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From: woodside@ttidca.TTI.COM (George Woodside)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Right of reply, virus- public, private- a thin line
Message-ID: <3945@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 24 Feb 89 13:05:04 GMT
References: <14940@cup.portal.com> <817@sering.cwi.nl>
Reply-To: woodside@ttidcb.tti.com (George Woodside)
Organization: Citicorp/TTI, Santa Monica
Lines: 27

I promised long ago not to release copies of any virus anyone sent to me.
I still get several requests each month for copies, for all sorts of reasons.
I can understand the curiousity, but you just never know what might happen.
Some of them are not harmful, while others are very dangerous.

I happen to believe that keeping things secret is a good way to leave
users vulnerable, while making the viruses that much more effective. That's
why VKILLER not only detects and kills viruses, but will report on exactly
what any virus it recognizes will do. 

It might not be a bad idea to post the characteristics of the viruses 
I know about here. Perhaps a series of items, outlining one virus at a
time. I believe that information would be useful to anyone. If you're
not interested, I suggest the "N" key.

Please don't flood me with "Yes, do it" messages. I'll get started this
weekend, and start messages as soon as I can get them prepared at a level
that most people can understand. 

Meanwhile, if anyone has turned up any that VKILLER didn't recognize,
forward a copy, and I'll add it to the program, and the notes to go
here. I will not send any copies (of the virus) anywhere else.


-- 
*George R. Woodside - Citicorp/TTI - Santa Monica, CA 
*Path:       ..!{philabs|csun|psivax}!ttidca!woodside