Xref: utzoo comp.sys.atari.st:14219 comp.sys.apple:10249 comp.sys.mac:27189 comp.sys.ibm.pc:25133
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!fmr
From: fmr@cwi.nl (Frank Rahmani)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Re: Right of reply, virus- public, private- a thin line
Message-ID: <817@sering.cwi.nl>
Date: 23 Feb 89 03:58:53 GMT
References: <14940@cup.portal.com>
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Lines: 28

> Xref: mcvax comp.sys.atari.st:13510 comp.sys.apple:9753 comp.sys.mac:24408 comp.sys.ibm.pc:21229
> Where do you draw the line...?   Are we better prepared if we see what most
> destructive programs look like..?  Or...  can we possibly avoid future
> problems by surpressing this information now..?
Yes, you are better prepared when you know what ALL (not most) viruses
look like. Once you got one, you can easily identify it, write your own
virus-checkers etc. And what you mean by 'surpressing this information'?
You would be the FIRST person in the world if you manage to do so.
You just can't. Nobody can. You just get people curious. I saw experienced
programmers spending their time to disassemble the INTERNET-virus. Not
because they want to duplicate it, they just want to know how it works.
So they can find remedies against it.
> I'd like to see the source code for these "viruses", but who's to believe
> that *I* won't use them destructively...?
I want to see the source too. So that I know what hits me in the night.
I'm very shure I wan't use them destructively (except on my own stuff:-).
I hate to see some 16-year old breaking my system and I don't even
know how hw did it.
> No answers, I'm afraid...
The only answer is spread your information, only informed people can
take the right decisions
> BobR
fmr@cwi.nl
-- 
It is better never to have been born. But who among us has such luck?
Maintainer's Motto:
	If we can't fix it, it ain't broke.
These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.