Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!udel!rochester!rutgers!mcnc!thorin!unc!bell
From: bell@unc.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: The ultimate fix!!!
Message-ID: <4197@thorin.cs.unc.edu>
Date: 14 Sep 88 18:30:15 GMT
References: <681@zehntel.UUCP> <3084@hermes.ai.mit.edu>
Sender: news@thorin.cs.unc.edu
Reply-To: bell@unc.UUCP (Andrew Bell)
Organization: University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lines: 28

In response to idea of checksummed boot block idea you saw a few messages
ago... 

The "checksum" could be made a rather intricate calculation,  and thus hard to
match.  However,  since Commodore may want to change the boot block,  and there
are various custom boot blocks,  this really isn't such a great idea.

However,  an idea that might at least make virus writing more difficult would
be creating custom boot blocks that do interesting things.  Perhaps a bunch of
Robotron robots performing anti-marketroid maneuvers...

Just think: disciple-to-be:"Hey what are those robots doing?"
            You:"Why,  they're ensuring my system is virus-free."
            DTB:"Wow,  I didn't know Amigas could do that..."

That way,  when you boot up and you see that display,  you're more sure of
being virus-free.  If there were a number of these around, with hooks to ensure
their code is on the boot block,  it might be impossible to write a small
enough virus to move and change every publicly available boot block.

Comments,  anyone?

Ideas,  Leo? :-)

Copyright 1988 by Andrew Bell
The Schizophrenic Grad Student (and Amiga developer)
bell@cs.unc.edu
acb@cs.duke.edu