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From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: A challenge for those who believe that the network has security
Message-ID: <1191@randvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 24-Oct-87 17:23:45 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1191
Posted: Sat Oct 24 17:23:45 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Oct-87 04:57:08 EST
References: <3974@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <3016@psuvax1.psu.edu>
Reply-To: edhall@rand.ORG (Ed Hall)
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 13

Even if USENET were 100% secure (and it isn't), the computer systems
it runs on generally aren't, and UUCP (frequently the transport
mechanism for netnews) most certainly isn't.  You might be able to
trace the system a message came from, but so what?  Was the posting
user really the person whose account was used?  Is the system which
fed the article really who the next host down the line thought it was?

Anyone attempting to mount a court case based on USENET postings would
likely be countered with a battery of experts who will testify to
these things.  Of course, I think we generally agree that legal action
would likely kill netnews, win or lose--in all probability, ``lose''.

		-Ed