What part of "Total" in TCO do you not understand?

[mike808@users.sourceforge.net]

From the You-just-know-it's-twice-as-good-as-a-404 department:

The following is a Review808(tm) of
  http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/030828/feature_1.html

> Investor's Business Daily
> Worm, Virus Damage May Cost Businesses Up To $13 Bil In 2003
> Thursday August 28, 10:23 am ET 
> By Donna Howell 
> 
> Barring surprises, the expense of big Internet worm and virus attacks in 2003 
> will fall short of the boom year, 2000. But this year's running tab still
> looks far from cheap. It's on track to top last year's $11 billion-plus.
> August's can of worms has probably cost world businesses $1.5 billion to 
> $2 billion, says tech economist Mark McManus. He's still working on 
> subtotals for each of several attacks that hit this month.

Wow. That's a lot of money. So who, exactly, is "eating" these costs?
I sure don't want it to be me. Do you?

> "Sobig probably hit the billion dollar mark," said McManus, vice president 
> of technology and research at Computer Economics Inc. in Carlsbad, Calif.
> 
> Some views go higher. British security firm mi2g blames Sobig.F for 
> $3 billion in lost productivity.

Hmm. Isn't Sobig an MSTD (MicroSoft Transmitted Defect)? 
As in only Microsoft systems are affected?
Ah. So *that* is who is eating that $11 BILLLION *PLUS* in extra costs.

How much of that $11 BILLION in costs did *Linux users* have to bear?

That's right. $0. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nuttin. No-zink (in Sgt. Schultz accent).

Maybe our slogan should be:

    Linux. Now with *FREE* virus protection.

> The year's other pricey hit came from the Slammer worm in January. 
> It did $1.25 billion in damage.

So now we're up to $12.25 BILLION. And there's three months left to go.
And then there's all of NEXT YEAR. And the year after that, ....

> "In Slammer, the potential loss of revenue is higher, but the 
> labor-intensive part of this (Sobig.F) is getting to be significant," 
> McManus said. Besides labor and lost revenue, he considers the cost of 
> needed gear, software and services when tallying attack tolls.

I don't remember seeing those line items on the "Total Cost of Ownership" 
reports and studies from Microsoft. Do you? Maybe they don't understand the 
meaning of the word "total"? What else don't they understand if they can't 
even do basic math? (Well, besides Operating System security <g>)

> For Internet service providers, there was the cost of man-hours to cope 
> with it all.

Guess who the ISP gets to pay for that? Yep. Their customers. You and me.

"We regret to inform you that due to increased operating costs, 
we are forced to increase our rates ..."

Ever get one of those letters from a vendor? I know I have.

Too bad I can't send one of my own to my boss. :=)

> If left unfixed, such infections can slow networks. 
> Costly work interruptions result.

Really? So *my* business cable-modem on their shared network can be impacted 
by their other customers who have Microsoft systems?

> The costliest Internet attack was Love Bug. It hit in 2000 and did $8.75 
> billion in damage. That year saw $17.1 billion in virus and worm woes, 
> Computer Economics says. Damage from worms in 2001 reached $13.2 billion 
> and in 2002 reached $11.1 billion.

> "2003 will probably go back up to the $12 billion mark," said McManus. 
> "It may even go back up as high as $13 billion."

Wow. Think about that.

2000 - $17.1 BILLION
2001 - $13.2 BILLION
2002 - $11.1 BILLION
2003 - $12.2 BILLION
--------------------
In FOUR years: OVER $53 BILLION DOLLARS.

Sheesh, That's more than Bush just asked Congress for the war in Iraq.

*THAT* is "The Microsoft Tax" those TCO reports don't want to talk about.

And all the DOJ has to show for it is a "settlement" (after getting a 
*GUILTY* verdict, no less) for Microsoft to give *more* of its defective 
software free to schools (while deducting full retail value from its taxes 
and settlement "damages"), and a pimply 17-year-old that changed "SOBIG" 
to "P3NI5" after we were a week into the SoBig MSTD epidemic.

Maybe he learned how to use the "rename" command on that free WindowsXP his 
school installed.

Linux. Now with *FREE* virus protection.
Linux. No subscription required. Ever.
Linux. Unlimited upgrades.

Mike/


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