[e2e] Re: crippled Internet

[Ted Faber]

On Thu, Apr 19, 2001 at 05:23:34PM +0100, Lloyd Wood wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Apr 2001, Ted Faber wrote:
> > Unless I've misunderstood you, you're going to charge my Mom if her
> > Windows box gets hacked and used in a DoS attack on Yahoo. 
> 
> If the traffic generated by Mom's Windows box has a faked source
> address, someone else could end up paying for the traffic Yahoo 
> generates (in good faith)  in return.

That seems to be a potential outcome of the proposal.  I can't tell if
you think that's good, bad, or indifferent.

I agree that computers hijacked for DoS impose real costs on other
users.  I don't think that the burden of securing them using current
technology can reasonably be placed on users.  It's more reasonable to
have someone indemnify the ISPs (Internet malpractice insurance, if
you will) and have them pass that cost indirectly to users.  Such an
insurer will make ISP requirements, etc.  And obviously, if a user
decides to surf uninsured when such insurance is available, then
they're personally liable.

Right now there are too few choices for non-experts to secure their
machines and non-experts are the majority of users.  It's unreasonable
to make them financially responsible.


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