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From: B645ZAX%UTARLG.BITNET@VMA.CC.CMU.EDU (David Richardson, UTA)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: RE: future viruses on a PC Pull plug before cleaning
Message-ID: <0010.8911091541.AA08370@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 9 Nov 89 04:40:00 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

frisk@rhi.hi.is writes
>jim frost writes:
>>Limiting Propagation Rates.
[edited out list of viruses that limit propogation rates]
[frost goes on to point out how some of todays viruses meet some criteria
 of the "ultimate virus", and mentions the threat of AIDS and other
 anti-disinfecting viruses]

>>By now you should get the idea that almost every virus we've seen is
>>primitive, although several showed some of the survival traits which I
>>outline above.  Given the limited resources of PC environments, it's
>>unlikely that you'll get a very sophisticated virus.
>
>I must disagree. In the PC environment it is not a question of limited
>resources, but rather the fact that any user process has full access to
>ALL resources and can even directly manipulate the hardware if required.
>So, my opinion is that it is even easier to write a sophisticated virus on
>the PC than in most other environments.

The PC user has one weapon that is impactical on a mainframe:
THE PC USER CAN TURN OFF HIS MACHINE AT ANY TIME AND DISINFECT HIS SYSTEM
VERY EASILY.  NO VIRUS (THAT I KNOW OF) CAN LIVE THROUGH A COLD BOOT.

As long as PCs retain an OFF switch, then we have the ultimate power over
our compters, viruses or not.

- -David Richardson   b645zax@utarlg.bitnet, @utarlg.arl.utexas.edu
UTSPAN::UTADNX::UTARLG::B645ZAX             phone +1 817 273 2231