Every day seems to bring dramatic reports of some new network or computer security problem. A mini-industry of computer security sites, news sites, and Internet mailing lists is committed to exposing every bug, virus, vulnerability, and root exploit. Computer security vendors are naturally willing adjuncts to this feeding frenzy as they step up with improved virus checkers and entirely new classes of must-have corporate security products like intrusion detection software. Much of this sound and fury is entirely self-serving. Security web sites want to sell ads.
Law enforcement wants more budget and expanded surveillance powers.
Security vendors want sales. While some of this activity serves the broader purpose of heightened public awareness, much of what passes as security reporting ends up distorting reality. This is an obvious business problem. There are few things more dangerous to corporate computer security than proliferating dialup accounts, each of which provides an entry point for intruders. Security is something to do right before someone does it wrong for you.