Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!nuchat!sugar!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: <4327@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 26 May 89 19:59:10 GMT
References: <154@oldcolo.UUCP> <4246@ficc.uu.net> <675@corpane.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Xenix Support
Lines: 30

In article <675@corpane.UUCP>, sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) 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:
> >>[system with self-assigned passwords not covered under ECPA]

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

> Peter,

> By self-Assigned Passwords I think he is refering to those BBS's that when you
> first log into them they tell you to 

> "enter your name or type New"

> And when you type New, they give you a password for future logins...

I'm familiar with this scheme. TBBS still uses it... I recall that a local
religious-oriented board had a bit of trouble a few years back when a bunch
of self-styled satanists guessed passwords like "jesus" and "mary". This is
the problem with confusing passwords and accounts.

Anyway, what you're saying here is that he is confusing passwords and
accounts. Or the ECPA is written so it confuses passwords and accounts.
If the latter, the ECPA is grossly misdesigned.
-- 
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.