[109646] in Cypherpunks
CDR: Virus, Media and Open systems (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jim Choate)
Wed Mar 31 15:52:44 1999
From: Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>
To: cypherpunks@einstein.ssz.com
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 14:34:27 -0600 (CST)
Reply-To: Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>
----- Forwarded message from chatski carl -----
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 15:17:53 -0500 (EST)
From: chatski carl <chatski@gl.umbc.edu>
Subject: CDR: Virus, Media and Open systems
What do people think about the fact that virtually no media reports on
melissa mentioned that only Microsoft products were susceptable to this
virus??
What about the point of view that in the interconnected world, one should
not use proprietary software, only open source software :)
----- End of forwarded message from chatski carl -----
While it's a valid point I'm not sure it relevant. The problem isn't that of
software make or process but of running something that isn't secure. Whether
that's a Word macro, some Java applette, or something else isn't important.
It's one of educating the user to not run unknown programs and services without
doing some basic security checks first. The problem is human nature which
isn't motivated to resolve a problem until after it's bitten somebody.
Things like a macro that checks other macro's for read/writes prior to it
running and setting an alert that the user has to aknowledge, not as current
practice of just asking if you want to run the macro or not. It must be
realized that users in general are not sophisticated and don't have the
skills to make these evaluations. The programmers though are aware of the
issues should make more effort in this area. Unfortunately it's not a
priority currently, and not likely in the near future either.
____________________________________________________________________
Vice is nurtured by secrecy.
Virgilius
The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate
Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com
www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087
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