More articles are surfacing about the flawed nature of Microsoft program architecture and the ramifications of such a software monopoly for computer security. An article at Salon.com discusses the “Microsoft monoculture�. Quoting Dan Geer, a former employee of a Microsoft security firm, the article gives a biology-laden description of Microsoft’s reliance on patch solutions to security faults and the relationship between their market monopoly and growing security concerns.
Slashdot.com published a similar article about Geer, with some interesting links that follow the debate.
More articles are surfacing about the flawed nature of Microsoft program architecture and the ramifications of such a software monopoly for computer security. An article at Salon.com discusses the “Microsoft monoculture�. Quoting Dan Geer, a former employee of a Microsoft security firm, the article gives a biology-laden description of Microsoft’s reliance on patch solutions to security faults and the relationship between their market monopoly and growing security concerns.
Slashdot.com published a similar article about Geer, with some interesting links that follow the debate.
In a related story, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article focused on comparing Apache open-source web server software and Microsoft’s Internet Information Services software. While mostly a technical comparison and market-share analysis, the article does draw attention to cost-cutting solution methods and the vulnerability of ISS. Most interestingly perhaps is the list of which server software is currently being used by some of the largest web sites.
Monoculture. html
There is an article at “Wired” that discusses the Microsoft monoculture. What is interesting about the article is that it also discusses why the monoculture is not easily fixed. Even if you had competition to Microsoft and there were 4 or 5 operating systems you would need many more OS’s than that to obtain the biological diversity that is needed to protect against viruses. The article also argues that computers unlike a biological organism can be removed from the network if sick and rebooted and cleaned up and then returned to the network. This makes the monoculture less significant. Article is at http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,62307,00