North American Network Operators Group
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Re: botnets: web servers, end-systems and Vint Cerf

  • From: Niels Bakker
  • Date: Fri Feb 16 13:40:56 2007

Therefore, I assert that securing systems adequately for use on the Internet is indeed a SOLVED PROBLEM in computing.
A HUNDRED MILLION machines beg to differ.

* [email protected] [Fri 16 Feb 2007, 18:27 CET]:
You misunderstand. The problem of securing machines *IS* solved. It is possible. It is regularly done with servers connected to the Internet.

Given that even NASA has issues writing correct programs I would call it far from "solved" for any reasonable definition of the word, even in hyper-correct environments such as programming spacecraft where time and budget constraints are secondary to safety (security).

Or did you forget to mention that your secured machine is powered off?


There is no *COMPUTING* problem or technical problem.

Denying that there is a technical problem with a hundred million machines out there not under full control of its owners is delusional.


The problem of the 100 million machines is a social or business problem.
We know how they can be secured, but the solution is not being implemented.

Clearly the solution you have in your mind isn't obvious to us out here in the real world, nor simple, as we haven't figured it out yet.


-- Niels.