South Korea proposes to make security software mandatory

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Mar 30, 2011

Law enables government to search PCs of those who do not comply.

A bill, proposed by a number of South Korean MPs, would make the use of security software mandatory for computer users in the country.

The 'Zombie PC Prevention Bill' is currently pending in the Culture, Broadcast and Communications Committee of the National Assembly. It is endorsed by 11 MPs, nine of whom are members of the Grand National Party, which has a majority in the Assembly.

Critics of the bill have pointed out that running security software does not prevent all infections and that it should rather be used as part of a broader strategy. Some also fear the bill would allow the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) - the government department responsible for enforcing it - to pick and choose which security solutions it deems to be good and ban others.

Moreover, the proposed bill would allow KCC agents to search the PCs of those it suspects of not complying with the bill - without a warrant.

More at ZDNet here with comments from the Korean Open Web forum here.

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Posted on 30 March 2011 by Virus Bulletin

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