Truth About Computer Security Hysteria

Q&A: Why isn't Vmyths worried about the threat of viruses?

We "worry" about viruses about as much as we "worry" about getting into a car accident. We don't sweat at the sight of every vehicle, fearing it contains a drunk driver destined to plow into us.

We don't run through the house every morning waving a gun while searching the cabinets for a deranged killer who might have broken into the house without our knowledge. (Okay, our webmaster did it once, but the chocolate pistol melted in his hands.) Likewise, we don't run antivirus software at bootup every morning to search every file for a deranged virus which might have broken into the computer while it was turned off. (See editor Rob's opinion piece on this subject.)

Besides, we don't need to worry about viruses — because the computing world ended long ago. In fact, the Internet as we know it died fourteen or fifteen times already. (It keeps returning like a bad movie sequel.) Viruses are nothing compared to the forthcoming sixteenth obliteration of the computing world, so we don't worry about them.

Last updated: 2002/1/13