Welcome to Orcmid's Lair, the playground for family connections, pastimes, and scholarly vocation -- the collected professional and recreational work of Dennis E. Hamilton

 

Dana Epp: Adopting a Least Privilege Stance

Dana Epp's ramblings at the Sanctuary : Longhorn: Adopting a least privilege stance for users.  Encouraged and spotted by Scoble, this article provides some interesting links and a discussion of the stance one takes to foster secure installation of operating-system distributions.

I like the idea of running with least privilege, and I went from Windows 98 to Windows XP Pro to be able to enjoy that kind of safe operation.  If I could only make it work simply.

Although Dana is talking about technical approaches, I think his comments and the Channel 9 commentary on running/installing as administrator point to something deeper. I want to emphasize the notion of a "stance" and what it takes to institutionalize vigilant, pro-active attention to safety and security. We have a long way to go. I notice for myself that I want the benefits and I don't want to do the work. Based on the alibis I read, I'm not alone in that. A pervasive alteration of development culture and attitudes is required, and backsliding will always be the path of least resistance.
posted by orcmid at 5/28/2004 03:48:40 PM