Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ucbvax!NUHUB.ACS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU!FITZ
From: FITZ@NUHUB.ACS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: Does this policy affect security?
Message-ID: <8702031124.AA21387@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Sun, 1-Feb-87 19:09:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8702031124.AA21387
Posted: Sun Feb  1 19:09:00 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Feb-87 02:20:18 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 32
Approved: info-vax@sri-kl.arpa

Jim Murawski of Carnegie Mellon University  objects to a policy decision 
made by his university admministration that the contents of the Info-Vax 
mailing list be available to all members of the University community.  Let 
us ask both "Why would they do such a thing?" and "Why should Mr. Murawski 
object?"

Having worked for the Smithsonian Institution for many years, I have long 
taken as a personal guideline the words of James Smithson in his 1829 
bequest to "the United States of America, to found at Washington under the 
name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & 
diffusion of knowledge among men."  These are words it would do well for 
everyone responsible for the guidance of a university to keep in mind.  In 
so far as the Info-Vax mailing list can contribute to the "increase and 
diffusion of knowledge" it is proper, in this light, that it be available 
as it is at CMU.

Murawski is worried about security implications of this action.  First, it
is at least rare that when security matters appear on the mailing list that
the recipe for taking advantage of a weakness is disclosed.  Far more
important, at least from the perspective of Northeastern, is that many of
our best students spend months on coop at DEC.  They seem to have access 
not only to "water cooler scuttlebut", but to company confidential 
documents and even SPRs.  I consider any comfort from keeping this list 
from them while they are on campus delusiory.  I doubt that such attempts 
at secrecy will help at all.

There are, as we see it, much better reasons for publishing than not. 

					-Robert J. FitzPatrick
					-Academic Computing Services
					-Northeastern University
					-Boston MA