Re: [fw-wiz] Re: Anybody Recognize These Uploads?

From: R. DuFresne (dufresne@sysinfo.com)
Date: 01/04/03 

From: "R. DuFresne" <dufresne@sysinfo.com>
To: Gwendolynn ferch Elydyr <gwen@reptiles.org>
Date: Sat Jan  4 08:18:29 2003

On Fri, 3 Jan 2003, Gwendolynn ferch Elydyr wrote:

> On Fri, 3 Jan 2003, R. DuFresne wrote:
> > > With regards to Internet security, there's enough blame to go
> > > around that it's silly to single out a single target.
> >
> > Yet, without 'targeting" how does one push for a *fix* to the situation as
> > it now remains? Lusers will perhaps never *get it*, so, you point and
> > push techie oriented folks in the hopes they can lern up and finally do
> > get it. Or is there a better solution?
>
> I happen to disagree completely with your presumption that users can never
> be educated. If we don't take the time to teach them, we'll never see
> desirable results. If we instead spend our time brushing them off, and/or
> treating them like ignoramouses, we reap the harvest that we sew.
>
> IMHO, if I can teach my _mother_ (not at all computer literate) to
> understand basic security concepts, there's hope for the future.

It's okay to disagree, and yet, if lusers could learn so well, we;d
certainly see far less trouble with e-mail viruses. Yet, there are many
that can tell tales of repeat corporate infestations, often from the same
middle-manager or group. Re-education of lusers to the e-mail virus
threat alone tends to be a big budget item. There's at least one company
<that contacted me via this list if I recall, not long ago> that makes
it's profits from outsourcing by the corporate worlds, training their
lusers for them. Commonsense seems to drop 50+ points once a person is
cubicled, unless it's something that eminates from the florescent
fixtures. That ole "it's someone elses job/responsibility" seems to take
hold.

Thanks,

Ron DuFresne 

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        admin & senior security consultant:  sysinfo.com
                        http://sysinfo.com
"Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in humanity.  It
eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals and lets us get straight to the
business of hate, debauchery, and self-annihilation."
                -- Johnny Hart
testing, only testing, and damn good at it too!

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