We keep hearing about new Worms, Trojans ans Virus’ spreading across the net. It has become a constant news squib. So common the news departments have an almost stock blurb, just changing the names and dates.

I have to say first and foremost, the software developers have to do a better job. I won’t add my opinion of those who engage in the practice of cyber-vandalism. I imagine we all feel the same about them.

But in his article <a href=”http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15200416">here, Fred Langa makes a point I simply have to agree with wholeheartedly. He knocks M-soft's development process soundly, as he should. He also knocks those who simply will not be bother to keep their systems up-to-date.

A quotes.

And it's not that these problems are impossible to fix: In fact, they're fixed regularly, after the fact, in Windows Update items. If they can be patched after the fact, why can't they be found and fixed before the code goes out the door? Clearly, there are very real problems with the way Microsoft builds and tests software. But I disagree with those who say it's *all* Microsoft's fault because there also are factors involving human nature and market forces--which is to say, involving you and me-- that factor into the equation.
For example, the recent "Blaster" worm infected tens of millions of PCs, but Microsoft had already released a patch for the security hole that Blaster exploited. Because many millions of users ignored the patch, Blaster ran wild.
And it wasn't just the patch: ALL those infected PCs were running without ANY of the most basic security measures--- the OSes weren't properly patched, didn't have a decent desktop firewall, and were running without a good antivirus tool. Any one of those three precautions would have stopped the Blaster worm in its tracks, but clearly, huge numbers of users still are running their PCs wide open and unprotected.
To me, running an unpatched, unprotected PC is a form of negligence analogous to driving a car with bad brakes or broken headlights: You're going to get yourself into trouble, and also make things worse for everyone around you. Just as drivers who share the road must also share responsibility for safety, we all now share the same global network, and thus must regard computer security as a necessary social responsibility. To me, anyone unwilling to take simple security precautions is a major, active part of the problem that transcends whatever brand of operating system happens to be in use.

It isn’t just the guy who bought his computer in a box at Wally-World unpacked it and plugged it. It is Corporate IT managers, Internet Service Providers and Network Admins who do not install patches and security tool updates. I’ve noticed a number of severe attacks lately have exploited software flaws for which patches and updates had been issued for quite some time!

If you haven't subscribed to Fred Langa's newsletter you should do so. It's worth the time to read it twice a week.