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But the point is that wiping the OS isn't preventative. Wiping a clean system is pointless, and wiping an infected one without knowing how it was infected isn't

But the point is that wiping the OS isn't preventative. Wiping a clean system is pointless, and wiping an infected one without knowing how it was infected isn't just a recipe for getting infected again, it also gives a completely false sense of security and can get you to start skipping actual preventative measures because "the system will be gone in a couple of weeks anyway".

viraptor 10y ago
(for the record, I'm not saying this is a good idea for personal desktops, just discussing the theory) No, it's not preventative. But wiping an infected one is not pointless either. Especially if you can upgrade all the relevant applications after each reinstall, potentially closing previous issues. In some contexts (small town library without IT staff, shared computer, no knowledge how to do stateless terminals), it would be an improvement over what's currently happening.
- scrollaway 10y ago
  Agreed, it's not a bad idea for shared desktops.