"Feature-Rich" would be a good description for the majority of new software offerings. But with more features can come more vulnerabilities. The latest spectre is the dreaded "rootkit" which is rumoured to transform a $1000 computer into a pile of trash. Rootkits allow hackers to zombify your computer. They decide how much functionality is leftover for you, after your computer sends a million spam e-mails to Canada. Not a pretty sight.
Rootkits can be revealed. However, they show a dangerous precedent. There is currently no 100% defense against hackers, short of pulling your network connection. You can imagine a future where rootkits and other hacker tools mean your computer is not your own while it is plugged in on the internet. Because rootkits are very hard to detect, they are the ultimate trojan horse. As long as a hacker only uses part of your internet bandwidth, you may not even detect the manipulation.
