Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!apple!well!ewhac
From: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo L. Schwab)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: On Viruses...
Summary: Fueling the flames of paranoia...
Message-ID: <10193@well.UUCP>
Date: 2 Jan 89 07:11:49 GMT
Reply-To: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab)
Distribution: na
Organization: The Weisenheimers of Eisenheim
Lines: 24
Quote: "Oh, I just canNOT handle weirdness."  -- Boy George (Bloom County)

[ The PClone hit.  -- more --  Your armor turns grey. ]

	Given the new Amiga virus that is now spreading, I have this very
funny feeling about the RGB demo posted in comp.binaries.amiga.  I have not
downloaded it, I have not inspected it, I have neard no tales of ill fate
befalling anyone because of it.

	However, I would recommend caution.  The thing is so large that it
will be impossible for anyone to verify its integrity.  Demos are an
excellent way to distribute nefarious code.  Speaking only for myself, I
would be careful of it, and all further imported demos.

	One way I thought of to detect the virus, off the top of my head, is
to have the some command in your Startup-Sequence check the size of the
first command.  If it's different from what it should be, you throw up an
attention-getting warning.  Naturally, for individuals who rarely boot their
machine, this may not be an effective procedure, but it's certainly one to
consider.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape	INET: well!ewhac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU
 \_ -_		Recumbent Bikes:	UUCP: pacbell > !{well,unicom}!ewhac
O----^o	      The Only Way To Fly.	      hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack")
"Work FOR?  I don't work FOR anybody!  I'm just having fun."  -- The Doctor