Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!uw-beaver!ubc-cs!cheddar.cc.ubc.ca!ballard
From: ballard@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2
Subject: Re: Security concerns for OS/2?
Message-ID: <7232@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: 19 Mar 90 16:42:56 GMT
References: <5341@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU> <53617@microsoft.UUCP>
Sender: news@cs.ubc.ca
Reply-To: ballard@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard)
Organization: UBC Computing Centre, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 18

In article <53617@microsoft.UUCP> alistair@microsoft.UUCP (Alistair BANKS) writes:
>I would say that os/2 has + & - compared with DOS regarding viruses.
>  
A big plus for OS/2 *ought* to be that it runs in protected mode, which
could provide a lot of security.   Unfortunately, all kinds of software
suppliers, include Microsoft, are busy advising users to put IOPL=YES
in the config.sys file, which throws away much of the potential benefit 
(by allowing programs to directly access I/O devices etc.).   
Using the IOPL=list form isn't much better since it is seriously
flawed from a security perspective.  
  



Alan Ballard                   | Internet: Alan_Ballard@mtsg.ubc.ca
University Computing Services  |   Bitnet: USERAB1@UBCMTSG
University of British Columbia |    Phone: 604-228-3074
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