Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw
From: ches@research.att.com
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: re: Virus Trends
Message-ID: <0003.9001031142.AA02943@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 2 Jan 90 16:54:19 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 15
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

> 2. The press speculation about the DATACRIME virus was much more
> damaging than the virus.

I don't think so.  True, the general public was alarmed out of proportion
to the threat.  But I suspect the press coverage encouraged a lot of people
to back up machines that hadn't been backed up.  This is good because

> 1. The amount of damage to data and availability done by viruses to date
> has been less than users do to themselves by error every day.

is undoubtedly true, and those crashed hard disks have to be reloaded from
someplace.

Bill Cheswick
ches@research.att.com