ISP Restrictions Based on Hardware/Software?

An anonymous reader writes "IT Architect magazine is reporting that ISPs are working towards a greater restriction of a customer's right to run what may be 'insecure' software. From the article: 'A greater threat is that ISPs may try to restrict the customer's side by denying access to machines based on their hardware or software configuration. [...] former head of cybersecurity, White House terrorism advisor Richard Clarke even said it should be made mandatory to quarantine malware.' Something that may also come as a surprise to some is that Microsoft is completely against this censorship of internet access. 'According to Chief Privacy Officer Peter Cullen, Microsoft is against ISPs doing anything that would restrict customers' choice of software. And he says this isn't just about the impracticability of demanding that data centers patch everything on the second Tuesday of the month. Laptop and home users also have the right to run an insecure PC.'"

Comments

Well...

[Trip Ericson]

I can understand why Microsoft would be against it.

Imagine if people suddenly got booted off and told it was because their computers needed repair, then they'd find out what's wrong (spyware/viruses) and why (holes in Windows), and then some of the more intelligent ones would investigate alternatives like Apple and Linux.

Personally, I'm all for quarantining computers that are spreading spam/worms/problem-of-the-month, so long as these restrictions don't spread to keeping people from using Linux and Apple.

Companies that institue such a policy would also have to be responsive, so that if an account that is kicked off performs the needed repairs, they are quickly given service back. Even better, the users in question should be warned prior to a service shutoff and given x number of days to repair it.

Right to run an insecure PC?

[Caspian]

As Libertarian types are fond of pointing out, "your rights end where my rights begin". By definition, your "rights" cannot involve the unconsented participation of others, nor can your "rights" tread upon mine.

You have every right in the world to run an insecure PC. But as soon as you plug that insecure PC into the Internet and it starts spewing spam and viruses to my computer (and my neighbor's, and my company's, and my ISP's...), you've just crossed a line. You've infringed upon everyone else's right to not pay bandwidth fees for your viruses and spam, and you've also infringed upon everyone else's right to not spend their time dealing with viruses sent out by your zombified Winbox.

Saying that one has the "right" to run an insecure PC on the Internet essentially boils down to saying that one has the "right" to spam and send viruses willy-nilly. Since that, of course, is what insecure PCs end up doing!