In our zeal to stamp out bugs that hackers can exploit are we destroying all the features that make software useful? (The picture to the right is of a perfectly harmless computer bug. Learn how to make one from Irenecrafts.)

The question occurs based on reaction to Secunia's latest security alert.

It's a pop-up hijack, in which a malicious site hijacks, say, a session with your bank or broker. If that bank or broker uses pop-ups, the malicious code may tell you to input account information in the pop-up. Then the hacker goes into your account as you and drains it.

Pretty nasty. But what was nastier, as ZDNet revealed, was the reaction to it.

Microsoft called the "bug" a "legitimate feature." Representatives of other browser companies didn't even respond.

Which means that, for now, you need to make sure you ignore all pop-ups, even legitimate ones, when you're on a secure site. And if you run a secure site, don't have anything on it that might initiate a pop-up, especially if you think you have a good reason to use one.

The feature has become a bug.