Microsoft's Rubber Room

Can of worms meet opener.

Get It Try It

SAN FRANCISCO (Radsoft) — Where do they get all these great ideas? The major players in the lucrative Windows security cottage industry have swooped down on the city by the bay to discuss new and better ways of making millions - and then a Microsoft representative assumes the podium to talk about putting infected Windows computers in a quarantine?

'The informal proposal, made Tuesday by Microsoft Vice President of Trustworthy Computing Scott Charney, was short on specifics such as who would be responsible for monitoring and isolating malware-riddled machines', reported El Reg's Dan Goodin. 'But he laid out his case for keeping them away from the general populace, comparing such a move to laws that have gone into effect over the past 20 years banning cigarette smoking in public.'

Ah yes. Passive malware smoking. The comments at El Reg are precious.

Here's a better idea: rather than quarantine malware-infested computers, why not do the owners a favour and give them an operating system that isn't a steaming pile of fresh manure, such as...... well, anything other than Windows. That way, they get a better computing experience and the internet becomes a better place.
 - Bilgepipe

Put Microsoft in a rubber room and the problem of malware infected PCs will go away by itself.
 - Geoff Mackenzie

So just quarantine all the PCs running Windows. Job's a good 'un.
 - Anonymous Coward

'A top Microsoft executive is floating the idea of creating mandatory quarantines for computers with malware infections that pose a risk to Internet users.' Really? Can of worms meet opener.
 - Mark 65

86.8% of all end user computers in the US run Windows. That's a big rubber room.