Cheap computers for the world's poor could mean big
security headaches. The $100 One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project is
inviting hackers to break test out and even break the security on the
upcoming computers. Speaking at the Toorcon computer security
convention, OLPC representative Ivan Kristic said the OLPC will create
the largest monoculture in history and the it will present some "very
scary" security problems.
The low-pricedLinux-based computers will be sold to third-world
countries and will have a 500 MHz AMD processor along with 128 MB of
system memory and 512 MB of Flash storage memory. Standardized hardware
along with a standard software image is one reason why the machines will
be so cheap, but Kristic explains that this standardization will cause
security issues.