Robin Laing wrote: > Pueblo Native wrote: >> M Henri Day wrote: >>> «... *Is it time to now introduce such measures to the OpenOffice.org >>> Core >>> to greatly reduce any future risk from scripted infections?*» >>> >>> Good question.... >>> >>> Henri >> >> We need to maintain the most important security factor in any system: >> the one between the keyboard and the chair. Don't open strange >> documents, don't blindly click on links in e-mails, and don't turn the >> responsibility of common sense over to your CPU. >> > > I fully agree with you here but we still have to minimize the threat. > > How about making the macro code prevent the creation of executable > files in the first place. Don't allow it to change the file to > executable and even change the file to a read/write file by default. > If you need the file to be executable, you have to do it manually. > This is the first line of defense. > > The person sitting in the chair needs to be educated. Vista is making > the educated person feel like and idiot (according to the people that > I have talked to) by their access control feature. Many just switch > it off because it is a pain.
The average computer user has been told that they are an idiot for the last twenty odd years by what passes as "computer books" (I specifically fault the "for Dummies" series for this) that talk down to the user and assume they don't know the difference between a CD-ROM and a cup holder. That is a formula for failure each and every time. Computer security follows much the same rules that security does in every day life. If you step away from your car for any period of time, unless you live in a really rural area, you lock it up. If you go on any sort of vacation, I don't think you leave all the doors open and all the power running either. So why would you leave a computer that potentially has credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and more, unsecured when you leave it. And I can see your whole point about a security mechanism that becomes more of a bother than a benefit. The whole password and PIN system in itself is awkward and unwieldy. Think about it: how many of the locks you have around in real life are password protected or pin protected rather than key protected. I'd love to seriously see pan devices better developed so we can get away from this whole crap about long strings that nobody can remember without writing down. But as that isn't going to happen tomorrow, we need to educate users about risks. You can have the most impressive security system in the world, and it won't do a thing if it's not implemented and regularly monitored. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
