Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!claris!peirce
From: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Suggestion for virus prevention
Keywords: CODE resource virus detection
Message-ID: <8048@claris.com>
Date: 13 Jan 89 20:25:43 GMT
References: <1272@viscous.sco.COM> <3614@tekig4.TEK.COM> <27491@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <10330@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Organization: Claris Corporation, Mountain View CA
Lines: 39

In article <10330@well.UUCP> odawa@well.UUCP (Michael Odawa) writes:
>
>We also recommend that your program refuse to continue running (i.e., that
>you ExitToShell() after notifying the user) if its integrity has been 
>compromised.
>
>Michael Odawa
>President, Software Development Council
>odawa@well.uucp

First off, I want to say what a good job Michael and the Software Development
Council are doing getting developers motivated to do something about the
virus problems; and I agreee with most of what he says...

But, I do disagree with the above statement.  Users shouldn't normally continue
using virus infected software until things are cleaned up, but there are times
when it makes sense for a user to "continue at his own risk".  Imagine you're
preparing an important report/presentation/article/etc. when an hour before
your deadline your software informs you that it refuses to continue.  I know
that in this position I'd rather take my chances continuing to try to complete
my current work, THEN deal with the virus problem.  

So my $.02: Do the consistency checking.  If there's a problem strongly warn
the user against proceeding, but do allow it.  Otherwise I imagine you'll
be getting irate customers complaining about the above scenario.

-- michael

[Normal disclaimers apply]

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