Summary: Virginia is having a computer failure which may last a whole week and Windows seems to be at the heart of it

YESTERDAY we wrote about some of the latest security concerns at the Pentagon. It's a Microsoft Windows problem. Over at Linux Today, the editor writes: 'I guess those bad foreign infiltrators don't follow the rules, like the USB device ban. And they're still not saying "Windows." The Foreign Affairs article is worth reading, if only for its missing some seriously obvious points, like "don't use a proven malware vector like Windows."'

A reader has sent us additional information about security disasters presumably caused by Windows. "The US state of Virginia has a computer failure that has lasted four days and is expected to last through the weekend," wrote this reader.

"Unemployment benefits, aid to mothers with dependent children and many other services are disrupted. Also according to the Times Dispatch, this is not the first time Virginia has had these kinds of problems with Northorp Grumman's system unprecedentedly expensive system. The whole thing has the stink of a post 911 "real ID" and privatization power and money grab.

“It does not take long to find Microsoft involvement with the service, called VITA.”
      --Anonymous"It does not take long to find Microsoft involvement with the service, called VITA. The agency uses Microsoft software for web service, email and recommends it on all systems from desktops to mainframes. A search of the Vita site for "Linux" mostly turns up FUD about security warnings and the last document, which specifies software for systems, contains a lot of FUD about Solaris, Novell and only recommends Linux as an "alternative" for "low end servers". It is no surprise that a system made by experts like that is expensive and failure prone. Perhaps Northrop Grumman sold Virginia a left over "SmartShip" network [2] [3].

"If the state is going to hand what should be protected public records to a private firm, the least they can do is hand them to a company like Google or IBM with the technical expertise to run things. People who use and push Microsoft are obviously incompetent." ⬆