First, Lock Your Door
Even Adam Smith, the great free-market economist, could be suspicious of business. So when you hear business people talking about business-government “partnerships,” feel free to raise an eyebrow. Are they trying to fleece their customers the best way they know through government?
That’s what came to mind when Steve Ballmer of Microsoft recently declared that computer security is “bigger than any single company” and requires a “joint effort” with strong government action to meet the crisis. To some extent he’s right. Just as in home security we need police to nab burglars and robbers and vandals, and swiftly prosecute them, so too must the government learn how to deal with software criminals. But when Ballmer tells Apple and IBM and Cisco Systems to get on board, he’s sweeping under the rug an important truth: the biggest computer security problems are all associated with Microsoft’s programs.
Yes, Linux systems are under attack every day, just as Ballmer says, but the most successful hacks are into Windows systems. The plague of viruses out there target almost single-mindedly Microsoft’s technology. And, programmers tell me, Ballmer’s spin won’t fly: it’s not that Microsoft’s the biggest target; it’s the easiest target. Microsoft sells houses with locks, but leaves the keys scattered on the lawn. Some security. So Ballmer’s call for a joint effort sounds an awful lot like a company trying to get others to shoulder its own burden, pay for its mistakes. Be as wary of this effort as you would an email with an unknown attachment.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
