Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: dmg@lid.mitre.org (David Gursky) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: "Computer Condom" (from Risks digest)... Message-ID: <0003.8907311200.AA25265@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 29 Jul 89 03:18:17 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 25 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu [From the Seattle Weekly, 5/3/89] PUT A CONDOM ON YOUR COMPUTER Every worry that your computer might be hanging out in a network where it will pick up some disgusting virus? Empirical Research Systems of Tacoma suggests you supply it with one of their "computer condoms". This high-tech prophylactic is a combination of hardware and software embodied in a controller card that simply replaces the one already in the machine. Rick Cummings, the company's president, says the system "stops all viruses" by monitoring the user network, the keyboard, and the program in use. He notes that the system is programmable to alter the parameters of its control on any given machine, but he guarantees that, "when programmed to your requirements, it will not allow viruses to enter." The technology was developed through successful efforts to protect a group of European banks from the massive virus that penetrated European computer networks last autumn. "Naturally these became our first orders," Cummings says. He has since picked up an additional 2500 firm orders in Europe, with 5000 more contingent on inspection of the product. In the United States, the product has been reviewed by Boeing Computer Services and computer technicians at the UW. It will be on the domestic market "early next autumn at a cost of under $1000," Cummings says. DG -- Pardon me while I laugh uncontrollably.