Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!elroy!cit-vax!oberon!nunki.usc.edu!rjung
From: rjung@nunki.usc.edu (Robert  allen Jung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Atari 8-bit viruses
Summary: Trojan horsies?
Message-ID: <1336@nunki.usc.edu>
Date: 9 Sep 88 04:16:38 GMT
References: <8809081639.AA19101@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: rjung@nunki.usc.edu (Robert  allen Jung)
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 28


  Well, I just looked at that paragraph you were (probably) referring to,
about "Nor are 8-bit Atari owners completely safe". From what I read though,
from the way the "virus" is supposed to attach itself to another program,
it seems more like the 8-bit "virus" isn't a virus in the traditional sense
(eg, a self-sustained replicating program), but more like a modification to
an existing program...Can we call this a retrofitted Trojan Horse instead?

  I'm no hardware/systems expert, but I can't see how a boot-sector-type
virus could work on the Atari 8-bit. You MIGHT try to write a self-booting
disk "utility" that infects whatever disks you use with it, but that is hardly
a virus, is it?

  Overall, it seems like 8-bit "viruses" is just an extension of the idea of
maleviolent code. Maybe John Jainschigg decided to take liberties with the
definition "virus" to inject some 8-bit interest into the article (Let's face
it, the virus problem is easier to inflict on the ST world -- Whew!)

  (What am I saying? I've got an ST too! [But _2_ 8-bits! Hahahaneeharhar])

						--R.J.
						B-)

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  Disclaimer: These are my views, and mine alone.
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