Certainly there will be an increase in attempts to break the security of linux when it becomes the popular solution for users. However, it is these attempts that will be published and patched *as they are found*. Not as they are forced to be patched because of reputation loss. Also, linux is not just plain vanilla linux. One of the great features of linux is the ability to choose just how secure your OS is. Take grsecurity and selinux for example. If security is needed, there are a variety of different security models to choose from. This is one of the most important features that Windows lacks. No matter what firewall you install in Windows, you are still running on an inherently insecure architecture.
security as we know it no longer exists?
How many people do you know that are too scared to purchase anything online because they're afraid that some crazy cracker will intercept vital financial information? I know quite a few. We have to keep in mind that a relatively small portion of the overall population will actually see the benefit of this technology; and even fewer will trust it.
Things that should be considered:
security of personal computers
security of bank account
additional power consumption from computer being left on
cost to companies that use the technology
cost, if any, for a persons' file backups
value of the differences in speed/storage of individuals' computers
First of all, can the encryption be cracked? with massive distributed computing available your computers cpu cycles may very well be used to crack your own personal encryption scheme that was used to back up your files securely. What kind of bank account access will be given to allow pennies to trickle in? Without proper supervision, how would you know that the pennies trickling out are really legitimately earned? I beleive that there was a case not too many years ago where a programmer created 'bugs' in a banks software that allowed money to trickle into his own bank account unsolicited. Also, can the companies using your pc really pay enough to compensate for the additional power consumption costs of leaving your computer on more frequently? Wouldn't people be more inclined to leave their computers on more often so as to allow more pennies to trickle in? And last of all, how would the value of individuals' computers be judged? Would it truly be fair to allow someone with a Pentium 233MHz and a 3 Gig hard drive to get payed the same rate as someone with an Athlon XP 1900+ and 80 Gig hard drive? I think that it's a cool idea, but too difficult to implement any time soon, if ever.
Slashdot Mirror
Certainly there will be an increase in attempts to break the security of linux when it becomes the popular solution for users. However, it is these attempts that will be published and patched *as they are found*. Not as they are forced to be patched because of reputation loss. Also, linux is not just plain vanilla linux. One of the great features of linux is the ability to choose just how secure your OS is. Take grsecurity and selinux for example. If security is needed, there are a variety of different security models to choose from. This is one of the most important features that Windows lacks. No matter what firewall you install in Windows, you are still running on an inherently insecure architecture.
How many people do you know that are too scared to purchase anything online because they're afraid that some crazy cracker will intercept vital financial information? I know quite a few. We have to keep in mind that a relatively small portion of the overall population will actually see the benefit of this technology; and even fewer will trust it.
Things that should be considered:
- security of personal computers
- security of bank account
- additional power consumption from computer being left on
- cost to companies that use the technology
- cost, if any, for a persons' file backups
- value of the differences in speed/storage of individuals' computers
First of all, can the encryption be cracked? with massive distributed computing available your computers cpu cycles may very well be used to crack your own personal encryption scheme that was used to back up your files securely. What kind of bank account access will be given to allow pennies to trickle in? Without proper supervision, how would you know that the pennies trickling out are really legitimately earned? I beleive that there was a case not too many years ago where a programmer created 'bugs' in a banks software that allowed money to trickle into his own bank account unsolicited. Also, can the companies using your pc really pay enough to compensate for the additional power consumption costs of leaving your computer on more frequently? Wouldn't people be more inclined to leave their computers on more often so as to allow more pennies to trickle in? And last of all, how would the value of individuals' computers be judged? Would it truly be fair to allow someone with a Pentium 233MHz and a 3 Gig hard drive to get payed the same rate as someone with an Athlon XP 1900+ and 80 Gig hard drive? I think that it's a cool idea, but too difficult to implement any time soon, if ever.