintain perspective, and
realize that fighting with Windows is not a long-term viable solution.

(And those same professionals, by the way, should be critical of
developments in the Linux world like GNOME's installer:
"lynx -source url | sh".  This is just as bad as the worst Windows design.)

--
David.