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Question: how many Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris and OS X boxes do the experts think have been recruited into robot networks?

Or by "home PC" do they mean "Windows box" only?

I think it's time for this distinction, as Mac and desktop Linux share increase and people are faced with learning a new OS (Vista) that doesn't always work with their current applications and devices.

I believe the future of computing (and computing security) is POSIX based, and the sooner the folks at Redmond figure that out, the better.

I totally with the POSIX distinction. The botnet threat is related to the insecurity of your PC, ultimately your operating system. The network is the first target but there's not much to do about it as long as computers inherently insecure are plugged to it.

Phishing is a much better example of a threat related to the openness of internet

The situation with botnets is outrageous and it continues in part because folks don't know what's up. It's good to see a column like yours in such a visible media outlet.

Unless Microsoft, in particular, gets its act together on security issues (which seems unlikely), there will eventually be hardcore government intervention and it will have all sorts of unexpected side effects that will deeply screw things up even worse.

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Nicholas Carr

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