Gartner: Prepare for consumer-led IT
,----[ Quote ]
| Gartner analysts predict there will be a large-scale shift in
| technology influence toward consumers and away from central corporate IT
| departments.
|
| [...]
|
| "We stand at the foot of a new high tide," Sondergaard said. "There is
| a shift in technology ownership."
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6124009.html
DRM prospects (or lack thereof) make one doubt it, but there we go....
,----[ Quote ]
| Internet security: It recently came out that the firewall in Microsoft
| Vista will ship with half its protections turned off. Microsoft claims
| that large enterprise users demanded this default configuration, but
| that makes no sense. It's far more likely that Microsoft just doesn't
| want adware -- and DRM spyware -- blocked by default.
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/who_owns_your_c.html
Also from the blog:
,----[ Quote ]
| "...There's a battle raging on your computer right now -- one that pits
| you against worms and viruses, Trojans, spyware, automatic update
| features and digital rights management technologies. It's the battle to
| determine who owns your computer.
|
| "You own your computer, of course. You bought it. You paid for it. But
| how much control do you really have over what happens on your machine?
| Technically you might have bought the hardware and software, but you
| have less control over what it's doing behind the scenes...
|
| "It used to be that only malicious hackers were trying to own your
| computers. Whether through worms, viruses, Trojans or other means, they
| would try to install some kind of remote-control program onto your
| system. Then they'd use your computers to sniff passwords, make
| fraudulent bank transactions, send spam, initiate phishing attacks and
| so on. Estimates are that somewhere between hundreds of thousands and
| millions of computers are members of remotely controlled "bot"
| networks. Owned.
|
| "Now, things are not so simple. There are all sorts of interests vying
| for control of your computer. There are media companies that want to
| control what you can do with the music and videos they sell you. There
| are companies that use software as a conduit to collect marketing
| information, deliver advertising or do whatever it is their real owners
| require. And there are software companies that are trying to make money
| by pleasing not only their customers, but other companies they ally
| themselves with. All these companies want to own your computer.
|
| "Some examples:
|
| * Entertainment software: In October 2005, it emerged that Sony had
| distributed a rootkit with several music CDs -- the same kind of
| software that crackers use to own people's computers. This rootkit
| secretly installed itself when the music CD was played on a computer.
| Its purpose was to prevent people from doing things with the music that
| Sony didn't approve of: It was a DRM system. If the exact same piece of
| software had been installed secretly by a hacker, this would have been
| an illegal act. But Sony believed that it had legitimate reasons for
| wanting to own its customers' machines.
|
| * Antivirus: You might have expected your antivirus software to
| detect Sony's rootkit. After all, that's why you bought it. But
| initially, the security programs sold by Symantec and others did not
| detect it, because Sony had asked them not to. You might have thought
| that the software you bought was working for you, but you would have
| been wrong.
|
| * Internet services: Hotmail allows you to blacklist certain e-mail
| addresses, so that mail from them automatically goes into your spam
| trap. Have you ever tried blocking all that incessant marketing e-mail
| from Microsoft? You can't.
|
| * Application software: Internet Explorer users might have expected
| the program to incorporate easy-to-use cookie handling and pop-up
| blockers. After all, other browsers do, and users have found them
| useful in defending against Internet annoyances. But Microsoft isn't
| just selling software to you; it sells Internet advertising as well. It
| isn't in the company's best interest to offer users features that would
| adversely affect its business partners.
|
| * Spyware: Spyware is nothing but someone else trying to own your
| computer. These programs eavesdrop on your behavior and report back to
| their real owners -- sometimes without your knowledge or consent --
| about your behavior.
|
| * Internet security: It recently came out that the firewall in
| Microsoft Vista will ship with half its protections turned off.
| Microsoft claims that large enterprise users demanded this default
| configuration, but that makes no sense. It's far more likely that
| Microsoft just doesn't want adware -- and DRM spyware -- blocked by
| default.
|
| * Update: Automatic update features are another way software
| companies try to own your computer. While they can be useful for
| improving security, they also require you to trust your software vendor
| not to disable your computer for nonpayment, breach of contract or
| other presumed infractions.
|
| "You can fight back against this trend by only using software that
| respects your boundaries. Boycott companies that don't honestly serve
| their customers, that don't disclose their alliances, that treat users
| like marketing assets. Use open-source software -- software created and
| owned by users, with no hidden agendas, no secret alliances and no
| back-room marketing deals."
`----
|
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