“I subscribe to a line of thinking that goes like this: Windows is attacked so often because it controls such a large portion of the market. Period. So we might be able to apply this thinking to another popular software market–online music services, in which the Apple Computer iTunes Music Store dominates,” Paul Thurrott writes for Paul Thurrott’s WinInfo. “Predictably, iTunes, like Windows, is attacked far more often than its Windows-based competitors. Or is it? The truth is that iTunes is compromised far more often than Windows-based services, but how often hackers attack Microsoft’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) scheme is unclear. Regardless, iTunes, like pre-XP SP2 versions of Windows, has fallen time and again under the withering attack of hackers who are intent on gaining access to the service. Doing so is amazingly easy. Last week, infamous encryption hacker DVD Jon broke through Apple’s weak security and offered Windows and Linux users a way to purchase iTunes tracks without DRM. Apple fixed the hole, of course. But a day later–just 1 day–DVD Jon was back with a new version of his hack that foiled Apple’s efforts. My question is simple. If Microsoft can secure a system as complex as Windows, why can’t Apple secure one service?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Thurrott “subscribes to a line of thinking” that is obviously wholly unique this side of schizophrenia; we can’t help wondering if his rate is competitively priced to Napster To Go’s $14.95 a month. If Paul stops paying his fees, would he start thinking logically? For entertainment purposes alone, we hope Microsoft never stops covering Paul’s subscription expenses.
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so these are not really security problems. and youre an idiot. period
(stupid ass pirate, “… period”)
If Microsoft can secure a system as complex as Windows, why can’t Apple secure one service?”
Since when has Windows ever been secure? PT is nothing but a tool. The CERN alerts pile in my email daily about the vulnerabilities of Windows. Comparing an OS to a single application is not even a comparison.
The question Paul the Tool should ask is “Why can’t Microsoft secure their OS as well as Apple’s?”
Has everyone forgotten that the hack still requires the song to be paid for? Yeah, it’s a hack, but it’s not an all-out security exploit.
Yikes Thurrott– I sense a bit of glibness, although it’s considerably off-base.
The best part are the comments.
Even the PC guys are mocking him for saying Windows is secure.
Why is this site serving up POP-UNDER ads? So that you can piss of Mac users? or give Windoze visitors more ammo to attack you? How short sighted can you be?
AM
these pop-unders are becoming as irritating as thurrott.
I don’t have a subscription, so I can’t read the article to compare against MDN’s set-up (MDN is about as biased as Thurtott…).
do NOT click through to his site –you’ll only be giving him what he wants. he’s an a$$clown of the highest order and as such does not deserve the hits… “If Microsoft can SECURE a system as complex as Windows…” ???? er… wha?!
Paul has been hanging with the Iraqi Information Minister…
http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com/
I didn’t know Microsoft secured WinXP, sure is news to me!
This guy is such a pud.
Hey I don’t like Thurrott as much as the next guy. But stop ragging on Napster to go. I actually like the idea. I’ve purchased about 400 songs on iTMS. Thats $400. I’ve been doing this for about 2 years. That comes to $16.67 a month. For the same amount of money, I could have a ton more songs on my iPod if I did a monthly subscription. The only way purchasing from iTMS comes out on top is if I stopped buying music today and never made another purchase. And do I really own the song? I can’t sell it. So how do I technically own it? I own CD’s. I can sell them to a used cd store.
Besides, does MDN complain that they pay for cable tv every month? What a waste of money. What happens if you stop paying? You no longer have any of the shows you watched. Same principle.
So when Steve Jobs announces the iTMS subscription, make sure you blast it as being stupid just like Napster to Go.
“Annoyed” wrote, ”How upset can the RIAA and friends get? They are still getting their blasted money.”
Very upset when the download did not include DRM and that file is distributed to 100’s of people. Instead of “earning” hundreds of dollars, the RIAA got part of a buck. DRM is the cornerstone for the RIAA to “allow” for the legal, purchasing of music. Apple NEEDS to be concerned about unauthorized access to iTunes. Even the perception of “not being secure” is a problem for Apple. Wasn’t it Mr. Jobs himself that pointed out to the record companies that Napster could be hacked?
I wonder if this idiot gets paid by Microsoft to write this crap.
MS has never secured Windows.
Why does everyone assume that if I use PyMusique to download a song, I’ll post it to P2P networks to share with others. Have you people been so brainwashed about DRM that you think a person can have a song free of DRM who doesn’t share it out? Why would someone even want to share a song that they PURCHASED using PyMusique? Do you think CD’s should be banned because they don’t have DRM? After all, if I buy a CD, I must be a thief because there is no DRM to prevent me from sharing the songs to a P2P network.
It sounds to me like there are a lot of people on this site who would be out of control thieves if they weren’t saved by DRM music. I guess a lot of you must thank Apple everyday for “saving” you from the temptation of purchasing CD’s and copying them to P2P’s. Thank God for Apple and DRM.
Master Cylinder-
Try the no pop-under cookie. Works fine.
Keep in mind, this only works on WINDOWS computers running iTunes. The security problem is essentially STILL with Windows. Apple is just having to compensate for this lack of security with fixes on their end. At least SOMEONE is. iTunes+Mac=one widget. ANYTHING+Windows=a freakin’ mess.
“The truth is that iTunes is compromised far more often than Windows-based services”
Is it indeed? Please provide specific examples instead of making groundless statements.
“Why is iTMS hacked so continuously?”
Hairbo,
Same goes for you. Do you know of any examples of iTunes being compromised, much less “continuously”, or are you merely taking Thurrott’s statements at face value? Just because he says it doesn’t make it true.
I love it that Thurrot can still pull in the comments like this! He sure still hasn’t lost his touch!
It’s been such a long time since we heard anything controversial from him that we thought he may have swithched sides!
Look out,, Enderle will be next.
BTW split my sides laughing at this page…
Folks,
Thurrot’s logic is actually correct. In the form “p implies q”, when p is false anything can be put in for q and the proposition as a whole is correct. “If elephants are made f green cheese, then Thurrot is as smart as Einstein” is a correct proposition – logically speaking. Thurrot’s problem is his lack of touch with reality…
Sunhawk owns a patent covering client-server music sales involving a client application arbitrating the purchase, authorization and download of music files that are encrypted on the server side with the receipt of a key by the client application that is needed to access or play the encrypted music file.
Checkout US Patent number – 5,889,860
This somewhat limits how Apple is able to manage transfer of music that is to be DRM controlled.
Maybe Apple can license the patent from them.
Actually iTunes is more than one program, even by platform. iTunes for Windows uses the Windows webkit (IE) and the Macintosh version uses the Apple webkit (Safari). Throw in Quicktime (the engine that is at the heart of of iTunes), Rendezvous (Bonjour?, I favor something else) , & synchronization. That’s a very complex collection of code. The fact that PT and most everybody else sees it as a simple application speaks volumes about the quality of Apple’s software developers. Apple just makes it look easy.
SHAME on ANYONE who clicked on his link!
This guy is shameful and REALLY should be ignored.
He was funny but now the only thing funny about him now is what other’s write about him.
He’s a shithead that would be only to pleased to sell his grandmother for another 1k.