Summary: The BBC loses its battle for justification of illegal Windows harvesting

THIS SHORT POST CONCLUDES a series of posts that explored what the BBC had done. We began with:

• Isn't the MSBBC Breaking the Law by Hijacking 22,000 Taxpayers' PCs, at Taxpayers' Expense?
• Verdict: The BBC Broke the Law with Microsoft Windows Botnets, Which Conficker Continues Building (Updated)
• The BBC and Self Censorship (Regarding Windows)

As a final word on the subject, consider this analysis from The Register, which was probably the leading publication to analyse and criticise the whole thing.

BBC botnet 'public interest' defence rubbished by top IT lawyer

[...]

The BBC's argument that "public interest" justified its purchase and use of a botnet in a controversial experiment is little better than vigilantism, according to a top IT lawyer.

The BBC's deeds are being called "reckless", so the idea most definitely backfired. Why is it acceptable for the BBC to do this and not for Gary McKinnon, for example?

Sadly for many who are using Windows, Conficker is still well placed in the headlines.

A number of antivirus software vendors, including Symantec, F-Secure and BitDefender, are now offering a dedicated tool to remove the Conficker worm.

Symantec, F-Secure and BitDefender charge for the service, whereas GNU/Linux offers a permanent solution, free of charge. ⬆

More on Conficker:

• Microsoft's Blame-Shifting Strategy Precedes More Trouble
• Leave Microsoft Alone
• Never Blame Microsoft, Blame Users and Exploits
• Botnets and Bounties Versus Real Security
• Is Windows to Blame for Cracking of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?
• Windows Problems Take Down Airplanes, JFK Airport, Houston Municipal Courts
• Turkey, France, United Stated Under Attack by Microsoft Windows Insecurities
• Microsoft Adopts Malware Techniques to Advance .NET
• Windows Botnets Go Out of Control, Obama Web Site Delivers Windows Malware
• One Windows Worm, One Week, and Possibly 250,000,000+ New Windows Zombies
• Death by Microsoft Windows
• UNIX/Linux Offer More Security Than Windows: Evidence
• US Army Becomes Zombies Army; London Hospitals Still Ill (Windows Viruses)
• Eye on Microsoft: Another Messy Week for Security
• Why Conficker is a Blessing to GNU/Linux
• New Casualties of Microsoft Windows?