Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!glasgow!orr
From: orr@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Fraser Orr)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: Computer (in)security
Message-ID: <1913@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Date: 21 Nov 88 15:47:42 GMT
References: <8811171507.AA08404@jade.berkeley.edu>
Reply-To: orr%cs.glasgow.ac.uk@nss.ucl.ac.uk (Fraser Orr)
Organization: Comp Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland
Lines: 37

In article <8811171507.AA08404@jade.berkeley.edu> ZMLEB@SCFVM.BITNET (Lee Brotzman) writes:
>   I'm posting this is to try to raise another topic of discussion.
>Is there such a thing as a "secure" programming language, or can only
>programs themselves be thought of as secure?  What techniques can be used
>to write secure programs in any language, especially Forth?

I don't see what your talking about.  Surely "computer security" has
little to do with programming language issues?  Is this not a network,
and/or operating system issue only?

I would be interested to see anyone produce a compiler that refused to
compile malicious code...  :^> Maybe you could have a flag "-N num" that
allowed you to compile code of differing levels of nastiness, you have
to be super user to set level 1 and you have to have $USER set to
"Ronald Regan" to compile code set to level 2?  :^>

Of course if your talking about internal security, might I mention
type checking .... (evaporates in a flamefest :^> )

>   In regards to the voting booth example given above, I find it difficult
>to believe that a single voter fiddling around in the booth could rig an
>election.  

I've never been in a voting booth.  Do they have RS232 ports so that you
can plug in your portable computer, hack into the network, and fix the
vote?  How very accommandating of them !  :^>

>   The reasons I ask is because this is a topic that interests me.  I'm
>studying network communications in the Masters program at Johns Hopkins
>University, and security is a subject of heightened interest at the moment.

Appoligies for the sarcasim, I think this could be an interesting discussion,
Just move it to the correct newsgroup (or limit the discussion to program
language issues)

Regards,
	Fraser Orr