

Letter #4: Only sure solution: Disconnect

Microsoft needs to do more for the home/small business user with respect to malware.


From S.C.

The next worst thing? This is slightly off target but speaks to your concerns.

How about businesses that simply disconnect from the 'wired' world? I'm not speaking of General Motors or Dow Chemicals but of the mom and pop level of retailers or professionals. (Anything from your local dentist to the neighborhood hobby shop.) I have customers (only a couple so far, but who knows what's in the cards?) who are simply opting out of their Internet/e-mail connections. They say it's too difficult, expensive (the REAL reason) and time consuming to fight viruses, adware and spam especially when they need to use three or four tools to find everything.

The result, they're at the point where the 'sneaker net' is about to re-emerge as they physically move their data to and from their accountants (primarily) on a CD-R or dust off the fax machine to communicate with suppliers and customers.

Despite the fact our nefarious friends in the malware 'industry' help me make my living, I sometimes cringe when I hear a plea for help [from a client] because their browser takes them off on unexpected tangents, or the e-mail simply quits working.

With that in mind Microsoft's focus needs to be a bit broader in scope to include those millions of smaller users. That's assuming of course that the all in one approach works in the first place.

Something to think about.

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This was last published in October 2005

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