Re: [tlug] Flash Memory History & BIOS Durability (or lack thereof)

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

On Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 12:19 AM, Stephen Lee <sl-tlug@example.com> wrote:

> Nowadays that has mostly disappeared also, or defaulted to the
> dangerous state, all in the name of convenience, just so you can flash
> the BIOS directly from inside Windows.

Not to mention Ubuntu! ;-)  But it's not a matter of specific
convenience, any more.  None of my students have any idea how to open
any of their devices, except maybe to add an SD to their cameras or
phones.  You could argue (and I have done so ;-) that anybody that
innocent of technical skill should not be licensed to use equipment
that can connect to the Internet, but it's no longer reasonable to
expect "ordinary users" to be able to manage their own systems at all,
beyond typing their passwords every time the systems announces an
upgrade (and most employers and universities like it that way).

> It is a disaster waiting to happen IMO.

Maybe.  I don't see why it would be worse than any other malware,
except that it might cost the user their whole computer if the malware
is sufficiently sophisticated or damaged that it prevents reflashing.