Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!njin!limonce
From: limonce@pilot.njin.net (Tom Limoncelli)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: The ultimate fix!!!
Message-ID: 
Date: 18 Sep 88 22:41:57 GMT
References: <681@zehntel.UUCP> <3084@hermes.ai.mit.edu> <4197@thorin.cs.unc.edu> <599@accelerator.eng.ohio-state.edu> <378@uwslh.UUCP> <3568@s.cc.purdue.edu>
Organization: NJ InterCampus Network, New Brunswick, N.J.
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Ummm... with all this talk about protecting the boot-block (which can
be circumvented) doesn't anyone realize that someone could write a
virus that infects DIR or SERIAL.DEVICE or LIST or ASSIGN or ECHO?

Strong CRCs and memory protection can only go so far.  I'm surprised
that in "Inside OS/2" (a very good book... but I like any author that
writes like Thomas Paine) the author claims virii will have a very
difficult time gaining access to a way to install themselves.  What
about modifying FORMAT, DISKCOPY, or CHKDSK (or the Amiga's
validator)?  How many users do you know have the protection bits set
on those programs so that nobody can modify them (or their protection
bits)?

IMHO, the best thing would be education.  We have to teach people that
virii writing is not funny.

Tom
-- 
       Tom Limoncelli -- Drew University, Box 1060, Madison, NJ 07940
  TLimonce@Drew.Bitnet -- limonce@pilot.njin.net -- VoiceMail (201)408-5389
 Drew College of Liberal Arts: male/female ratio: 2:3  student/pc ratio: 1:1
	   "The opinions expressed are mine... just mine."