Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!snorkelwacker!apple!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw
From: MAINT@UQAM.BITNET (Peter Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Protecting software from contaminatation
Message-ID: <0004.9001161848.AA10905@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 15 Jan 90 17:02:02 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 17
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

On Sun, 14 Jan 90 18:02:00 -0500 WHMurray@DOCKMASTER.ARPA said, in
VIRUS-L Digest   Monday, 15 Jan 1990    Volume 3 : Issue 11:
>Subject: Shrink-Wrapped Software
>
>Shrink-wrap that is applied by the vendor would help to serve that
>purpose.  However, few original vendors use labelled shrink-wrap and
>many distributors and retailers can apply shrink wrap.

If vendors used read-only diskettes, contamination of the distribution
diskettes would become almost impossible for casual users. The user would have
to tamper with the write-protect switch on his diskette reader to allow
alteration of a diskette.
Early Apple-IIs are the only machines I know of in which diskette write
protection can be overcome by software.

Peter Jones     MAINT@UQAM     (514)-987-3542
"Life's too short to try and fill up every minute of it" :-)