Bugs give me the heebie-jeebies -- not every identifiable species, but in general. I appreciate their role in the ecology and the food chain, their adaptability and legacy on this planet, but prefer to appreciate them at a distance.Parasites are something else entirely. From viruses to vampire bats, although indeed a part of the food chain, their life is sustained only by draining that of their host, often to its death -- which is what makes computer viruses so utterly contemptible.
Being an I.T. professional, I work up close and personal with technology and with the ultimate goal of keeping everyone happy, productive, and working smoothly on our trouble-free and fully functional network. That someone else of obviously above average intelligence is working just as diligently as I with the diametrically opposed goal is both disheartening and infuriating.
Unlike smallpox, polio, and the bubonic plague which sprung from the primordial goo and evolved over eons in an instinctive effort to survive, computer viruses are Frankensteined together out of ones and zeros in just the right dastardly sequence to create a unique malicious code.
In the past it was enough to simply keep my virus protection updated and be mindful of the kinds of things I downloaded from the Internet. Now I have to be prepared to defend myself from threats that lay in wait within the gadgets available from reputable retailers: iPods, Tom-Tom navigation systems, and digital picture frames manufactured in China as reported in this article.
Despite their apparent lax quality controls, I don't blame the Chinese per se. These threats are coming from individuals who develop and unleash them. What compels talented programmers with highly marketable skills to focus their efforts in this way is beyond me. The better they are, the more likely they will earn not a paycheck, but a place on law enforcement's most wanted.
A mind might be a terrible thing to waste, but minds with this intent are better wasted than allowed to proliferate.
1 comment:
It ticked me off that they were sending viruses in the picture frames.
It was cruelly genius.
Good luck to anyone trying to sell those now.
Schotz
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