RISKS-LIST: RISKS-FORUM Digest  Thursday, 31 December 1987  Volume 5 : Issue 85

          FORUM ON RISKS TO THE PUBLIC IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS
  ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy, Peter G. Neumann, moderator

Contents:
 SUMMARY OF RISKS VOLUME 5, COLLECTED IN RISKS-5.85

The RISKS Forum is moderated.  Contributions should be relevant, sound, in good
taste, objective, coherent, concise, nonrepetitious.  Diversity is welcome.
(Contributions to [email protected], Requests to [email protected])
 For Vol i issue j, FTP SRI.COM, CD STRIPE:<RISKS>, GET RISKS-i.j.
 Volume summaries in (i, max j) = (1,46),(2,57),(3,92),(4,97),(5,85).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

RISKS 5.1  6 Jun 87
 [There was no RISKS 5.1.  Sorry.]
RISKS 5.2  12 Jun 87
 Three gremlins on the loose: nukes, sharks, enlightened rockets (Dave Platt)
 Yet another air-traffic-controller foul-up (Roy Smith)
 National Crime Information Center access (PGN)
 Yes, Virginia, There Are Software Problems (Nick Condyles)
 Heisenbugs; Also, Risks of Supercomputers (Eugene Miya)
RISKS 5.3  19 Jun 87
 Australian ATM troubles... (David Purdue, Dave Horsfall, John Colville)
 Not paying by Access can ruin your credit limit! (Mike Bell)
 Ex-Directory [Arrested by unwristed phone mumbers!] (Brian Randell)
 Risks of Computerized Airport Gate Signs (Chuck Weinstock)
 DMV Computer Changes Names (John Mulhollen)
 UHB demonstrator flight aborted by software error (Kenneth R. Jongsma)
 Aircraft Transponders and Errors in Setting Codes (Joe Morris, Paul Suhler)
 On the bright side, at least my computer still works... (Jon Jacky)
 Human Factors and Risks (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Re: Risks of so-called ``computer addiction'' (John Mackin)
 Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing (Douglas Schuler)
 Software Risk Management (Dolores Wallace)
RISKS 5.4  24 Jun 87
 Immoderation and Nonmoderation (PGN)
 A Passive-Aggressive User Interface -- U.Iowa telephone tidbits (Ray Ford)
 Bogus ROOT domain server on ARPAnet (Paul Richards via Robert Lenoil)
 Printer raises utility false alarm (A. Harry Williams)
 New VAX UNIX file system disk purge runs amok
   (Mike Accetta via Chris Koenigsberg)          [SEN 12 3 through RISKS-5.4]
RISKS 5.5  26 Jun 87
 Re: Immoderation and Nonmoderation (Joe Buck, Roy Smith)
 "Computer woes hit air traffic" (Alex Jenkins)
 BBC documentary filming causes Library of Congress computer crashes
   (Howard C. Berkowitz via Mark Brader)
 Running out of gas could be hazardous! (Steve McLafferty)
 NASA Safety Reporting System (Eugene Miya)
 EGP madness (David Chase, Dave Mills [2])
 FCC Information Tax -- Risks of Networking (Steve Schultz)
RISKS 5.6  26 Jun 87
 Hardware vs Software Battles (Mark Brader, Guest RISKS Editor)
 What the world needs now ... (Jonathan D. Trudel, Rick Lahrson,
   WIlliam Swan, Karen M. Davis, Henri J. Socha, Stuart D. Gathman,
   Peter DaSilva, The Sentinel, David Phillip Oster)
RISKS 5.7  5 Jul 87
 Actual stock price change fails sanity check (Mark Brader)
 PacBell service "glitch" (Walt Thode)
 NASA Safety Reporting System (Jim Olsen)
 "Information Tax" -- Risks of nonsense (Joseph I. Pallas)
 "Computer woes hit air traffic" (Davis)
 Re: Aircraft Transponders and O'Hare AIRMISS
 Phone Company Billing Blunder (Steve Thompson)
 Relaxed DOD Rules? (Dennis Hamilton)
RISKS 5.8  7 Jul 87
 Erasing Ford (and other) car computers (Shaun Stine)
 7 Inmates Escape; Computer Blamed! (PGN)
 Hardware failures (Don Chiasson)
 Liability of Expert System Developers (Benjamin I Olasov via Martin Minow)
 PC's and Ad-Hoc Distributed DB's (Amos Shapir)
 Risks of proposed FCC ruling (Keith F. Lynch)
 RISKS in "Balance of Power" (Heikki Pesonen)
 Re: Aviation Safety Reporting System (Doug Pardee)
 A computer RISK in need of a name... (Jerry Leichter)
RISKS 5.9  9 Jul 87
 BIG RED, ICEPICK, etc. (David Purdue)
 Air Traffic (out-of?) Control (PGN)
 Cause of the Mysterious Bay Area Rapid Transit Power Outage Identified (PGN)
 Sprint access code penetration (Geof Cooper)
 Eraser's edge (Martin Harriman)
 Hardware/software interaction RISK (Alan Wexelblat)
 How to (or how not to) speed up your computer! (Willie Smith)
 Re: Aviation Safety Reporting System (Jim Olsen, Henry Spencer)
 Re: RISKS in "Balance of Power" (Eugene Miya, Hugh Pritchard)
RISKS 5.10  9 Jul 87
 Firebird computer story (Paul Kalapathy)
 COMPUTER CLUBS FOOT (Anthony A. Datri)
 Re: 7 Inmates Escape; Computer Blamed! (James Lujan)
 Sprint access code penetration (catching the baddie) (Darrell Long)
 US Sprint and free long distance (Eric N Starkman, Edward J Cetron)
 RE: BIG RED (Eugene Miya)
 Risks of battery disconnections (Steve Mahan)
 Japanese simulation design (Sean Malloy)
 Hardware failures and proofs of correctness (Rob Aitken, Michael K. Smith)
RISKS 5.11  12 Jul 87
 Old News from New Olds: Check that Backup! (Fleischmann)
 Auto Computers (Tony Siegman)
 Re: Liability of Expert Systems Developers (George Cross)
 Re: Hardware failures (Sam Crowley)
 Hardware/software interaction RISK (Robert Weiss)
 More on Risks in "Balance of Power" (Heikki Pesonen)
 Re: Sprint access code penetration (John Gilmore)
RISKS 5.12  16 Jul 87
 Another computer-related prison escape (Andrew Klossner)
 New York Public Library computer loses thousands of book references (PGN)
 Risks of being a hacker (PGN)
 Re: Old News from New Olds: Check that Backup! (Henry Spencer)
 Tax fraud by tax collectors (Jerry Harper)
 Re: Hardware faults and complete testing (Richard S. D'Ippolito)
 Re: Sprint Access Penetration (Dan Graifer)
 Phone access charges (Leff)
 Risks in Fiction [Book Report] (Martin Minow)
 The Other Perspective? (Baldwin)
RISKS 5.13  20 Jul 87
 Re: Another computer-related prison escape (Alan J Rosenthal)
 Credit card risks (David 'Witt' Wittenberg)
 The latest in Do-It-Yourself manuals (Andrew Scott Beals)
 Re: Robocop review (Eugene Miya)
 Robocop and following instructions (Brian Gordon)
RISKS 5.14  22 Jul 87
 FAA absolves Delta in 2 close calls, ATC problems blamed in one (PGN)
 Origin of term "intelligent machine" (Jon Jacky)
 robocop (Lou Steinberg)
 Nuclear power plants (Alex Bangs, Nancy Leveson)
 Reminder about alarms (Eugene Miya)
 FCC computer fees (Alex Bangs)
 Risks of exporting technology (Clint Wong)
 Electronic Cash Registers (William Daul)
 Brief book review of the Hacker's Handbook (John Gilmore)
 Re: Credit card risks (Amos Shapir)
RISKS 5.15  23 Jul 87
 Access by 'hackers' to computer not criminal (Robert Stroud)
 On expecting the unexpected in nuclear power plants (David Chase)
 Risks of Nuclear Power (Mark S. Day)
 Chernobyl predecessors? (Henry Spencer)
 Who's responsible - ATC or pilots (Andy Freeman)
 "Intelligent" control (Alex Bangs)
 Taxes and who pays them (William L. Rupp)
 Computer Know Thine Enemy; Reactor control-room design (Eugene Miya)
 Medical computer risks? (Prentiss Riddle)
 Electronic cash registers (Michael Scott)
 Re: Credit card risks  (Michael Wagner)
 Re: "The Other Perspective?" (Baldwin)
RISKS 5.16  25 Jul 87
 $23 million computer banking snafu (Rodney Hoffman)
 Computer crime, etc. (Matthew Kruk, PGN)
 Reactor control-room design and public awareness (Robert Cohen)
 Computerized Tollbooths Debut in PA (Chris Koenigsberg)
 Re: ATC Responsibilities (Alan M. Marcum)
 Air traffic control and collision avoidance (Willis Ware)
 Risks of computerizing data bases (Tom Benson)
 Re: electronic cash registers and wrong prices
   (Brent, Brian R. Lair, Will Martin, Mark Fulk)
 Taxes and who pays them (Rick Busdiecker, Andrew Klossner)
RISKS 5.17  26 Jul 87
 Re: Separation of Duties and Computer Security (Ted Lee)
 Re: Robocop (Zalman Stern)
 Re: B of A's computer problems (Bob Larson)
 Nuclear power plant monitoring and engineering (Leff)
RISKS 5.18  27 Jul 87
 Its Barcode is NOT worse than its Byte; Rooting for AT&T PC truffles
   (Elizabeth Zwicky)
 Too much security? (Richard Schooler)
 "Hacker Program" -- PC Prankster (Sam Rebelsky)
 Pittsburgh credit card hackers (Chris Koenigsberg)
 Hacking and Criminal Offenses (David Sherman)
 911 Surprises (Paul Fuqua)
 Re: Taxes and who pays them (Craig E W)
 Statistics as a Fancy Name for Ignorance (Mark S. Day)
 Supermarkets (Chris Koenigsberg, Jon Mauney)
RISKS 5.19  29 Jul 87
 Automating Air Travel (Dan Graifer)
 Responsibilities of the pilots and the traffic controllers (Nathan Meyers)
 Flippin' statistics (Joe Morris)
 Nuclear power safety and intelligent control (Rich Kulawiec)
 Single-pipe failures (Kenneth Ng)
 Hacking and Criminal Offenses (SEG)
 Passwords and telephone numbers (Jonathan Thornburg)
 Separation of duties and "2-man control" (Patrick D. Farrell)
RISKS 5.20  30 Jul 87
 Lack of sanity at the IRS (Victor S. Miller)
 Hot Stuff (Burch Seymour)
 Re: Nuclear power plant monitoring and engineering (Brian Douglass)
 Re: Credit card risks (Ross Patterson)
 Re: Passwords and telephone numbers (Brian Randell, Keith F. Lynch)
RISKS 5.21  1 Aug 87
 Macaquepit Monkey Business on 747 (PGN)
 Re: IRS Sanity Checks (Willis Ware, Joseph Beckman)
 Re: Telephone access cards (Willis Ware, Robert Hartman)
 Re: Origin of term "artificial intelligence" (Dave Benson)
 FDA opportunity for system safety person (Frank Houston)
RISKS 5.22  3 Aug 87
 Home of IBM computers succumbs to telephone computer up-down-upgrade (PGN)
 Re: IRS Sanity Checks (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Re: Monkey business (clarification) (PGN)
 Computer (claustro)phobia (Kent Paul Dolan)
 Security-induced RISK (Alan Wexelblat)
 Another ATM story (Jeffrey Mogul)
 SDI is feasible (Walt Thode)
 Publicized Risks (Henry Spencer)
RISKS 5.23  4 Aug 87
 Article on "Computer (In)security" (Jim Horning)
 DC sends bad tax bill to the *WRONG* citizen (Joe Morris)
 New Report on SDI Feasibility (Mark S. Day)
 Railway automation (Stephen Colwill)
 Faults in 911 system caused by software bug? (Jim Purtilo)
 Re: Macaqueswain steering (PGN)
 PIN-demonium (Curtis C. Galloway)
 Factory automation and risks to jobs (James H. Coombs)
 Nukes vs Coal (Tom Athanasiou) [and why is this message in RISKS?  PGN]
RISKS 5.24  6 Aug 87
 Another animal story (Bill Pase)
 Re: Security-induced RISK (Henry Spencer)
 Re: Factory automation and risks to jobs -- "apparently" not (Randall Davis)
 Railway automation (Scott E. Preece)
 Nuclear generated electrical power and RISKS (Dave Benson)
 PIN money? (BJORNDKG)
 Re: Another ATM story (Scott Nelson)
 Computer `assumes' the worst in billing for hotel phone calls (Bruce Forstall)
RISKS 5.25  9 Aug 87
 Computer Error Opened Flood Gates of Alta Dam  (Haavard Hegna)
 Heating up planning discussions ... (Robert Slade)
 Re: Faults in 911 system caused by software bug? (Paul Garnet)
 "It must work, the contract says so" (Henry Spencer)
 Separation of Duty and Computer Systems (Howard Israel)
 Optical Disks Raising Old Legal Issue (Leff)
 AAAS Colloquium Notice (Stan Rifkin)
 Secrecy About Risks of Secrecy Vulnerabilities and Attacks? (Peter J. Denning)
 Another electronic mail risk (Doug Mosher)
 Risks TO computer users (US Sprint) (James H. Coombs)
 Computer Safety and System Safety (Al Watters)
 Computers in nuclear power plants (Frederick Wamsley)
 Autoteller problems (Alex Colvin)
RISKS 5.26  11 Aug 87
 Secrecy About Risks of Secrecy (Jerome H. Saltzer, Maj. Doug Hardie)
 Separation of Duty and Computer Systems (Willis Ware)
 NASA Computers Not All Wet (Mike McLaughlin)
 Computer Error Opened Flood Gates of Alta Dam (Henry Spencer, Amos Shapir)
 Re: Another electronic mail risk (Prentiss Riddle)
RISKS 5.27  11 Aug 87
 Re: Secrecy About Risks of Secrecy (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 "Mustn't tire the computer!" (A. N. Walker)
 Automated environmental control RISKS (Joe Morris)
 Social Security Inside Scoop (Lance Keigwin via Martin Minow)
 Fire protection in the computer room (Dave Curry)
RISKS 5.28  12 Aug 87
 Certification of software engineers (Nancy Leveson)
 Re: Secrecy About Risks of Secrecy
   (Maj. Doug Hardie, Russell Williams, Jeff Putnam)
 Eliminating the Need for Passwords (Lee Hasiuk)
 Re: Risks of automating production (Richard A. Cowan, James H. Coombs)
 'Mustn't tire the computer!' (Scott E. Preece, Rick Kuhn)
 Re: NASA wet computers (Eugene Miya)
 Halon (Dave Platt, Steve Conklin, Jack Ostroff, LT Scott Norton, Scott Preece)
 Railway automation (Stephen Colwill)
 Employment opportunities at MITRE (Marshall D. Abrams)
RISKS 5.29  15 Aug 87
 RISKS submissions (PGN)
 Lack of user training = legal liability? --
   Computer SNAFU Ruled a Rights Violation (Rodney Hoffman)
 London Docklands Light Railway (Mark Brader)
 Software and system safety (Nancy Leveson)
 New safety MIL-STD (Nancy Leveson)
RISKS 5.30  19 Aug 87
 Role of NISAC in Reporting Vulnerabilities (Bruce N. Baker)
 Indemnification of ATC manufacturers (Bill Buckley)
 Bank Computers and flagging (Joseph I. Herman)
 Re: Certifying Software Engineers (Mark Weiser, Nancy Leveson)
RISKS 5.31  21 Aug 87
 "Computer Failed to Warn Jet Crew" (PGN)
 Risks to Privacy (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 ATM features (Jack Holleran)
 Licensing software engineers (Frank Houston, Dave Benson)
 Re: Risks of automating production (Henry Spencer)
 Re: Automated environment control (Robert Stanley, Brian Douglass)
 Trusting Computers (Marcus Hall)
RISKS 5.32  4 Sep 87
 Honda eschews computers for new 4-wheel steering system (Roy Smith)
 Another Trojan Horse? (Brian Tompsett)
 Transatlantic Flights at Risk from Computer (Daniel Karrenberg)
 Re: "Computer Failed to Warn Jet Crew" (Mark Ethan Smith)
 Delta-Continental Near-Miss
 Decomposing Software (Charles Gard)
 Why the Phalanx Didn't Fire (IEEE Spectrum Reference) (Eugene Miya)
 Cheap modems and other delights (Steve Leon via bobmon)
 Reach out, touch someone (Michael Sclafani)
 SDI event (Gary Chapman)
RISKS 5.33  4 Sep 87
 How to Beat the Spanish telephone system (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Re: Automated control stability and sabotage (Amos Shapir)
 Crisis in the Service Bay (Mark Brader)
 Who is responsible for safety? (Nancy Leveson)
 Certification of Software Engineers
   (Brian Tompsett, Richard Neitzel, Wilson H. Bent)
 Irish Tax Swindle (John Murray)
 Pogo Wins a Free Lunch -- Costs and Liability in Good Systems (Hal Guthery)
 Re: Bank Computers and flagging (Bill Fisher)
RISKS 5.34  7 Sep 87
 Dutch Police Hampered By Faulty Computer System (Patrick van Kleef)
 Computer Psychosis (Bill McGarry)
 Risks and people (Alan Wexelblat)
 The influence of RISKS on car design? (Danny Cohen)
 Reach out, touch someone (Scott E. Preece)
RISKS 5.35  10 Sep 87
 Drugs, DES, and the criminal world (Jerry Leichter)
 More on the Irish Tax Swindle (Jerry Harper)
 Costs and Liability in Good Systems (David Collier-Brown)
 Re: The influence of RISKS on car design? (Benjamin Thompson)
 Re: Computer Syndrome; Dutch Crime Computer (Brian Douglass)
 Reach out, touch someone (Brad Miller, Richard Kovalcik, Jr., Curtis Abbott)
RISKS 5.36  13 Sep 87
 Australian Bank Bungles Foreign Exchange Deal (Ken Ross)
 Computer misses the bus (Doug Barry)
 Quite a dish subverts Playboy channel (PGN)
 "Software Glitch Shuts Down Phones in Minneapolis" (Alan)
 Computer Syndrome (Mark Jackson, Simson L. Garfinkel)
RISKS 5.37  18 Sep 87
 Another prison inmate spoofs computer, this one gains freedom (Bill Weisman)
 detroit flaps flap (Barry Nelson)
 AT&T Computers (PGN)
 Hackers enter nasa computers (Mike Linnig)
RISKS 5.38  24 Sep 87
 Computer crash causes ATC delay (Dave Horsfall)
 Risks TO Computers: Man Shoots Computer! (Martin Minow)
 An Aporkriffle Tail? (Zeke via Martin Minow) (also noted by others)
 The naming of names  (Dave Horsfall)
 Aliases, SINs and Taxes (Robert Aitken)
 Risks in the Misuse of Databases (Cliff Jones)
 Sprint Sues Hackers (Dan Epstein)
 Re: Reach out, touch someone (Bob English)
RISKS 5.39  26 Sep 87
 Another Australian ATM Card Snatch (Dave Horsfall)
 AT&T Computers Penetrated (Joe Morris)
 On-line Robotic Repair of Software (Maj. Doug Hardie)
 Re: An Aporkriffle Tail (Michael Wagner)
 Risks in the Misuse of Databases? (Brint Cooper)
 SDI Simulation (Steve Schlesinger)
 Ethical dilemmas and all that... (Herb Lin)
RISKS 5.40  28 Sep 87
 Yet another "hackers break MILNET" story (Jon Jacky)
 Military role for software sabotage cited ... (Jon Jacky)
 $80,000 bank computing error reported in 'Ann Landers' (Jon Jacky)
 Add Vice to the Loveworn (Scot Wilcoxon)
 Concorde tires burst: RISKS without the automatic system (Henry Spencer)
 Risks of hot computers (Mark Brader)
 Re: Risks in the Misuse of Databases? (Ross Patterson)
 [SDI] Simulation (Jerry Freedman,Jr)
 Re: An Aporkriffle Tail (William R. Somsky)
RISKS 5.41  30 Sep 87
 CHANGE IN RISKS SITE Effective Immediately (PGN)
 Life-critical use of a spelling corrector (Dave Horsfall)
 AT&T Computers Penetrated (Richard S D'Ippolito)
 Satellites and Hackers (Paul Garnet)
 Re: Risks in the Misuse of Databases?
   (P. T. Withington, Scott E. Preece, J M Hicks)
RISKS 5.42  5 Oct 87
 Credit Markets: computer interest is high! (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Telephone computers that work (Alan Wexelblat)
 Computer Services as Property (Isaac K. Rabinovitch, Arthur Axelrod)
 JOINing on public access data -- and insider trading (Brent Laminack)
 TV Detectors (Lindsay F. Marshall, Ian G. Batten, David A Honig)
 Confusing Input Request in Automatic Voting Systems (Eke van Batenburg)
 Directions and Implications of Advanced Computing -- Call for Papers
   (Douglas Schuler)
 Risks of receiving RISKS -- BITNET users BEWARE (jfp)
RISKS 5.43  13 Oct 87
 IRS Accidentally Imposes $338.85 Lien On Reagans (Chris Koenigsberg)
 Another ARPANET-collapse-like accidental virus effect (Jeffrey R Kell)
 Computers and civil disobedience (Prentiss Riddle)
 YAPB (yet another password bug) (Geof Cooper)
 News Media about hackers and other comments (Jack Holleran)
 Personalized Technology Side-effects (Scot Wilcoxon)
 Anonymity and high-tech (Nic McPhee)
 Naval Contemplation [Humor] (Don Chiasson)
RISKS 5.44  15 Oct 87
 Costly computer risks (Gary A. Kremen)
 Re: News Media about hackers and other comments (Amos Shapir)
 Mailing Lists (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Discrimination considered pejorative (Geraint Jones)
 Re: Anonymity and high-tech (Brint Cooper)
 Pacemakers (Hal Schloss)
 News Media about hackers and other comments (Bob English)
 Password bug - It's everywhere. (Mike Russell)
 Re: YAPB (yet another password bug) (Brint Cooper)
 Civil Disobedience (Scott Dorsey, Bill Fisher, Eugene Miya)
 Phalanx Revisited (Risks to Carrier Aircraft) (Marco Barbarisi)
 SSNs (Bill Gunshannon)
RISKS 5.45  19 Oct 87
 Stocks into Bondage?  Storm prediction?  Computer relevance? (PGN)
 UNIX Passwords (Dave Curry)
 Let the Punishment Fit the Crime... (Mike McLaughlin)
 Re: Computers and civil disobedience
   (James Peterson, Clif Flynt, Fulk, Brent Chapman)
 Unemployment Insurance Cheaters (William Smith)
 Computer Services as Property (Doug Landauer)
 Successor to Sun Spots (K. Richard Magill)
RISKS 5.46  21 Oct 87
 Portfolio Insurance and Wall Street's meltdown (Rodney Hoffman)
 Software firms put on guard by Act (Jonathan Bowen)
 World Series Phone Snafu (Ted Lee)
 Re: Civil Disobedience (Jim Jenal)
 Destruction of confiscated computers (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Weather Forecasts (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Anonymity and high-tech: indirection (Robert Stanley)
 Berkeley's computer security (Al Stangenberger, David Redell)
 Computer Services as Property (Rick Busdiecker)
RISKS 5.47  22 Oct 87
 Programmed Trading and the Stock Market Decline (Lt Scott A. Norton)
 Overload closes Pacific Stock Exchange computers, and other sagas (PGN)
 BankAmerica Aides Quit; Sources Cite Data System (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Air Force explores SDI-like technology (Walt Thode)
 Who knows where the computer is? (Graeme Hirst)
 Anonymity (Fred Baube)
 Re: UNIX Passwords (Richard Outerbridge)
 CD vs ADP security (Barry Nelson)
 Civil Disobedience and Computers (Robert Stanley)
RISKS 5.48  23 Oct 87
 Computer Weather Forecasting (Jonathan Bowen, Robert Stroud)
 Phone Service Degradation -- and 911 (Scot Wilcoxon)
 Terrorism (Charles Shub, William Swan, Elliott Frank)
 More on password security -- clean up your act (Jeremy Cook via McCullough)
 Consumer Protection Act (Richard S. D'Ippolito)
 Re: UNIX Passwords (Russ Housley, Richard Outerbridge)
 Use of Social Security Numbers (James Peterson)
RISKS-5.49  26 Oct 87
 Freak winds in southern England (sufrin, Franklin Anthes)
 On the Risks of Using Words That Sound Similar (Bruce N. Baker)
 CD, Terrorism, Stocks (Jim Anderson)
 The Stock Market Computers and SDI (Bob Berger)
 (Almost too much of) Password Encryption (Matt Bishop, Mark Brader)
 Re: Phone Service Degradation -- and 911 (R.M. Richardson)
 INUSE.COM Program (Chris McDonald)
 Free phone-calls (E. van Batenburg)
RISKS 5.50  27 Oct 87
 Weather (Willis Ware, Geoff Lane, Eugene Miya)
 Civil disobedience (David Redell)
 Reported Japanese Autopilot Problems (Nancy Leveson)
 Amusing bug: Business Week Computer (F)ails (GW Ryan)
 Television series "Welcome to my world" (Clive Feather)
RISKS 5.51  28 Oct 87
 Re: Reported Japanese Autopilot Problems (Will Martin)
 (Non-)Japanese Autopilot Problems (Joe Morris)
 Possible nuclear launch prevented by parked vehicle (Scot Wilcoxon)
 SDI information system announced (Scot Wilcoxon)
 'Computers In Battle' (Rodney Hoffman)
 Re: Amusing bug: Business Week Computer (F)ails (John Pershing)
 Civil Disobedience (Fred Baube)
RISKS 5.52  31 Oct 87
 Risks in intelligent security algorithms (Peter J. Denning)
 Computer's Normal Operation Delays Royal Visit (Mark Brader)
 Public notice of a security leak (Rob van Hoboken based on Nils Plum)
 sc.4.1 update dangerous (Fen Labalme)
 Mitsubishi MU-2 problems (Peter Ladkin)
 Autopilots and conflicting alarms (Matt Jaffe, Joe Morris)
 New encryption method (Stevan Milunovic)
 The Stock Market and Program Trading (Dan Blumenthal, Brent Laminack)
 Minuteman Missiles... (John J. McMahon)
RISKS 5.53  2 Nov 87
 Re: Risks in intelligent security algorithms (David Redell)
 Danger of typing the wrong password (Scot Wilcoxon)
 Inadvertent Launch (Kenneth R. Jongsma)
 MX Missile guidance computer problems (John Haller)
 Re: Autopilots (Jan Wolitzky)
 Aircraft accident (Peter Ladkin)
 Missiles; predicting disasters (David Chase)
 DISCOVER Uncovered? (Bruce N. Baker)
 TV Clipping Services (Tom Benson [and Charles Youman], Samuel B. Bassett)
RISKS 5.54  4 Nov 87
 Erroneous $1M overdraft -- plus interest (Dave Horsfall)
 Wrongful Traffic Tickets & Changing Computers (David A. Honig)
 Weather -- or not to blame the computer? (Stephen Colwill)
 Re: Computer's Normal Operation Delays Royal Visit (Henry Spencer)
 Auto-pilot Problems and Hardware Reliability (Craig Johnson)
 Minuteman III (Bryce Nesbitt)
RISKS 5.55  5 Nov 87
 Phone prefix change cuts BBN off from world (David Kovar)
 A simple application of Murphy's Law (Geoff Lane)
 Wrongful Accusations; Weather (Willis Ware)
 Weather and expecting the unexpected (Edmondson)
 UNIX setuid nasty -- watch your pathnames (Stephen Russell)
 Penetrations of Commercial Systems (TMP Lee, PGN)
 Re: Unix password encryption, again? (Dan Hoey)
 Software Testing (Danny Padwa)
 Risks of using mailing lists (Dave Horsfall)
RISKS 5.56  9 Nov 87
 News article on EMI affecting Black Hawk helicopter (John Woods)
 A New Twist with Cellular Phones (Leo Schwab)
 Computers Amplify Black Monday (Bjorn Freeman-Benson)
 Programmed stock trading (Michael R. Wade)
 Tape label mismatch (Jeff Woolsey)
 Phantom Traffic Tickets (Isaac K. Rabinovitch)
 National ID Card (Australia)  (Tom Nemeth)
 Unix 8-character password truncation and human interface (Geoffrey Cooper)
 setuid (once more)  (George Kaplan)
 Re: Minuteman Missiles (Mike Bell)
 Mailing List Humor (Bjorn Freeman-Benson)
 A new kind of computer crash (Steve Skabrat)
RISKS 5.57  12 Nov 87
 Mobile Radio Interference With Vehicles (Steve Conklin, Bill Gunshannon)
 Optimizing for cost savings, not safety (John McLeod)
 "Welcome To My World", BBC1 Sundays 11PM -- A Review (Martin Smith)
 Re: A simple application of Murphy's Law (Tape Labels) (Henry Spencer)
 Overwrite of Tape Data (Ron Heiby)
 Misplaced trust (B Snow)
 Bar Codes (Elizabeth D. Zwicky)
 Password truncation and human interfaces (Theodore Ts'o)
 Re: UNIX setuid nasty (Geoff, David Phillip Oster)
 How much physical security? (Martin Ewing, Alex Colvin, Mike Alexander)
RISKS 5.58  15 Nov 87
 Son of Stark (Hugh Miller)
 Follow-up to Black Hawk Failures article (Dave Newkirk)
 Jamming the Chopper (Brint Cooper)
 Computer systems hit by logic bombs (J.D. Bonser)
 Risk of more computers (Arthur David Olson)
 Reach out and (t)ouch! (Matthew Kruk)
 Re: Password truncation and human interfaces (Mark W. Eichin)
 Mobile Radio Interference With Vehicles (Ian Batten)
 Computer terrorism (Brint Cooper)
RISKS 5.59  16 Nov 87
 Risks in Voice Mail (PGN)
 Stark Reality (LT Scott A. Norton)
 Re: How much physical security? (R.M. Richardson)
 Navy Seahawk helicopters (LT Scott A. Norton)
 Army Black Hawk helicopters (Peter Ladkin)
 External risks (John McLeod)
 Re: A simple application of Murphy's Law (Tape Labels) (Barry Gold)
 EAN and PIN codes (Otto J. Makela)
 Computerized Fuel Injection (James M. Bodwin)
 Re: Password truncation and human interfaces (Franklin Davis)
RISKS 5.60  18 Nov 87
 Swedish trains collide (Rick Blake)
 Hardware and configuration control problem in a DC-9 computer (Nancy Leveson)
 Ethics, Liability, and Responsibility (Gene Spafford)
 Blackhawks and Seahawks (Mike Brown)
 Mobile Radio Interference With Vehicles (Peter Mabey)
 VW Fastbacks/RFI/EFI (David Lesher)
 CB frequencies and power (John McLeod)
 Signs of the Times (Robert Morris)
 The Mercaptan goes down with the strip (Burch Seymour)
 Re: Reach out and (t)ouch (Michael Wagner)
RISKS 5.61  18 Nov 87
 Risks of increased CATV technology (Allan Pratt)
 Bank networks (David G. Grubbs)
 Re: PIN Verification (John Pershing)
 Re: More on computer security ()
RISKS 5.62  20 Nov 87
 A Two-Digit Stock Ticker in a Three-Digit World (Chuck Weinstock)
 Stark - warning depends on operator action, intelligence data quality
   (Jonathan Jacky)
 Task Force Slams DoD for Bungling Military Software (Jonathan Jacky)
 Addressable CATV (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Human automata and inhuman automata (Chris Rusbridge)
 Re: CB frequencies and power (Dan Franklin, John McLeod, Wm Brown III)
 "UNIX setuid stupidity" (David Phillip Oster, Stephen Russell)
 Software Safety Specification (Mike Brown)
 Call for Papers, COMPASS '88 (Frank Houston)
 "Normal Accidents" revisited (David Chase)
 Space Shuttle Whistle-Blowers Sound Alarm Again (rdicamil)
RISKS 5.63  23 Nov 87
 Logic bombs and other system attacks -- in Canada (PGN)
 Video signal piracy hits WGN/WTTW (Rich Kulawiec)
 Garage Door Openers (Brint Cooper)
 Sudden acceleration revisited (Nancy Leveson)
 Centralized Auto Locking (Lindsay F. Marshall)
 Re: The Stark incident (Amos Shapir)
 Bank Networks (George Bray)
 Re: Optimizing for cost savings, not safety (Dave Horsfall)
 L.A. Earthquake & Telephone Service (LT Scott A. Norton, USN)
 Gripen flight delayed (Henry Spencer)
 Mariner 1 (Mark Brader)
 Systemantics (John Gilmore, haynes)  [Old hat for old RISKers]
 Re: "UNIX setuid stupidity" (Joseph G. Keane, Martin Minow)
RISKS 5.64  24 Nov 87
 More on NASA Hackers (Dave Curry)
 Re: Video signal piracy hits WGN/WTTW (Will Martin)
 Logic Bombs; Centralized Auto Locking (P. T. Withington)
 Re: Mariner 1 (Henry Spencer, Mary Shaw, Andrew Taylor, Martin Ewing)
 Bank Transaction Control (Scott Dorsey)
 Re: Sudden acceleration revisited (Donald A Gworek)
 Re: CB radio and power (Jeffrey R Kell)
 More on Garage Doors (Brint Cooper)
 Train crash in Sweden (Matt Fichtenbaum)
 Re: L.A. Earthquake & Telephone Service (Darin McGrew)
RISKS 5.65  25 Nov 87
 Mariner I and computer folklore (Jon Jacky, Jim Horning)
 Computer-controlled train runs red light (Jon Jacky)
 Addressable CATV information (Ted Kekatos)
 A new legal first in Britain... (Gligor Tashkovich)
 The rm * controversy in unix.wizards (Charles Shub)
RISKS 5.66  27 Nov 87
 Mariner I (Eric Roberts)
 FORTRAN pitfalls (Jim Duncan)
 PIN verification (Otto J. Makela)
 Sudden acceleration revisited (Leslie Burkholder)
 Re: CB radio and power (Maj. Doug Hardie)
 An earlier train crash -- Farnley Junction (Clive D.W. Feather)
RISKS 5.67  30 Nov 87
 Aging air traffic computer fails again (Rodney Hoffman, Alan Wexelblat)
 Computer Virus (Kenneth R. van Wyk via Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter)
 Fiber optic tap (Kenneth R. Jongsma)
 A new and possibly risky use for computer chips (John Saponara)
 Selling Science [a review] (Peter J. Denning)
 Risks to computerised traffic control signs (Peter McMahon)
 Risks in Energy Management Systems (Anon)
RISKS 5.68  1 Dec 87
 Logic Bomb (Brian Randell, ZZASSGL)
 Re: hyphens & Mariner I (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Re: Mariner, and dropped code (Ronald J Wanttaja)
 Minuteman and Falling Trucks (Joe Dellinger)
 Re: Fiber optic tap (Mike Muuss)
 Re: Garage door openers (Henry Spencer)
 Dutch Database Privacy Laws (Robert Stanley)
RISKS 5.69  4 Dec 87
 Can you sue an expert system? (Barry A. Stevens)
 Risks of Portable Computers (PGN)
 Beware the Temporary Employee (Howard Israel)
 Truncated anything (Doug Mosher)
 An ancient computer virus (Joe Dellinger)
 Cable violations of privacy (Bob Rogers)
 Re: Computer-controlled train runs red light (Steve Nuchia)
 VM systems vulnerability (Doug Mosher)
 Baby monitors end up 'bugging' the whole house (Shane Looker)
 F4 in 'Nam (Re: Reversed signal polarity...) (Brent Chapman)
 IRS computers (yet again!) (Joe Morris)
 Journal of Computing and Society (Gary Chapman)
RISKS 5.70  6 Dec 87
 Wall Street crash, computers, and SDI (Rodney Hoffman)
 NW Flight 255 -- Simulator did, but wasn't (Scot E. Wilcoxon)
 Whistle-blowers who aren't (Henry Spencer)
 Re: Space Shuttle Whistle-Blowers Sound Alarm Again (Henry Spencer)
 A new twist to password insecurity (Roy Smith)
 More on PIN encoding (Chris Maltby)
 Telephone overload (Stephen Grove)
 Software licensing problems (Geof Cooper)
 Re: Mariner 1 or Apollo 11? (Henry Spencer, Brent Chapman)
 More on addressable converter box (Allan Pratt)
 Centralized car locks (K. Richard Magill)
RISKS 5.71  7 Dec 87
 The Amiga VIRUS (by Bill Koester)  (Bernie Cosell)
 Radar's Growing Vulnerability (PGN)
 Computerized vote counting (Lance J. Hoffman)
 United Airlines O'Hare Sabotage? (Chuck Weinstock)
 Re: Whistle-blowers who (allegedly) aren't (Jeffrey Mogul)
 In Decent Alarm (Bruce N. Baker)
 Need for first-person anonymous reporting systems (Eugene Miya)
 Apollo 11 computer problems (Michael MacKenzie)
 Interconnected ATM networks (Win Treese)
 Can you sue an expert system? (Gary Chapman, Jerry Leichter, Bruce Hamilton)
 What this country needs is a good nickel chroot (Bob English)
RISKS 5.72  12 Dec 87
 Risks to the Rodent Public in the Use of Computers (Peter Ladkin)
 Yet another virus program announcement fyi (Martin Minow)
 IBM invaded by a Christmas virus (Dave Curry)
 Virus Protection Strategies (Joe Dellinger)
 New chain letter running around internet/usenet (Rich Kulawiec)
 On-line bank credit cards (John R. Levine)
 Central Locking (Martyn Thomas)
 Product Liability (Martyn Thomas)
 Wishing the deceased a merry christmas (automatically)  (Bill Lee)
 Air Traffic Control Computer Replacement Schedule (Dan Ball)
 Re: United Airlines O'Hare Sabotage? (Dave Mills)
RISKS 5.73  13 Dec 87
 Australian datacom blackout (Barry Nelson)
 Finally, a primary source on Mariner 1 (John Gilmore, Doug Mink, Marty Moore)
 Re: Computer-controlled train runs red light (Nancy Leveson)
 Re: interconnected ATM networks (John R. Levine, Darren New)
 Control-tower fires (dvk)
 Loss-of-orbiter (Dani Eder)
 Re: EEC Product Liability (John Gilmore)
 The Presidential "Football"... (Carl Schlachte)
 Radar's Growing Vulnerability (Jon Eric Strayer)
RISKS 5.74  14 Dec 87
 Rounding error costs DHSS 100 million pounds (Robert Stroud)
 Computers' Role in Stock Market Crash (Rodney Hoffman)
 The Infarmation Age (Ivan M. Milman)
 Virus programs and Chain letters (David G. Grubbs)
 Baby monitors can also be very efficient "jammers", too. (Rob Warnock)
 The Saga of the Lost ATM Card (Alan Wexelblat)
 Interchange of ATM Cards (Ted Lee)
 PacBell Calling Card Security (or lack thereof) (Brent Chapman)
 IBM invaded by a Christmas virus (Franklin Davis)
RISKS 5.75  15 Dec 87
 Advice to the Risklorn (Steven McBride)
 Expert systems liability (George S. Cole via Martin Minow, George Bray,
     Dean Sutherland, Bjorn Freeman-Benson, William Swan, Wm Brown III)
 Microprocessors vs relay logic (Wm Brown III)
RISKS 5.76  16 Dec 87
 Designing for Failure (Don Wegeng)
 Computer MTBF and usage (Andy Freeman)
 Liability and software bugs (Nancy Leveson)
 Re: Need for Reporting Systems (Paul Garnet)
 Tom Swift and his Electric Jockstrap (Arthur Axelrod)
 Re: Expert Systems (Amos Shapir)
 The Saga of the Lost ATM Card (Scott E. Preece)
 Telephone Billing Risks (Fred Baube)
 Re: F4 in 'Nam (Reversed signal polarity causing accidents) (Henry Spencer)
 For Lack of a Nut (NASDAQ Power outage revisited)  (Bill McGarry)
 Dutch Database Privacy Laws (Henk Cazemier)
RISKS 5.77  17 Dec 87
 Lessons from a power failure (Jerome H. Saltzer)
 Squirrels and other pesky animals (Frank Houston)
 Security failures should have unlimited distributions (Andy Freeman)
 2600 Magazine -- hackers, cracking systems, operating systems (Eric Corley)
 Re: can you sue an expert system? (Roger Mann)
 Re: Interchange of ATM cards (Douglas Jones)
RISKS 5.78  18 Dec 87
 Roger Boisjoly and Ethical Behavior (Henry Spencer, Ronni Rosenberg)
 Computer aids taxi dispatch (Jeff Lindorff)
 Re: product liability (Martyn Thomas)
 Re: Expert systems liability (Jonathan Krueger)
 Re: Australian telecom blackouts and 'hidden' crimes (Jon A. Tankersley)
 Wall Street Kills The Messenger (Scot E. Wilcoxon)
 Expert systems; Ejection notice? (Steve Philipson)
 Squirrels, mice, bugs, and Grace Hopper's moth (Mark Mandel)
RISKS 5.79  20 Dec 87
 Re: Lehigh Virus (James Ford)
 IBM Xmas Prank (Fred Baube)
 National security clearinghouse (Alan Silverstein)
 Financial brokers are buying Suns... (John Gilmore)
 Toronto Stock Exchange Automation? (Hugh Miller)
 Who Sues? (Marcus J. Ranum)
 The Fable of the Computer that Made Something (Geraint Jones)
 Re: Litigation over an expert system (Rich Richardson)
 Tulsa; Bugs (Haynes)
 More ATM information (George Bray)
 Truncation (Alex Heatley)
RISKS 5.80  21 Dec 87
 Re: IBM Christmas Virus (Ross Patterson)
 Logic Bomb case thrown out of court (Geoff Lane)
 Repository for Illicit Code (Steve Jong)
 Roger Boisjoly and Ethical Behavior (Stuart Freedman)
 Truncation and VM passwords (Joe Morris)
 Competing ATM networks (Chris Koenigsberg)
RISKS 5.81  22 Dec 87
 The Christmas Card Caper, (hopefully) concluded (Joe Morris)
 The Virus of Christmas Past (Una Smith)
 Viruses and "anti-bodies" (Brewster Kahle)
 Cleaning Your PC Can Be Hazardous to Your Health (Brian M. Clapper)
 Product liability (Mark A. Fulk)
 Squirrels, mice, bugs, and Grace Hopper's moth (Peter Mabey)
 Fire at O'Hare (Computerworld, Dec 14 issue) (Haynes)
 American Express computer problem (Frank Wales)
 NYT article on computers in stock crash (Hal Perkins)
RISKS 5.82  23 Dec 87
 NYT article on computers in stock crash (P. T. Withington)
 ...BAD PRACTICE to truncate anything without notice (Doug Rudoff)
 The spread of viruses and news articles (Allan Pratt)
 Common passwords list (Doug Mansur)
 Re: IBM Christmas Virus (Skip Montanaro)
 Cleaning PC's can be bad for your health...  (John McMahon)
 PIN verification security (Otto Makela)
 Social Insecurity (Roger Pick)
RISKS 5.83  24 Dec 87
 Another article on the Christmas Virus (Mark Brader)
 Social Insecurity (Willis H. Ware)
 Expert systems (Peter da Silva)
 Most-common passwords (Rodney Hoffman)
 Permissions and setuid on UNIX (Philip Kos)
 UNIX chroot and setuid (Michael S. Fischbein)
RISKS 5.84  31 Dec 87
 Risks of Robots (Eric Haines)
 Christmas Exec AGAIN! (Eric Skinner)
 Computer glitch stalls 3 million bank transactions for a day (Rodney Hoffman)
 Switch malfunction disrupts phone service (Richard Nichols)
 40,000 telephones on "hold" (Bob Cunningham)
 Unions denied access to commercial database services
   (Originally by Jeff Angus and Alice LaPlante via Michael Travers via
   Eric Haines via John Saponara)
 'Leg Irons' Keep Inmates Home (Randy Schulz)
 Re: Logic Bomb case thrown out of court (Amos Shapir)
 Missouri Court Decision on Computerized Voting (Charles Youman)
 pc hard disk risks -- and a way out? (Martin Minow)
 Viruses and Goedel bugs (Matthew P. Wiener)
RISKS 5.85  31 Dec 87
 SUMMARY OF RISKS VOLUME 5, COLLECTED IN RISKS-5.85

------------------------------

End of RISKS-FORUM Digest
************************