I just read an interesting article on a British IT website: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/28/clueless_security_user/
Basically, it is in response to accusations against IT professionals for expecting users to follow security guidelines. The writer is saying that users of computers are similar to users of automobiles, in that we ought rightly to expect that before someone gets on the road that he/she has taken the time to learn the rules of the road (drive on the correct side of the road, know what the lights mean and obey them, don’t drive on the sidewalk, etc). And in the same way, users of computers must be responsible for knowing the risks of using a computer and especially for connecting to the Internet. There is really no excuse for opening virus emails, not having an antivirus package installed, and not keeping up with the threats that are waiting to pounce.
The writer is responding to an article in the Wall Street Journal that takes the opposite view that we IT professionals ought to be able to remove all threats and let anyone be able to do anything on the Internet without worry. This seems like a prevailing attitude I see throughout society, that “someone else” is responsible for our protection and we ought to be able to do anything we darn well please without fear of consequences. This is patently absurd and such people deserve the harm that comes their way.
I find myself in agreement with the writer from The Reg, at least as far as home users are concerned. You don’t have to be an IT professional to protect your PC, any more than your have to be a mechanic or NASCAR driver to use an automobile. For business, we may be stuck with users that are going to be willfully clueless, since most offices can’t afford to educate them about how to behave around computers.
What do you all think?
