Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Computer Virus Hearings
Keywords: virus, goddard, congress, leahy
Message-ID: <4295@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 24 May 89 14:26:29 GMT
References: <154@oldcolo.UUCP> <4246@ficc.uu.net> <11813@well.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Xenix Support
Lines: 43

In article <11813@well.UUCP>, dave@well.UUCP (Dave Hughes) writes:
> In article <4246@ficc.uu.net>, peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
> > In article <154@oldcolo.UUCP>, dave@oldcolo.UUCP (Dave Hughes) writes:
> > > A  system 
> > > which permits uncontrolled access to its ports,  or self-assigned 
> >                                                       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > passwords  is not even covered under the Electronic Privacy  Act. 
> >   ^^^^^^^^^

> > Either you're confusing passwords with accounts, or the EPA is grossly
> > misdesigned, or you're misinterpreting it.

> If one can just dial a numebr, get a modem
> connect, having never dialed it before, and get into the system
> without anybody's permission the system is not a closed system.

Well, I hope the act uses language that reflects that meaning instead of
talking about self-assigned passwords.

> One
> typical way is to have either no passwords required, or to permit
> the first time caller to assign himself an id and a password and
> then to have full access.

Exactly. Assign himself an ID and a password. We don't let people set up
their own ids, but forcing them to use system-assigned passwords would
reduce security, not enhance it.

The password by itself is not a key. You need a password and a valid
account id. And you need the old password to change the new one.

> Maybe you have some fancier words for all that - ones that
> Congressmen will understand who don't 'do modems'?

"User id and password"? "Self-assigned accounts"? "Automatically assigned
accounts?"

Just what precisely does the act say about this?
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.

Business: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180.
Personal: ...!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.hackercorp.com.