Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: frisk@rhi.hi.is (Fridrik Skulason) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Hunter-Killer Vaccines Message-ID: <0009.9008141517.AA11481@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 14 Aug 90 12:27:41 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 28 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu Here we go again.... > It has recently been suggested in this journal that sending >out 'helpful' viruses that would infect machines and destroy harmful >viruses should be thought about. I have and have reached these >conclusions: > 1) It is a nice (even ethical) thing to do. No - it is not, for numerous reasons - one is that the anti-virus-viruses may not be able to properly identify new variants of a virus they know, and destroy the infected program, instead of disinfecting it. There are also numerous other reasons. > 2) It would not help virus programmer's in a technical sense. If they > can write these things now, new algorithms are but a matter of time. If you provide anyone with a virus, even a "harmless" one - the risk arises that somebody might create a new, harmful virus, just by patching the "harmless" one. > 3) It should not be done. Agree 100% - -- Fridrik Skulason University of Iceland | Technical Editor of the Virus Bulletin (UK) | Reserved for future expansion E-Mail: frisk@rhi.hi.is Fax: 354-1-28801 |