New Rules

Adobe Flash To Be Top Hacker Target In 2010 An anonymous reader writes "Adobe Systems' Flash and Acrobat Reader products will become the preferred targets for criminal hackers [pdf] in 2010, surpassing Microsoft Office applications, a security vendor predicted this week. 'Cybercriminals have long picked on Microsoft products due to their popularity. In 2010, we anticipate Adobe software, especially Acrobat Reader and Flash, will take the top spot,' security vendor McAfee said in its '2010 Threat Predictions' report (PDF). 'We have absolutely seen an increase in the number of attacks, around Reader in particular and also Flash Player to some extent,' CTO Kevin Lynch told reporters at the Adobe Max conference in October. 'We're working to decrease the amount of time between when we know about a problem and when we release a fix. That used to be a couple of months; now it's within two weeks for critical issues.'" SlashDot

Enough with Mr. Nice Guy. I say there must be a measured response to these attacks. Regardless of method or even reason, when someone uses their knowledge of software to harm others, it should be treated with the same set of rules that is used when someone steels money or murders someone across international lines. If it were not for Microsoft's ineptitude in dealing with people who use their products for evil, people would not be so ready to surrender their time and resources when they get hacked.

If it were not Adobe, it would be someone else. What company is laxed in keeping up on the latest terroristic technique for wrestling control of computers away from their users is immaterial. The fact that it happens every day needs to become the focus. Enforcement of existing laws, new laws that make sense, and perhaps some good old fashion retaliation are in order.