🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <9764ua$d8f$1@news.panix.com>, snorwood@redballoon.net (Scott 
Norwood) writes...
> 
> In article <1orc9t0dblf72e35c9vvjj562kfff17vmm@can.gov>,
> Joe King  <cluelessnewbie*@home.com> wrote:
> >
> >It might also force some of the broadband cable operators to take a
> >more pro-active approach to securing and protecting their subscribers
> >with a secure and monitored infrastructure.
> 
> Which would be a bad thing, IMHO.  I can understand providers who
> scan for open mail relays and other such things which compromise
> the entire network (by threatening to have the entire netblock
> added to one of the blackhole anti-spam lists), but stuff like
> NetBIOS security is not the responsiblity of the ISP.  Security is
> a user responsibility, and the ISP really should not get involved
> by doing things like port-blocking and the like.  Providing
> information about how to turn off Windows File Sharing and such
> would be a good thing for a responsible ISP to do, but anything
> beyond that is too much.


I tend to agree.  Personally while I'm not enamored of people
clearly scanning for exploitable hosts, neither am I enamored
of ISPs who start micro-managing the activities of their
customers.  I don't want to encourage that precedent.

ISPs IMHO should educate their customers about the risks, 
and they should have information easily available for their
customers to make sure their machines are secure.

If they want to provide other security services (scanning for 
email viruses, blocking trojan ports) I have the same attitude 
I have with "spam blocking": the customer should be aware and 
in control.  Don't need Big Brother "taking care of me" unless
I want to be taken care of.

By the same token, people that do silly things to make themselves 
vulnerable are not without blame.  Sure the OS has something to 
do with it - but no one is forcing them to go get a broadband 
connection to leave on 24x7 without knowing the implications.

Here are my minimum expectations:

1) The OS vendor should design the OS to be reasonably 
   secure by default.

2) The OS vendor should provide warnings whenever
   enabling potentially dangerous services.  If you 
   turn on file-and-printer sharing and there is 
   evidence you have an internet connection (or even 
   if not), a window should popup that says "Warning: 
   activating this feature when connected to a public 
   network like the Internet may provide access to this
   PC to unwanted users and may represent a potential 
   security risk. Continue?"  (how friggin difficult 
   can that be?)

3) The ISPs should educate users as mentioned above
   and provide resources such as testing links to help
   ensure customer systems are secure.



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