Friday, March 2nd 2012
Windows 8 Has a Killswitch
Microsoft's Windows 8 is reported to come with a "killswitch", which can by flipped by Microsoft to delete malware downloaded from its App Store by unsuspecting customers. Last year, Google's Android Marketplace was swarmed by malware disguised as popular applications from various other publishers. These applications were bought and downloaded by unsuspecting users. When word reached Google, it flipped a killswitch with Android that instantly removed these bogus applications across thousands of devices. It's not just Google, Apple too has a similar killswitch with which it keeps its App Store users safe from malware.
News of killswitches with Windows (in-turn the PC platform), isn't going in too well with advocates of privacy and free-speech, who fear that Microsoft's planted killswitch gives it unwarranted power to remotely erase applications and user data (connected to these applications), without the consent of the user. It could then be used as a potential censorship tool, or even an anti-competition tool, by synthetically-engineering market-shares of software used by people.
Sources:
Businessweek, VigilantCitizen
News of killswitches with Windows (in-turn the PC platform), isn't going in too well with advocates of privacy and free-speech, who fear that Microsoft's planted killswitch gives it unwarranted power to remotely erase applications and user data (connected to these applications), without the consent of the user. It could then be used as a potential censorship tool, or even an anti-competition tool, by synthetically-engineering market-shares of software used by people.
28 Comments on Windows 8 Has a Killswitch
:)
I like that site.
Best,
Liquid Cool
At times I agree with these people but at times I wonder whether the things that they are protesting against are logical or beneficial for all.
Microsoft and Intel several years ago planned to put some sort of control chips in mobos so that Windows can easily identify and stop pirated media from being usable. There was a lot noise from "advocates of privacy and free-speech" so the plan was scrapped.
Then, Sony applied a similar system in its PS3 that turned it into the least pirated gaming platform available. No one from the "advocates of privacy and free-speech" said anything. In the mean time everyone's shouting the "Death of PC gaming" since piracy is as high as ever while the consoles are turning in millions in revenue.
Same with Windows Defender VS the Anti virus vendors...in fact I'm curious whether some of "advocates of privacy and free-speech" against Window's Killswitch are spurred by the AV vendors themselves. I mean why bother buying Panda AV software for your Windows 8 smartphone when Microsoft can easily kill any malware that popped up?
Secure boot, anyone ?
But anyway, MS could do the same since ... yesterday with the windows Security Centre
If MS can kill it, then how does one get their money back.
It would be a double penalty.
What would be the remedy?
I have been trying Windows 8 Preview and I can say that so far I am not a fan. It looks horrible, is hard to get around in, and feels like a Vista failure.
However, Amazon has pulled product off of their ebook service, on the Kindle, some 2 years ago, even product that was legitimately purchased... This tech will offer the very same sort of "protection", and is part of the deal that Intel made with Hollywood.arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/amazon-sold-pirated-books-raided-some-kindles.ars Becuase such functionality is built into Intel hardware, it wouldn't be that far of a step for there to be a low-level disk-scan that looks for certain files, and then removes them. Just like how they can lock content to certain devices, they can create a routine that disallows non-authorized software.
one counter measure is a remote deployed .44" cal Pb injection
use the Japanese device from the crowd and your be on the receiving end of Multiple PB packages:roll: