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From: STEWART_SYS@uta.EDU (Dan Stewart)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Security patch distributions.
Message-ID: <8706190143.AA12092@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 16-Jun-87 09:54:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8706190143.AA12092
Posted: Tue Jun 16 09:54:00 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jun-87 01:08:10 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Perhaps in distributing security patches, or any needed patch for that matter,
DEC could set up a similar system to what SAS Institute has, which is called
Dial-A-Patch.  You call into their system and interactively select the patch
that you need and download it.  DEC could use the same method of identification
as for RDC, in an online form, asking for your system ID and a registered
contact name.  In this manner, people could get a patch when they need it,
after they've become aware of a problem, or they could simply make it a practiceto regularly dial in to see what current patches exist.

This solution would involve some expenses on DECs part, as far as setting up
a machine for this purpose, and some kind of rotary-answer modem system, but
as it is now, they have to send out tapes to everyone, which must be a large
expense in itself.

Dan Stewart
Univ. of Texas - Arlington