Re: A question for the group

From: Frithiof Andreas Jensen (frithiof.jensen_at_die_spammer_die.ericsson.com)
Date: 09/09/04 

Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 12:05:51 +0200

"Michael A. Covington" <look@ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
news:413faed2$1@mustang.speedfactory.net...

> It is fashionable to insult Windows, but can you tell me what's wrong with
> it?

A couple of things:

1) That the security system relies on the desktop: Once through the desktop,
the system is 0wned - like when userlevel app. hooking the WM_TIMER callback
which just happens to run at system priority. Same with Users - the
separation of users is really on the Desktop level; fine for keeping the
kids off the smutt collection for a while, but ...

2) It does not distinguish cleanly between OS and Applications; Many
applications will - and are permitted to - dump private DLL's and other crud
directly into the System Dircetories - often overwriting existing files in
the process - the VSCRTxx.DLL (visual C++ runtime) seems to get replaced a
lot ;-); And *everybody* and his dog fiddles with the same, global - no
less, Registry.

3) It does not have a built-in Install procedure and a corresponding
Uninstall, instead relying on the application to provide this; well, if the
application is crap and you want to uninstall guess what - the uninstall
will be crap too!

4) It does not distinguish between Microsoft Applications and Microsoft OS -
every bit of code that subsumes itself into the "kernel" make the target
that much bigger.

The deficiencies in Windows comes from two sources:

The demand for ease-of-use and the requirement that Windows must be the
something-for-everyone computing platform. If Windows was made to be really
secure, it is likely that one would loose the properties that make it
popular, mainly that it is easy to use for everyone and it runs most stuff
adequately.

SO -

If you want a secure games box, you should *really* buy a PS2!

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