white knight" worms/viruses

[Brian Kelsay]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2104432/

This article raises the question of the ethics of using viruses or worms to repair vulnerabilities 
on Windows boxes.   While this may not affect most Linux users, the bandwidth/network usage/abuse 
affects us all.  While I think it is not ethical to breach someone's PC to fix a vulnerability, the 
ethics of the situation are starting to not matter to me.  I look at all the hits on my Linux 
firewall from old worms (2 year old code red and nimda) and I think that there are some 
irresponsible users out there that need their OS fixed for them.   Maybe the better thing to do is 
have the ISP block them for a week, and mail them a fix CD.  The worm traffic often looks like a 
broadcast storm.  I get a blinking traffic light on my cable modem even with no computers plugged 
in.

Brian Kelsay