FREE software and GNU/Linux are obviously growing rapidly in Germany [1, 2], but in some parts of the country Microsoft and its ecosystem are profiteering from Conficker and other worms that are the fault of Microsoft incompetence. As the news from Germany puts it, taxpayers will pay reparations for Microsoft malware rather than the other way around. This "sends exactly the wrong signal: gives permission to code badly," argues Glyn Moody.
THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT has decided to spend a lot of its citizens' tax money helping them recover from malware directed at Microsoft machines.
Spiegel Online reports that the government wants to prop up another industry giant. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) plans to team up with Internet service providers (ISPs) to establish a call centre helping Windows users who have malware problems.
With the economic crisis still being in full effect, Germany wants to throw government money at another industry giant. However, this time it is not an ailing car manufacturer, but the software producer Microsoft. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) plans to team up with internet service providers (ISPs) to establish a call center helping malware-troubled Windows users.
The project was announced today at the German IT summit in Stuttgart. Starting in 2010, ISPs will track down customers with infected PCs, e.g., by looking for communication with botnet controllers. These customers will then be directed to a special website offering advice on removing the malware. If this is unsuccessful (or the site is blocked by the malware), people will get access to a call center, where a staff of about 40 will try to fix the problem.
The German government has allocated a secret budget to fund call-centers to help Windows users whose PCs are infected with malware. Microsoft's support costs are thus being borne at taxpayer expense.