This thread sounds like complaints from users of pirated and unsecured systems, because unpatched systems will always exist, but other than nuisance traffic and DDOS attacks, patched systems that are operate in a secure manner shouldn't be unduly affected. "Users must install patches or they will be compromised."

Who cares if the system of a user of a pirated copy of an OS is compromised? Perhaps if they had to go through re-establishing credit after identity theft, lost all their precious data or found the FBI at their door they would be more willing to pay for a legal copy.

The issue is not that MGA is included in updates. The issues are that Microsoft uses WGA to block patching of security flaws rather than crippling the OS, which they are forbidden to do under current US law, and that Windows XP has many fundamental security vulnerabilities in its architecture and implementation. "Good enough" isn't good enough for a product that has been used for three times its planned lifetime. Like it or not, the choices now are to switch to a non-Microsoft OS or Vista, or gut it out until Windows 7 is usable.

Barring some form of periodic mandatory manual registration and validation to keep the OS running, WGA is the only option MS has to defend their intellectual property from theft.


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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/484/35252#35252