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diff --git a/content/entry/on-malware.md b/content/entry/on-malware.md index 06026c4..b6c12cb 100644 --- a/content/entry/on-malware.md +++ b/content/entry/on-malware.md @@ -2,21 +2,20 @@ title: "On Malware" date: 2021-03-12T00:00:00 draft: false -makerefs: false --- # A Hypothetical Program Imagine a program that: -1. Has a "universal back door" that allows the developer to make remote changes to users' systems without their knowledge or permission. [1] -2. Forces upgrades on its users. [2] -3. Steals users' encryption keys. [3] -4. Forcibly removes software from its users' systems [4]. -5. Pesters its users when they don't install the "preferred browser". [5] -6. Displays annoying ads on users' systems. [6]. -7. Spies on users while they use it, with surveillance anti-features that cannot be disabled. [7] -8. Forces users to be online just to write a text document. [8] -9. Blocks users from downloading any apps other than the ones the developers approve of. [9] -10. Purposely deletes ebooks that users have already bought. [10] +1. [Has a "universal back door" that allows the developer to make remote changes to users' systems without their knowledge or permission.](http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183) +2. [Forces upgrades on its users.](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-updates-in-windows-10-643e9ea7-3cf6-7da6-a25c-95d4f7f099fe) +3. [Steals users' encryption keys.](https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/) +4. [Forcibly removes software from its users' systems.](https://uk.pcmag.com/operating-systems/131798/microsoft-starts-automatically-removing-flash-from-windows) +5. [Pesters its users when they don't install the "preferred browser".](https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/) +6. [Displays annoying ads on users' systems.](http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer) +7. [Spies on users while they use it, with surveillance anti-features that cannot be disabled.](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law) +8. [Forces users to be online just to write a text document.](https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-office-for-home-and-school-faq?legRedir=true&CorrelationId=c9c5b549-11ad-4f71-bf81-b7e069fdb372) +9. [Blocks users from downloading any apps other than the ones the developers approve of.](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison) +10. [Purposely deletes ebooks that users have already bought.](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47810367) Would you count this program as malware? What if I told you that somewhere between 70%-90% of desktop and laptop computers have this program installed? @@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ The main difference with malware in free and proprietary software is when a free It is true that free software generally has far fewer anti-features due to its very nature of the source code being public. However free (as in freedom) software isn't immune to malware. The Spyware Watchdog Article Catalog lists free software programs that it considers spyware. Spyware is a subcategory of malware focused on user spying. The catalog is doing with spyware much the same thing I'm doing with the word malware; it is applying a broader definition of spyware to programs to see what happens. The results are quite interesting. See the link below for their spyware list. -[Spyware Watchdog][11] +[Spyware Watchdog](https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/index.html) Finally, one reason free software has less malware is reputation. Reputation is important to many programmers and adding anti-features to programs might mean no one will trust your work any more, so there's a strong incentive to not do that. This is true even if you're only pseudonymous like some i2p developers are. Your anonymous identity still has a reputation and it's best to preserve it. @@ -45,17 +44,3 @@ Finally, one reason free software has less malware is reputation. Reputation is I want to encourage readers to consider expanding their idea of what counts as malware and to start using the term "malware" more often to describe common programs with anti-features. Malware programs like Windows 10 are too normalized. We must demand better and freer software and one way to do that is by changing the words we use when talking about software. You'll also notice I use the word "anti-feature" instead of "feature". This is another way we can change our language to expose the truth about what these programs actually do. Calling anti-features malicious features instead may be better for non-technical audiences. What matters is getting the point across to others that these features don't deserve to be called features unqualified because they are malicious and they hurt the user. - - -Link(s): -[1: http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183](http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183) -[2: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-updates-in-windows-10-643e9ea7-3cf6-7da6-a25c-95d4f7f099fe](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-updates-in-windows-10-643e9ea7-3cf6-7da6-a25c-95d4f7f099fe) -[3: https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/](https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/) -[4: https://uk.pcmag.com/operating-systems/131798/microsoft-starts-automatically-removing-flash-from-windows](https://uk.pcmag.com/operating-systems/131798/microsoft-starts-automatically-removing-flash-from-windows) -[5: https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/](https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/) -[6: http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer](http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer) -[7: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law) -[8: https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-office-for-home-and-school-faq?legRedir=true&CorrelationId=c9c5b549-11ad-4f71-bf81-b7e069fdb372](https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-office-for-home-and-school-faq?legRedir=true&CorrelationId=c9c5b549-11ad-4f71-bf81-b7e069fdb372) -[9: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison) -[12: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47810367](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47810367) -[11: https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/index.html](https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/index.html) |