Xref: utzoo comp.sys.atari.st:14860 comp.sys.apple:11356 comp.sys.mac:28894 comp.sys.ibm.pc:26439
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!mailrus!cornell!biar!trebor
From: trebor@biar.UUCP (Robert J Woodhead)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Virus 101: Chapter 3
Message-ID: <400@biar.UUCP>
Date: 23 Mar 89 03:26:53 GMT
References: <4035@ttidca.TTI.COM> <11179@ut-emx.UUCP> <72298@ti-csl.csc.ti.com> <15976@cup.portal.com> <763@snjsn1.SJ.ATE.SLB.COM>
Reply-To: trebor@biar.UUCP (Robert J Woodhead)
Followup-To: comp.sys.atari.st
Organization: Biar Games, Inc.
Lines: 50

In article <763@snjsn1.SJ.ATE.SLB.COM> greg@sj.ate.slb.com (Greg Wageman) writes:
>Witholding this or ANY information is a TOTALITARIAN concept and is
>contrary to the principles of a FREE SOCIETY.  Who are YOU to
>decide what knowledge is "dangerous"?  WHO MADE YOU THE OFFICIAL
>NETWORK CENSOR?  What do you do next, post a list of books to burn?

I totally agree.  Please publish all the trade secrets of your
employer immediately.  It's totally contrary to the principles of
a free society, after all.  Please don't make such ludicrously
broad statements.

It is up to each individual to decide what is and what is not
dangerous.  If I feel it is, I can't compel you not to.  I can
try and convince you that your action is foolhardy.

>You evidently don't know anyone who is "all thumbs".  I don't think my
>70-year old Aunt could do it, either, even if she had the proper
>tools, which she doesn't.  BUT, she can HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT,
>once she knows what she wants done!  This is certainly true of your
>uneducated plain-vanilla users.  THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED UNLESS
>SOMEONE PUBLISHES THE INFORMATION.

They don't need in depth technical info, which you have just stated
they won't understand, to make this decision.  Thus, your example is
spurious.

>It will help by making anti-viral programs as widespread as some
>viruses. 

As the author of several of these programs, let me tell you, they are.

>It isn't "easy to figure out" if your mind doesn't work that way.
>This information shows us how a virus-writer's mind works, and lets us
>write more effective defenses.  First lesson in a war: KNOW YOUR ENEMY!

You don't publish info on safecracking in order to promote the
development of better safes; rather, you narrowcast the information
to appropriate recipients.  A perfect example was the Internet worm.
If Morris had simply mailed a copy of a program that, when run, told
a sysadm whether his machine was vulnerable and suggested a patch, or
even just published it, he would have been lauded.  Instead, in his
"attempt" to publicise the problem, he broadcasted the information in
the form of a worm and was reviled for it.



-- 
* Robert J Woodhead * The true meaning of life is cunningly encrypted and *
* uunet!biar!trebor * hidden somewhere in this signature...               *
* Biar Games, Inc.  *                       ...no, go back and look again *