Monday, February 26, 2007

BSODed destroyers?

So I found some interesting news today: Microsoft is now entering military service. "Windows for Warships", they call this initiative. "Suicide for Suckers", is what I say. By and large most users, including myself, have suffered from the infinitely dreadful Blue Screen of Death, and/or a malware attack. What would happen, if say a Type-45 warship (a British air-defence surface ship) failed to destroy a surface-skimming missile? BOOM. Personally, I don't think I would like that to happen. So why would the British government sign off on this?

I sat back and thought about installing Windows on Navy vessels. An unsecured operating environment installed on the networked command system of a several hundred ton destroyer intended to protect British fleets and land from low-flying, supersonic missiles. Not too sure about that decision. Actually, two pieces of fictionalized media came to my mind: the first is Battlestar Galactica and how the Cylons attacked the Colonies and second is this joke at spacebattles.com. General consensus is that there are inherent dangers to networked computers and to Windows-based computers and these dangers multiply hundred-fold when attributed to the military. There obviously is a benefit to the use of higher-tech computers and operating systems in military craft, especially when the current technology resembles hardware that existed since the 70s or 80s; however, when it comes to computers, networks, and operating systems, the military should go completely proprietary. Less access to the software and network means less likely to hack into the system and cause an issue - this is one of those basic tenets system administrators hold dear.

I frankly believe it was a silly decision to go with Windows as the operating system of choice and it will probably end badly, cost taxpayers a lot of money, and result in turnover at the top of the military organizational hierarchy but at least they'll have learned their lesson. Hopefully this does not become a precedent for all military forces to follow and definitely let us hope that they never Blue Screen of Death (or need an upgrade).