Aussies: Get a virus, no Web for you!

[tgell]

How do you deal with an epidemic like the spread of computer malware? Australia thinks it has the answer: Blame the victim.

I’m not entirely joking: A new plan floated by the country’s House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications suggests that Australia should allow ISPs to mandate anti-virus and firewall protection among their customers. If a customer does get a malware infection, the ISP would be allowed to cut off that customer’s connection until the problem was fixed.

Article

[Fly]

It might get worse: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sec...0622-yuf5.html

Who will stop them ?

[chronomatic]

Utter foolishness. I wonder how much lobbying the AV industry is doing in order to get this passed? After all, the AV industry/racket benefits the most.

And what about Mac and Linux users? Will they be forced to install AV software when viruses are virtually unheard of on those platforms? Why should non-Windows users suffer because of the ignorance of most Windows users and because of the inherent insecurity of Windows itself?

[Sully]

Originally Posted by chronomatic

Utter foolishness. I wonder how much lobbying the AV industry is doing in order to get this passed? After all, the AV industry/racket benefits the most.

And what about Mac and Linux users? Will they be forced to install AV software when viruses are virtually unheard of on those platforms? Why should non-Windows users suffer because of the ignorance of most Windows users and because of the inherent insecurity of Windows itself?

Or better yet, why should I pay higher insurance rates for health and auto when I have never had an accident? I think because there are more dodge minivans on the road and are involved in more accidents than any other minivan that we should only charge people with dodge minivans higher premiums. I drive a toyota minivan, which is clearly superior as I have never been in an accident.

Logic makes sense to me

Sul.

[chronomatic]

Originally Posted by Sully

Or better yet, why should I pay higher insurance rates for health and auto when I have never had an accident? I think because there are more dodge minivans on the road and are involved in more accidents than any other minivan that we should only charge people with dodge minivans higher premiums. I drive a toyota minivan, which is clearly superior as I have never been in an accident.

Logic makes sense to me

Sul.

Not a very good analogy at all. A better analogy would be something like:

"I drive a locomotive train on its own set of tracks isolated from the highways and am thus immune from the accidents cars get into. While trains have their own set of safety concerns, they do not suffer from myriad of problems automobiles do."

In the analogy above, it obviously is not fair to make the train engineer pay for the accidents cars get into. Further, it makes no sense for a train to employ airbags and other safety precautions that are mandated by the automotive industry since they are completely pointless on a train (this is analogous to the law that one must install AV software on Mac/Linux).

All that aside, are you saying those not using Windows must be forced to install AV software on their machines when said AV software doesn't scan for anything but Windows viruses in the first place? Do you agree with such a policy?

[Sully]

Originally Posted by chronomatic

Do you agree with such a policy?

Nope.

My mistake, should have been "I am clearly superior" instead of "my minivan is superior". Inferring why should I, even a windows user, be forced to have an AV. I have no viruses. I am a superior driver (user).

More clear?

Sul.

[Eice]

This is utterly stupid. I'd hate to be the guy behind the same router as the buffoons who get themselves infected regularly.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by Eice

This is utterly stupid. I'd hate to be the guy behind the same router as the buffoons who get themselves infected regularly.

I hate being the guy who cleans the infections up, tells them what to do and not to do, only to have them repeat the same mistakes. (dont' click on those, you are NOT a winner ). I suppose the pay is ok, but it is enough to make one drink... more.

Sul.

Originally Posted by chronomatic

I wonder how much lobbying the AV industry is doing in order to get this passed? After all, the AV industry/racket benefits the most.

They'll be the front line campaigners for sure.

Those recommendations include creating a 24-hour “cybercrime helpline,” making the “unauthorized installation of software” illegal, and, most interestingly, allowing consumers to sue companies who release software and hardware with security flaws. Jeez, Microsoft may have to pull out of Australia altogether!

...and Adobe, Oracle, and pretty much all software developers. Hopefully The Aussie HRSCC think this over really carefully before they spearhead a potential calamity.

[Longboard]

Jeez, Microsoft may have to pull out of Australia altogether!
...and Adobe, Oracle, and pretty much all software developers

We're not drowning....just waving.
Reductio ad absurdum.

This will get shelved.
The individual at the head of that commitee is a nutter, and has actually lost her seat at the next election.

AS y'all may know we have just had a change of PM down under.
A woman !!!
Dirty deeds done late at night by factional heavies watching the current Govt implode.
Took one day and "no contest"

The old leadership was charactized by secret policy deliberations: then a release with a blaze of publicity. while trumpeting openness and accountability. Almost every policy initiative of the outgoing PM went up in a bonfire of catastrophic unintended consequences.

We will also likely dump the "internet filter" proposal and saner minds will prevail.

This statement is a comical response to current circumstances and mirrors a desperate need for some idea of centralised Govt control.
Waht a feckin' circus.
A total lack of insight and understanding.

The architect of the "filter" brainsnap: Stephen Conroy, will likely get pushed.

Replacement hopefully: Kate Lundy
Some background:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/24/conroy_out/
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/06/ka...e-really-need/
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/06/wh...-lundy-for-it/

Looking good on paper: might inject some needed proper analysis and intellectual rigor rather than absurdist dogma.
W & W.

Heh: other mysterious forces at work too: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/24/aus_christians/
We might be upside down but we're not all loopy ..... mostly.

PS: none of this will matter when Joe Biden turns off the interweb tubes !!