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From: attain!RATVAX.DNET!ROBERTS@apple.com (I'm working on it...)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: anti-virus viruses (AVV's)
Message-ID: <0004.9009191742.AA13188@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 18 Sep 90 15:27:08 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

Howard A. Landman writes about potential anti-virus viruses (AVV's)
>Another safety feature would be to publish all the information needed
>to recognize and disinfect the virus, a few months before releasing
>it.

A good idea, and you would want to publish anonymously.

>A polite AVV might ask before committing suicide, so the user had the
>choice of some other software to do the job.

I don't think a "polite" AVV would spread.  Noone would say "yes".  A
"considerate" AVV would kill itself if it detected any form of anti-viral
software known to be able to detect the virus(es) that the AVV is hunting.

I think Howard's idea of food points is clever and would not significantly
reduce the AVV's effectiveness.

another note:  Is it true that the destructive viruses are less
contagious because they are more likely to be noticed?

- -George Roberts
..decwrl.dec.com!teda!ratvax.dnet!roberts