That's because the issues are complicated and can be seen equally well from both points of view. Logging For a discussion of why logging is important, see page 194. The Java platform in most browsers does not do an adequate job of logging mobile code. This is an area in which third-party software can add real value. However, logging is actually trickier than it might appear at first blush.
Attackers often cover their tracks by editing log files.
Attack applets of the sort we discussed in Chapter 5 could certainly change logs if they wanted to. Accuracy is also a big issue for log files. It is important that logs collect proper data and can't be easily mislead by a malicious process. If vendors say that their products log all incoming byte code, you should ask how they can be sure. This is roughly the same issue we describe next when we talk about applet isolation.