In another absolutely astonishing podcast, Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte dropped the bombshell that Vista's new TCP/IP stack is, for the first time since at least Windows 2000, really, totally new.

(Take it from me, you really have to listen to this podcast. Now. Just go do it.)

Gibson's point, subtle as a brick hitting you on the head, is that brand new is the antithesis of secure. Think about it: you get to reintroduce problems that you'd fixed in the old stack. And you get to make lots of new problems.

You can listen to the podcast for details (that's the third plug. Can you tell I am a fan?)

But what stuck with me from the show applies to more than just TCP/IP stacks. To paraphrase Gibson, security is proved, not claimed. He makes mincemeat of any claim from a vendor that contains both "new" and "most secure ever." Think about it.

Score one for those who think shiny new isn't the best. Maybe I'm sympathetic simply because I've passed through the treadware warranty period. But I do believe that you have to have some scars, some gravitas, to be able to help clients navigate the technology marketing space today.

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