Should Operating System Manufacturers Be Liable for Breaches Due to Security Flaws?

I believe that operating system manufacturers should be held liable for breaches caused by security flaws.  A large majority of the people who use computers and mobile devices do not possess the in-depth knowledge that goes into building and maintaining an operating system, therefore the responsibility to secure those systems should lie with the manufacturer.  A lot of people are also unaware about the fact that their devices are susceptible to security breaches and can begin to malfunction. If operating system manufacturers were to continue to or start not taking responsibility for security breaches this could actually end up hurting them even more by discouraging consumers from using that software or any other products from that company at all.

The customers who purchase these software/applications are not only putting their money but also their trust with these manufacturers and are expecting them to protect their devices and the data on these devices.  If  manufacturers hope to maintain consumer trust, it is imperative that they take on the responsibility of securing client data.  Lastly, if the manufactures who are responsible for checking to make sure their aren’t any security flaws don’t take responsibility for the breaches then who will? In this day and age where everyone relies so heavily on computers for everyday actions, it is more important than ever for that data to be secure.  It doesn’t seem right that the customer would have to take action to get their computer fixed and/or suffer the loss of personal data for a flaw they were not responsible to check for.

Answer 2

Manufacturing companies keep back door open in their products to update softwares, detect errors, and to help consumes with malfunction of their products. According to me manufacturers should be liable for breaches (to certain extent) due to security flaws; for example, if they claim for certain type of protection, but they are unable to deliver the results they must provide consumers with compensation. I understand hackers continue to look for new ways to cause breach to the system, and they do get successful sometimes. However, if the breaching occurs due to the security flaws in system they must be held responsible for that. On the other hand, some people argue that if manufacturers are held responsible for security breaches then it will shut the door for new inventions. In addition, it is not often conspicuous that who is responsible for the breach: consumer himself due to his/her limited knowledge with the product or manufacturer. There are many times when consumers unknowingly let the breach happen by accepting suspicious malicious email or web link and they never figure out what caused the breach. Moreover, I believe there should be mutual understanding regarding such issue and both parties should accept their responsibility.