Windows 8 leads the PC into the era of remote deletion

The latest issue of the US Business Weekly print edition states that as a remote removal tool, "Kill Switch" has been popular in mobile devices for many years. With the introduction of Windows 8, this feature will also be introduced to the PC market. However, due to privacy and security risks, the tool has also been questioned.

Deleting Switches

Finnish software developer Jenny · Janne Kytomaki found a strange thing when looking for apps in the Google Android Market last year: dozens of best-selling apps Suddenly they were mistakenly marked as the same publisher. This is like the name of Stephen · Stephen King is erased from the cover of his work and replaced with an unknown writer. Gitomacchi realized that this could be caused by a rapidly spreading malware and posted his findings online.

Google quickly responded by launching the little-known "delete switch" to access 250,000 infected Android smartphones, forcibly removing malicious code. “It’s incredible to see this happen. > Giotto Maki said that he has developed a variety of dice simulation applications.

The delete switch is standard on most smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Google, Apple, and Amazon all have the ability to enter devices, remove illegal content or code that has not been edited by the user. This is an effective way to quickly stop a threat, but it also leaves privacy and security risks.

With the Windows 8 operating system expected to be released later this year, millions of desktops and notebooks will also be the first to remove the switch. Microsoft has not publicly announced the reason for adding this feature to Windows 8, but simply vaguely warned that it might be forced to use this feature for legal or security reasons.

In order to better control software download behavior, Microsoft will install an app store for Windows 8, and in December last year issued the corresponding terms of use. After studying the terms, Computerworld, a US IT website, discovered the delete switch function and was widely reprinted by the media.

Like other competitors, Windows smartphones included this feature a few years ago, but Todd Biggs, director of product management at Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace, said Remote removal of software is "the last resort, rarely used".

Microsoft refused to answer questions about the Windows 8 delete switch, but said that this feature will only be used to delete or change apps downloaded through the new app store. Any software loaded via USB, DVD or directly from the Internet is still not under Microsoft control. However, removing the switch does help Microsoft stop large-scale malware infections. “For most users, being able to remotely delete applications is a good thing. ” Security company Accuvant researcher Charlie · Charlie Miller said.

Negative effects

The history of delete switches in smartphones and e-readers shows that it can be a double-edged sword for companies that use this feature. In 2009, Amazon entered the user's Kindle e-reader, removing George · Gorge Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm" from publishers who did not have the necessary authorization. The incident subsequently triggered strong user dissatisfaction, and Amazon CEO Jeff · Jeff Bezos also publicly acknowledged the move “stupid, frivolous, totally inconsistent with our philosophy”.

As technology companies are reluctant to explicitly define the use of delete switches, they are worried that such features will be abused. Proponents of civil rights and freedom of expression are concerned that technology companies may be forced to remove software or data from government pressure or for political reasons.

 Someone has absolute control over my hard drive, but this is not what I hope or approve," said Eli, director of the Institute of High-Tech Law at the University of Santa Clara, USA. Eric Goldman said, “If they use it properly, it will make my life better. I don't know if they can use it properly. In fact, I don't know when they will use this right. ”

Google Android Engineering Vice President Hiroshi · Hiroshi Lockheimer said that the company will deal with harmful content by removing the switch in the case of bad influence. Microsoft's Biggs also revealed that the company will only use this feature to deal with "technical issues and content issues". Apple and Amazon have not commented on this.

Like most of his career, Kevin ·, co-founder of the US smartphone security software developer Lookout; Kevin Mhaffey has mixed feelings about the removal of switches. “This remote deletion tool is largely a response to the mistakes of the PC era,” he said. “As for whether it is overkill, history has its own arbitrariness. This can be used correctly, but as an industry, we must be careful. It is easy to imagine some bad developments. ”

Gito Maki, the first to discover Android malware outbreaks, is one of the supporters. He believes that Google is the right thing to do to remove malware without the user's permission. “ Is there any other option? & rdquo; He said, & ldquo; watched these applications installed on the phone of 200,000 users? This is a last resort. ”