Simple Security. In his weekly column (here; subscription required), Wall Street Journal veteran technology columnist Walt Mossberg rightly pushes back on software and hardware vendors to make security protection simple. Not, simpler. Simple. I’ve been making a similar argument for some time, too, but Mr. Mossberg hits on an important point about security warnings that warrants closer examination; it’s a call to action Microsoft should perk up and notice as Windows XP Service Pack 2 testing continues. …
In today’s column, Mr. Mossberg drew a line, demanding action. That’s the right thing to do. At some, point the excuses must stop. Microsoft can argue Windows is more vulnerable simply because its popularity makes for a bigger target than Linux or Mac OS X. But, at some point, someone has to take responsibility to make things work right; without excuses. Consumers aren’t used to downloading all these updates, and they have a reasonable expectation that using a PC should be as safe and simple as watching TV. Mr. Mossberg is right: Security should be transparent, simple. What that means: The software should work right, safely, regardless of hazards. [Microsoft Monitor]