Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cbmvax!bill
From: bill@cbmvax.UUCP (Bill Koester CATS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: VIRUS ANSWERS
Message-ID: <3081@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jan 88 18:06:41 GMT
Reply-To: bill@cbmvax.UUCP (Bill Koester CATS)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 63


After being away for 3 days (New Years and all!) I was amazed to find
my mailbox full of messages regarding the virus. Well, I am glad people
are showing this kind of interest and concern. Let me try to answer some
of the big questions.

DO/DON't distribute the SCA VIRUS PROTECTOR:

	I will not distribute ANY virus protector unless
	(a) I wrote it!
	(b) I have the source.
	In the case of the SCA VIRUS PROTECTOR even the source might not
	help since it only checks for the original SCA virus.

DO/DON't distrubute the VIRUS source:

	I will NEVER distrubute the source to ANY virus or anything
	that could be harmfull to the Amiga or it's users.

DON't endorse the VIRUS as helping to thwart pirating:

	I never endorsed this or any virus. My comment a while back
	< Good Point! > may have been misunderstood. I meant simply
	that, yes, there may indeed be people out there that will
	think twice about pirating software for fear of infection.
	That is all I meant!
	AIDS is not a good thing either but I think it has made many
	people aware of the risks of casual sex. The virus has made
	users aware of the risks of pirating or accepting pirated
	software.

REMOVE BOOTSTRAP CAPABILITIES / HARDWARE PROTECTION:

	George Robbins covered this in detail in a recent posting
	and I agree!

DO THIS THAT THE OTHER THING IN VCheck:

	All V1.x versions of VCheck where quick and dirty hacks to
	get a detector into the user community. VCheck2.0 is now
	in the works and will be much smarter than its predecessors
	it will have the ability to learn about new virus's and restore
	life to some infected disks. I hate to make comments about
	software that is yet to be completed, but, I believe VCheck2.0
	will effectively neutralize the current strains as well as any
	others that crop up.

COMMODORE SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE WITH THIS:

	We are doing everything possible to correct/eliminate this problem.
	You, yes you can help us with this. If you think you have found
	a new virus, one that VCheck1.2 will not recognize PLEASE send
	an infected disk (CLEARLY MARKED) to:
			Bill Koester (CATS)
			Commodore International Ltd.
			1200 Wilson Drive
			West Chester, PA 19380
			or call (215) 431-9355 
-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bill Koester (CATS)          >>Commodore Amiga Technical Support<<
Commodore International Ltd. UUCP ..{allegra|burdvax|rutgers|ihnp4}!cbmvax!bill 
		             PHONE  (215) 431-9355