Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lsuc!jimomura
From: jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura)
Subject: Re: 'only_ste.lzh'
Organization: Consultant, Toronto
Date: Fri, 31 May 1991 15:03:18 GMT
Message-ID: <1991May31.150318.20441@lsuc.on.ca>
References: <CMM.0.90.2.675623718.larserio@kvart.ifi.uio.no> <134302@unix.cis.pitt.edu>

In article <134302@unix.cis.pitt.edu> rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Robert J Anisko) writes:
>In article <CMM.0.90.2.675623718.larserio@kvart.ifi.uio.no> larserio@ifi.uio.no writes:

...

>  For any users that might have been Atari 8-bit users at one time, the
>MSA (Magic Shadow Archiving) works in the same way as DISCOMM or Scrunch -
>it simply takes data from the whole disk (including boot sectors) and
>puts it into a file, so it can be transmitted via modem.  Then when the
>file is received, you just reverse the process and unpack it to a full
>disk, boot and all.  For some programs and demos, this is the only
>way to go about it (say an author doesn't want you messing with his/her
>data (by loading a file into an editor such as Edhack) - so he/she
>wipes out the directory and makes the program autobooting - kinda
>a method of file protection...

     Now that's getting down right, uh, not-very-intelligent.
Anybody with enough knowledge to analyse an object code file
probably has sufficient tools to read sectors anyway.  For
the rest of us who have no intention of playing with their
object code they do us the great honour of create a situation
where virus distribution can increase.  All we need now is
somebody forging a copy of this 'only_ste' demo kit with a
virus in place of the original boot sector and dozens of
STE owners are going to find themselves doubting the wisdom
of their purchases.

     While we're on the topic of viruses, I was very impressed with
the "finish" of VKiller.  It got me to thinking about such programs.
VKiller identifies ST boot sectors and where possible specifically
identifies viruses.  But even the warning about boot sectors is
well done.  I was just thinking that many of us use Atari ST's in
"mixed environments" with MS-DOS machines and it would be helpful
if VKiller identified MS-DOS boot sectors as well.  I wouldn't go
so far as to try and keep up with the MS-DOS virus situation completely,
but just give a warning like this:

"MS-DOS Executable boot sector found.  If this disk was not supposed
to have one, you might want to discuss this with whomever supplied
the disk."

     That way you could alert an MS-DOS user that s/he might have
a virus.
>
>					Robert Anisko
>					rjast1@cis.unix.pitt.edu


-- 
Jim Omura, 2A King George's Drive, Toronto, (416) 652-3880
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