VIRUS-L Digest Thursday, 17 Nov 1988 Volume 1 : Issue 12
Today's Topics:
Re: [STMONTG@PUCC: Ye Compleat Vyrusse]
Domesticating "evil" hackers.
Re: Military Systems
Re: FluShot+ versions
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Date: Wed, 16 Nov 88 11:00:17 EST
From: Joe McMahon <XRJDM%
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [STMONTG@PUCC: Ye Compleat Vyrusse]
>From: Sean T Montgomery <STMONTG@PUCC>
>Subject: Ye Compleat Vyrusse
>I'm only a recent subscriber, so please bear with me if this has been
>discussed into the ground. I would be interested in receiving as
>complete a list as possible of microcomputer (preferably Macintosh)
>"anti-viral" programs, and/or a list of servers or persons who have
>these programs available thru E-mail. I would like to have a copy for
>my own sake, and also for sending to people who show up on one net or
>another saying "Help!!! I've got a virus!!! What do I do!!!" Case in
>point: nVIR can be removed a number of ways, some simpler than others
>(the KillVirus INIT seems to beat everything else). I'd like to find
>out what other virus killers/protectors are best for other situations.
Sean, I've compiled such a list as a HyperCard stack. I have been
planning to convert it into an article for Computers and Security,
but...
Anyway, the stack lists all of the software which I've been able to
get hold of for evaluation. It does NOT include KillVirus, because I
haven't been able to get a copy so far. It does, however, give a short
review of each program (along with a longer one, if you want it) and a
description of the viruses I've been able to confirm so far. It
includes hand-removal instructions for each of the viruses, along with
my recommendations based on the software I've seen.
The software itself is available from LISTSERV at SCFVM. You may
either order the whole package, or selected pieces. TELL LISTSERV AT
SCFVM INDEX PUBLIC for a list of files.
Please, if you can, send me KillVirus so I can add it to my stack and
to our server. I've just gotten the latest release of ResEdit and will
probably be adding it to the distribution later this week. If you can
get me KillVirus, I'll put it into the same distribution.
- --- Joe M.
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Date: Wed, 16 Nov 88 19:06 EST
From: Robert Stratton <RSTRATTO%
[email protected]>
Subject: Domesticating "evil" hackers.
Hello all,
Just my two cents, and as I like the (normally) non-flaming
nature of this list, I'll try to keep it brief.
SET /FLAME=ON [Ed. I'd hesitate to calling this a flame;
rather, it's a heated discussion... Flames,
of course, are strongly discouraged on
VIRUS-L. Anyone feeling the uncontrollable
urge to flame should send his/her flame to
the author of the culprit message, please.]
One major point that I rarely hear discussion on
regards the fact that many of these "nether" hackers are
simply champing at the bit for an opportunity to do *any*
sort of productive work in the industry. Now this is by no
means all of them, but I have seen several people who were
just starting to turn toward possibly destructive hacking
endeavors who made radical changes in behavior and attitude
when given a chance to participate in a professional
capacity.
I think it is unwise to automatically assume that if we
were to (God forbid) offer employment to all of these people
our "destructive hacker" problems would be solved. On the
contrary, many statistics indicate that the majority of
computer fraud incidents are currently and have always been
perpetrated from within organizations. My point is simply
that it is also unwise to ignore the fact that some of these
urchins (age notwithstanding) are highly motivated
individuals who merely need a professionally creative
outlet. Let's face it, there are a significant number of
people in D.P. or C.S. who have no real love for it, and
have fallen into the "money/marketability" trap as
originally defined the medical and legal professions. (No
offense intended.)
In my experience, it is also a risk, although of
another sort, to employ people with zero enthusiasm for the
work they are doing. I place a great value on enthusiasm,
because people with enthusiasm and some discipline can and
will learn whatever else they need to, be it standards or
practices. (Yes, "ethics" fit in there somewhere.)
SET /FLAME=OFF
Probably the most dangerous aspects of the RTM situation
are the attempted (?) suppression of information by federal
authorities as well as the media hype/public paranoia that
have been generated. I remember well the panic/fascination
in the public after the _War Games_ "phase". As if we don't
have enough difficulty creating trust in our "users"
already!!!
I would welcome mail discussing this, if the list
begins to diverge much farther from its primary purpose, and
people still want to talk about it.
Bob Stratton
Info. Systems Consultant
Stratton Systems Design
<
[email protected]>
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Date: 16 Nov 88 19:55:00 EST
From: Michael Brown <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Military Systems
Most military applications are standalone products that have
no interaction with the rest of the world, so the possibility
of the system being affected by a virus is minimal.
The systems that the military use are not perfect, but they
have to be pretty close before they become operational.
As was mentioned, drills and simulations are used extensively
to test the reliability of the software/hardware.
Quick example. When they first came out with the F-16
they discovered a bug in one of the simulators, the plane
inverted when it flew over the equator. When they compared
the code, the same bug was found in the actually planes.
The same bug was found and corrected in the real planes.
CP6-Mail: Michael Brown @CMR
NET-Mail: <
[email protected]>
Michael Brown Snail-Mail: Service Informatique CMR, St-Jean, Que. J0J 1R0
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Date: Wed, 16 Nov 88 10:09:06 SET
From: "Christian J. Reichetzeder" <REICHETZ@AWIIMC11>
Subject: Re: FluShot+ versions
How about making the latest (or only recommended) version available on
the VIRUS-L FILELIST ?
Christian
[Ed. That's the plan - as soon as I can get around to doing it.
Placing files on a LISTSERV filelist is no simple task (oh, I wish
everyone could anonymous FTP...); there's not enough space to place
sufficient comments about the file(s), and the commands to actually
put a file up are somewhat, er, cryptic. Removing an existing file on
a filelist is worse. Also, it's been reported that some people are
having problems uudecoding the files on our LISTSERV - apparently the
EBCDIC (sp?) character set doesn't include all the ASCII characters
that are used in UUENCODED format files. If that's the case, then
that's yet another problem to deal with. Comments/suggestions are
welcomed.]
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End of VIRUS-L Digest
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