29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

From the Editor: IT Terrorism: Who’s Really to Blame?

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

By the time you read this, the Microsoft Word virus called Melissa will be one more historic footnote of Internet chaos (let’s hope). As a computer virus, it has received more media attention than the famed Michelangelo virus of years past. As a problem, it will probably end up costing your company thousands of dollars in wasted resources. But what does the Melissa virus have to do with your AS/400? If you’re using your AS/400 as an email server, everything! Infected Microsoft Word documents attached to email sent to your AS/400 accounts make your site an unwilling accomplice to the proliferation of this costly prank. Some legal sources insist there is liability for any email server site that ignores or fails to screen viruses from its internally controlled email servers. No doubt there will be lawsuits. Who is to blame? I think Microsoft is the ultimate culprit. Here’s why.

Microsoft Word viruses are unique because the company has chosen to embed so much access to its operating system through each of its Office products. For example, Microsoft Word makes hooks available to nearly every conceivable operating system function. These functions can be activated through the Visual Basic (VB) macro language extension. This is how the Melissa virus breeds: Opening an infected Word document starts a macro that subsequently performs an ActiveDocument.SendMail function. Because the Microsoft Outlook client also uses the same VB macro extension, the initial Melissa macro can easily access email addresses in a user’s address book and send the infected document to other unsuspecting recipients.

What’s amazing is the simplicity of the entire process: Anyone with a little bit of VB knowledge can create such a virus. In other words, the exponential spread of Melissa is not the result of a twisted genius but of someone with a modicum of expertise and too much time on his hands. Unfortunately, the quick apprehension of the author of the virus didn’t provide much relief to the thousands of Microsoft customers whose livelihoods were impacted by Melissa. What is even more frightening is that Microsoft continues to market and ship embedded operating system functions in its products without giving much thought about how these functions can undermine the information system infrastructure. And we in IT continue to buy these products!

But why are these embedded functions even present? If you query average users of Microsoft Word or Outlook, you’re likely to discover that very few of them have ever used the macro function. Most users don’t even know it exists. In other words, Microsoft has created the premier weapon for IT terrorism: something akin to a Unabomber toolkit, capable of invading everyone’s privacy, derailing an IT infrastructure, and degrading the entire Internet. Go Microsoft!

Now, imagine if IBM made the same careless controls available to its users of OS/400. Imagine a macro language for OS/400 that allowed uncontrolled access with embedded agents inside a simple memorandum typed by a disgruntled employee. How would your company officials react to such a scenario? No doubt your selection of the AS/400 would be scrutinized critically. No doubt your company’s complaints would be heard all the way up to the corridors of IBM, and an emergency PTF would be sent to your organization to remedy the situation.

By comparison, Microsoft’s response to the current Melissa disaster is quite lame. According to Microsoft, “The macro functionality of Microsoft Office applications provides a programming environment that allows customers and developers to extend the functionality of Office. However, malicious hackers have recently taken advantage of this macro functionality to create these harmful viruses.” It blames “malicious hackers” and then posts a tepid warning on its Web site, telling the world that it is “proactively trying to prevent the spread of Melissa” by working with other manufacturers of antivirus software.

How sad that the acceptable threshold for PC-related security is considerably lower than our threshold for AS/400 security. How unfortunate that we’ve mistaken “ease of abuse” for “ease of use.” Isn’t it about time that we demanded the same level of secure service from our PC products that our management requires of our critical IS systems? Isn’t it time that software companies, which provide us with critical business services, be held to the same levels of accountability, usability, and safety that are mandated for other manufacturers of goods and services?

No corporation wants to be reminded of its fallibility. How embarrassing to let one’s customers be brought to their knees by some anonymous malcontent using a word processor and a free email client. Yet that’s exactly what has happened. Worse still, by merely blaming the creator of the virus, Microsoft has ignored the genesis of the problem. And by failing to take real action to enable security with its products, it has shown its own immaturity to the corporations with which it does business.

Thomas Stockwell

Thomas M. Stockwell is an independent IT analyst and writer. He is the former Editor in Chief of MC Press Online and Midrange Computing magazine and has over 20 years of experience as a programmer, systems engineer, IT director, industry analyst, author, speaker, consultant, and editor.  

 

Tom works from his home in the Napa Valley in California. He can be reached at ITincendiary.com.

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: