Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!ucbvax!SUN.COM!khb
From: khb@SUN.COM (Keith Bierman - Sun Tactical Engineering)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Crackers and Worms
Keywords: bug reality
Message-ID: <8811081902.AA08587@chiba.>
Date: 8 Nov 88 19:02:42 GMT
References: <1698@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU> <2060@spdcc.COM> <1240@ucsd.EDU> <829@mcrware.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: khb@Sun.COM (Keith Bierman - Sun Tactical Engineering)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 41

In article <829@mcrware.UUCP> droid@mcrware.UUCP (Andy Nicholson) writes:
>Just a note regarding the recent illness of the internet, etc.  I am sure
>that the perpetrator will be found and almost certainly punished in some
>way.  But I for one thank the guy.  
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> stuff deleted

>You just can't convince some people that something is possible until it is
>too late.  I have seen some postings on the net about "Other people know
>how to do this too, but we are too polite to do it".  Well, that is not
>sufficient.  If you know it can happen, why was this gaping hole left in?
>Lucky for us it was a reasonably responsible person who did this instead of
>a juvenile "cracker" who thought "Oh boy, wouldn't it be neat to crash
>every machine on the internet and delete all their files."  Obviously things
>could have been a lot worse.  The fact that these holes were left in and not
>fixed is a problem.  Those who were aware of the problem and did not do
>anything about it are just as guilty as the person who did.
>

I know how to get drunk and drive a truck right through a schoolyard.
This would serve to demonstrate why we shouldn't serve such beverages,
and why schools should be protected with huge fences (concrete) and
armed guards.

Of course not everyone wants to live that way.

Note that only universities and research instuitions got infected.
"real" companies have armed guards patrolling the net. This costs $$

This infestation will result in more public hysteria, and will raise
the cost of maintaining the net. Arbitrary levels of security are
possible, but do we wish to bear the costs ?

For comparison, consider: Do we want armed guards at every freeway
on-ramp ? Every corner ?

People who unleash viruses should be shot, or otherwise done away with.

(btw: the excuse that it was an experiment is pretty lame, would we
feel sympathy for a biological reseacher who did the same thing ?
Experiments should remain in the lab. Not the "real" world).