Geeks Put the Unsavvy on Alert: Learn or Log Off:
Some in the technocamp imagine requiring a license to operate a computer, just like the one required to drive a car. Others are calling for a punishment that fits a careless crime. People who click on virus attachments, for instance, could be cut off by their Internet service providers until they proved that their machines had been disinfected.
This was how the UW handled infected systems during the worm attacks of 2003: exploited systems were off the network until they could be certified as virus-free.
[ . . . ]
“Responsibility is shared,” said Scott Charney, Microsoft’s chief security strategist. “With some of these viruses that require user action, people have a responsibility to be careful and protect themselves.”
A little bit of blame the victim there: how is it so easy for people to send these around? How often is Outlook’s address book part of the infection vector?