[61141] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Microsoft distributes free CDs in Japan to patch Windows
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Roland Perry)
Mon Aug 25 10:11:46 2003
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 10:08:58 -0400
To: nanog@merit.edu
From: Roland Perry <nanog@internetpolicyagency.com>
In-Reply-To: <3F4A10AF.7080903@brightok.net>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
In article <3F4A10AF.7080903@brightok.net>, Jack Bates
<jbates@brightok.net> writes
>Which is why Microsoft should issue a software equivelant of a recall. Systems
>shouldn't be sold vulnerable without at least a patch CD.
Perhaps Windows could be delivered complete with a package whose
function was to firewall off everything except the update site (or maybe
employ some kind of VPN), and deny a more general Internet connection,
until sufficient updates had been downloaded?
The next step would be to find a secure way for Microsoft to turn that
firewall back on again remotely, if a sufficiently serious update was
required. (This could case havoc is misused, so some care would needed!)
Meanwhile, in the UK it's commonplace to buy monthly computer titles
with a CD (of useful shareware and demos) mounted on the cover. If these
don't already include the most recent Microsoft patches, perhaps they
should.
--
Roland Perry
