home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Chaos Digest Lundi 15 Fevrier 1993 Volume 1 : Numero 8
-
- Editeur: Jean-Bernard Condat (jbcondat@attmail.com)
- Archiviste: Yves-Marie Crabbe
- Co-Redacteurs: Arnaud Bigare, Stephane Briere
-
- TABLE DES MATIERES, #1.08 (15 Fev 1993)
- File 1--Fausses Cartes Orange Pour le Metro Parisien
- File 2--L'ordinateur de la RATP a piege les faussaires (reprint)
- File 3--Congres International Russe, CSAM'93
- File 4--Donnees Secretes sur les Reserves Cambiales Bresiliennes
- File 5--Incident du Vol de Disquettes (lettre)
- File 6--Reactions sur "The Little Black Book of Computer Virus"
-
- Chaos Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
- available at no cost from jbcondat@attmail.com. The editors may be
- contacted by voice (+33 1 47874083), fax (+33 1 47877070) or S-mail at:
- Jean-Bernard Condat, Chaos Computer Club France [CCCF], 47 rue des Rosiers,
- 93400 St-Ouen, France
-
- Issues of Chaos-D can also be found on some French BBS. Back issues of
- ChaosD can be found on the Internet as part of the Computer underground
- Digest archives. They're accessible using anonymous FTP from:
-
- * ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/cud
- * red.css.itd.umich.edu (141.211.182.91) in /cud
- * halcyon.com (192.135.191.2) in /pub/mirror/cud
- * ftp.ee.mu.oz.au (128.250.77.2) in /pub/text/CuD
- * nic.funet.fi (128.214.6.100) in /pub/doc/cud
-
- CHAOS DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing French information among
- computerists and to the presentation and debate of diverse views. ChaosD
- material may be reprinted for non-profit as long as the source is cited.
- Some authors do copyright their material, and they should be contacted for
- reprint permission. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles in
- French, English or German languages relating to computer culture and
- telecommunications. Articles are preferred to short responses. Please
- avoid quoting previous posts unless absolutely necessary.
-
- DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
- the views of the moderators. Chaos Digest contributors
- assume all responsibility for ensuring that articles
- submitted do not violate copyright protections.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri Feb 12 11:08:54 CST 1993
- From: ts%operations%france@bangate.compaq.com (Thierry Steinberg )
- Subject: File 1--Fausses Cartes Orange Pour le Metro Parisien
- Copyright: Agence France Presse, 1993
-
-
- Divers escroquerie - Interpellation de "petits genies" de
- l'informatique dans une escroquerie aux coupons de cartes oranges-
- PARIS, 11 fev 93 (250 MOTS)
-
- David, Guillaume et Stephane, ages de 21, 22 et 23 ans, dont l'un
- est un "petit genie" de l'informatique, ont ete interpelles, ces
- derniers jours, en region parisienne, soupconnes d'avoir reencode,
- grace a l'informatique, des coupons de cartes oranges afin de les
- revendre, a-t-on appris jeudi de source policiere.
-
- Depuis quelques mois, selon les enqueteurs du Commissariat des
- reseaux ferres parisiens (CRFP), ils revendaient, a la cadence de
- cinquante par mois, ces coupons 250 francs piece, utilisables souvent
- tres longtemps (la carte orange est generalement utilisee
- mensuellement).
-
- Chez Stephane, etudiant en informatique, interpelle mardi soir, a
- Vaureal (Val-d'Oise), les policiers ont notamment retrouve pres de
- 150.000 francs en especes provenant de cette escroquerie presumee, un
- lot de materiel informatique dernier-cri, un scanner, de faux
- coupons, 150 de ceux-ci vierges et un fusil.
-
- La RATP avait depose plainte, le 18 janvier, apres avoir
- constate, par exemple, a la lecture des bandes informatiques
- recensant les donnees de chaque ticket de carte orange des usagers de
- la region parisienne, qu'un de ceux-ci , repondant au meme code,
- avait ete utilise... 7.000 fois par jour, principalement a la gare
- Saint-Lazare, aux tourniquets automatiques validant les billets et
- permettant l'acces aux quais.
-
- Une quinzaine de personnes ont ensuite ete interpellees, ce qui a
- permis de remonter aux trois "experts" presumes qui ont tous ete
- deferes a la 8eme section du parquet de Paris.
- rb/jmg
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri Feb 12 18:30:04 GMT 1993
- From: SBROWN@Kentvm.Kent.edu (Steven R Brown )
- Subject: File 2--L'ordinateur de la RATP a piege les faussaires (reprint)
- Copyright: Charles Desjardins, France Soir, 1993
-
-
- LES FAUSSES CARTES ORANGE ETAIENT PRESQUE PARFAITES
-
- Trois bidouilleurs rechargeaient des coupons pour 250 F
-
- "N'importe quelle officine informatique est en mesure de realiser
- cette manip'",commente un specialiste des bidouillages electroniques en
- tout genre. Deja poursuivi pour fraudes informatiques, il prefere garder
- l'anonymat pour commenter le principe de cette "escroquerie a la carte
- orange".
-
- "C'est un probleme de codage. J'ai deja vu realise une demonstration
- assez proche sur les cartes bleues." Premiere etape: "identifier le code
- utilise sur les tickets de la RATP". Il est compose d'une serie de
- caracteres alphanumeriques (chiffres, lettres ou symboles) enregistres
- sur la bande magnetique situee au dos de chaque coupon.
-
- "Pour le lire, il existe des appareils type lecteur de badge de
- securite." A ce stade, le but est d'obtenir la visualisation de la chaine
- de caracteres sur un ecran. Mais la difficulte consiste a faire le tri
- entre les differentes versions possibles.
-
- 17 COMBINAISONS
-
- "Pour les codes-barres, par exemple, il en existe dix-sept
- differents". Ils repondent chacun a des noms compliques comme le "Barcode-
- WH39" ou le "code 39 simple".
-
- Le reve du fraudeur est bien sur d'obtenir ce renseignement
- directement, par un complice travaillant dans l'entreprise, et de s'equiper
- en consequence d'un lecteur de codes adapte. "Sinon, il faut bricoler, mais
- cela reste possible", confie notre expert.
-
- Une fois la chaine de caracteres revelee, il ne reste plus qu'a la
- reproduire sur d'autres tickets. C'est la seconde phase. "Il existe des
- appareils d'encodage qui peuvent magnetiser la partie centrale du ticket et
- y imprimer un nouveau code."
-
- Dans la fraude qui vient d'etre decouverte, les "bidouilleurs" ont
- reproduit a l'identique (et a plusieurs milliers d'exemplaires) des vrais
- coupons mensuels (de 1re ou de 2e classe et jusqu'a six zones), en
- utilisant sans doute un scanner couleur, genre de photocopieuse tres
- sophistiquee. De l'aveu meme des policiers, les copies etaient quasi
- indecelables, de veritables "vrais-faux".
-
- Il leur suffisait ensuite d'imprimer au verso de ces tickets vierge la
- bande magnetique supportant un code pirate. Celui-ci provenait d'un coupon
- annuel, et comportait donc une identification valable douze mois
- consecutifs.
-
- SUSPECT
-
- L'importance du trafic est a l'origine de sa decouverte. En effet, la
- totalite des portillons automatiques de la RATP sont relies a un central
- informatique qui enregistre le code du coupon a chaque passage. Ainsi,
- lorsqu'un ticket deja usage ou suspect est "lu", il peut etre rejete, voire
- absorbe par la machine.
-
- LA PREUVE
-
- Le 18 janvier, un controle a fait apparaitre que la meme
- identification a ete donnee plusieurs milliers de fois dans la meme
- journee. Comme si un seul et meme ticket avait ete utilise a plusieurs
- points de passage en meme temps. Preuve evidente de l'escroquerie. L'erreur
- des faussaires? Ne pas avoir change de combinaison.
-
- [Moderateur: Le "specialiste des bidouillages electroniques en tous genres"
- ou "l'expert" cite par ce journaliste n'est personne d'autre que... le
- secretaire general du CCCF. L'anonymat sur son identite semble avoir ete
- secretement tenu par le redacteur-en-chef de _France Soir_.]
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri Feb 12 15:20:42 MET 1993
- From: dima@iamk4508.mathematik.uni-karlsruhe.de (Dimitrij Shiriaev )
- Subject: File 3--Congres International Russe, CSAM'93
-
-
- INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS
-
- 19-23 JULY 1993
-
- ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
-
- Organized by:
- Center of Modern Communications
- of St.Petersburg University,
- Russian Local ACM Chapter/St.Petersburg,
- St.Petersburg Education
- Computer Society "Micom-XXI"
-
- THE AIMS
-
- of the Congress are: provide a forum to explore common interests, interplay
- across disciplines, and to bring researchers state of the art advances in
- all areas of computer science, scientific computing, software engineering,
- applied and computational mathematics. The official language of the
- Congress is English, only papers submitted in English will be considered.
-
- CALL FOR PAPERS
-
- Papers and Minisymposia are invited in all areas of: Numerical Analysis;
- Applied Probability and Statistics; Theory of Computing; Optimization and
- Operations Research; Scientific Computation; Parallel Processing;
- Programming Languages; Symbolic Computation; Supercomputing; CASE Tools;
- Fuzzy Systems; Databases; Networks; Neural Nets; Artificial Intelligence;
- Computer Graphics; Data Security; Simulation and Modelling; Mathematical
- Education; Interval/Self-Validating Computations. Telecomminications.
-
- CONTRIBUTED PAPERS/POSTER PRESENTATIONS
-
- The program will also include contributed paper sessions (20-minutes
- presentation), posters, and industrial exhibits. Authors are invited to
- submit to the CSAM'93 Program Committee a one page abstract and indicate if
- they prefer an oral or poster session. Authors may suggest the title(s) of
- appropriate session(s) for their paper. Manuscripts of papers presented at
- the Congress will be published as CSAM'93 Proceedings after the Congress. A
- volume containing all abstracts of the accepted papers and description of
- all minisymposia including titles and speakers known by May 1, 1993, will
- be available for the participants at the Congress. Late papers and
- sessions, if accepted, may be presented at the Congress and will be listed in
- the Supplementum to the final program.
-
- EXHIBITOR INFORMATION
-
- Booths and tables will be available to companies wishing to display their
- products and/or services.
-
- MINISYMPOSIA/SECTIONS PROPOSAL
-
- The Program Committee invites you, as a potential organizer, to submit a
- proposal for a minisymposium (section). A minisymposium is a session of
- several speakers focusing on a single topic. Minisymposium organizers are
- responsible for the scientific quality of papers in their sessions,
- consequently all papers invited by organizers are automatically accepted.
-
- PROGRAM COMMITTEE
-
- S.Baranoff (Russia), C.Brezinski (France), B.Christiansen (UK), D.Claudio
- (Brazil), G.Corliss (USA), C.Evequoz (Canada), H.Fischer (Germany),
- N.Holsti (Finland), D.Gay (USA), D.Grigoriev (USA), B.Kearfott (USA),
- R.Klatte (Germany), K.Madsen (Denmark), S.Markov (Bulgaria), G.Menshikov
- (Russia), M.Meyer (Germany), V.Nesterov (Russia), V.Shaidurov (Russia),
- D.Shiriaev (Germany), S.Shirokov (Russia), S.Voitenko (Russia), W.Walster
- (USA), W.Walter (Germany), J.Wolff von Gudenberg (Germany), A.Yakovlev
- (Russia)
-
- MINISYMPOSIA/SECTIONS ANNOUNCED
-
- Approximation - Claude Brezinski (France)
- Numerical Algorithms - Claude Brezinski (France)
- Computer System Security - Jean-Bernard Condat (France)
- Fortran 90 Programming Language - W.Brainerd (USA)
- Application Software for Macintosh - S.Shirokov (Russia)
- Interval/Self-Validation Computations - V.Nesterov (Russia)
- Automatic Differentiation - H.Fischer (Germany)
- Complexity in Symbolic Computations - D.Grigoriev (USA)
- Constraint Satisfaction Techniques and Constraint Logic Programming -
- M.Meyer (Germany)
- Performance Evaluation of Computer Communications - Claude Evequoz
- (Canada)
- Parallel Processing - Claude Evequoz (Canada)
- Mathematics of Modeling Biological Neurons - Arno Klaassen (France)
-
- DEADLINES
-
- Minisymposium proposals: As soon as possible;
- Early submissions due: March 1, 1993;
- Normal submissions due: May 1, 1993;
- Late submissions: After May 1, 1993.
-
- CONFERENCE LOCATION
-
- Russia, St.Petersburg, Aerodromnaya 4, Education Center
-
- REGISTRATION FEES
-
- Their include admission to all minisymposia, sections and lectures, program
- materials, admission to exhibits, refreshments, congress reception, and a
- visit to the theatre or philharmonics.
-
- Accompanying persons are welcome. Their fee includes the congress
- reception, a visit to the theatre or philharmonics, a guided tour to Peter
- and Paul Fortress and Cathedral and a cruise along the Neva river. An
- Associates Program with visits to all the places of interest in
- St.Petersburg will be offered for modest additional fees.
-
- The student fee does not include the congress reception and the visit to
- the theatre. Students must also enclose a statement from their university.
-
- All participants will be provided with a card for all St.Petersburg public
- transport (including underground) for the period of the Congress.
-
- EARLY NORMAL
- Student $ 50 $ 60
- Regular $ 190 $ 240
- Associate $ 75 $ 75
-
- The Early fee applies to all fees received by April 1, 1993.
- The Normal fee applies to all fees received after April 2, 1993.
-
- Registration fees can be refunded only if cancellations are received by the
- CSAM'93 Secretariat in writing. Refunds will be made as follows:
- Cancellations received by April 1, 1993:
- Refund minus bank charges;
- Cancellations received April 2, 1993 to June 1, 1993:
- Refund minus bank charges less $ 50 service charge.
- No refunds can be made for cancellations received after June 1, 1993.
- Substitution of a participant is possible any time.
-
- VISAS
-
- Please check with the Russian Embassy or Consulate to determine if you need
- a visa. In the case you need it please use your registration receipt as the
- visa support letter.
-
-
- ACCOMMODATION
-
- A large block of rooms is being held for CSAM'93 at the Congress Center
- from July 17 to July 26. In case an overflow happens, blocks of rooms are
- also being held at nearby hotels. We encourage you to book through the
- CSAM'93 Secretariat. Participants who wish to reserve a room themselves
- should bear in mind the difficulty in finding hotel rooms in St.Petersburg
- during the summer.
-
- The total price of your stay must be paid together with the registration
- fees. In exchange you receive a lodging voucher with your registration
- receipt.
-
- Accommodation fees can be refunded only if cancellations are received by
- the CSAM'93 Secretariat in writing. Refunds will be made as follows:
- Cancellations received May 1, 1993
- Refund minus bank charges
- Cancellations received May 2, 1993 to June 15 1993
- Refund minus bank charges minus $ 50 service charge.
- Cancellations received after June 15 1993.
- Refund minus bank charges minus one night stay charge.
-
- All bedrooms have private bath and/or shower. Rates include full breakfast,
- tax and service charges. The prices are $ 60 per night for a single room
- or $ 40 per person per night in a double room. The basic student hostel
- accommodation: single room with no private bath or shower is offered at $20
- per night for a person.
-
- METHOD OF PAYMENT
-
- Please pay the appropriate amount in US dollars by remittance on the
- account:
-
- Deutsche Bank Karlsruhe, Germany
- Account No.: 0142018
- Bank Routing Code: 66070004
- Purpose: CSAM'93 Congress
-
- We are sorry that we cannot accept credit cards or checks. Payment must be
- enclosed with the registration form. Please do not forget to indicate
- *Participant Name* and *CSAM'93 Congress* on all payments.
-
- ABOUT ST-PETERSBURG
-
- St-Petersburg (pop. 5 mil.), the historical capital of Russia, is one of
- the major tourist attractions in the world. The city is situated on more
- than 40 islands in the delta of the Neva River. There are a lot of
- museums, palaces and theaters to visit. Among these are the Hermitage
- museum with its 3 mil. exhibits, Winter Palace and magnificent summer
- residences of Russian Tsars, the third largest cathedral in the world St-
- Isaaks Cathedral and many others. The Associates Program of the Congress
- will provide the opportunity to visit all places of interest in St-
- Petersburg.
-
- WEATHER
-
- Since much of St.Petersburg fascination is historical, architectural and
- cultural, it can be enjoyed at any time. Typical July weather is bright
- and pleasant. Expect temperatures between 20 and 23 degrees C (67 - 72 F).
-
- INFORMATION
-
- CSAM'93 Secretariat,
- Dr. Sergey S. Voitenko, Director,
- Center of Modern Communications
- of St-Petersburg University,
- Mail Box 835,
- Russia, 199178 St-Petersburg,
- Fax: +7 812 394-5004
- e-mail: csam93@polylog.spb.su
-
- Abstracts can be sent in paper or electronic form. Abstracts in paper form
- must be sent to the CSAM'93 Secretariat. Outside of the former USSR
- abstracts in electronic form (Postscript or LATEX are welcome) must be sent
- to: Dimitri Shiriaev: dima@iamk4508.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de.
-
- Please return this registration form by registered airmail to the CSAM'93
- Secretariat (and a copy by E-mail) as soon as possible. Please use one
- form per person. Copy it if necessary.
-
- ----------------------------- cut here ----------------------------
-
- REGISTRATION FORM
-
- Last name:
- Name:
- Title (Mrs,Mr,Dr,Prof):
- Affiliation:
- Address:
-
- Country: City:
- ZIP: Tel:
- FAX: E-mail: (Highly desirable!)
-
-
- Fees
- EARLY NORMAL
- Student [ ] $ 50 [ ] $ 60
- Academic [ ] $ 190 [ ] $ 240
- Associate [ ] $ 75 [ ] $ 75
-
- Lodging facilities (please check)
-
- July, 1993
- [ ]17 [ ]18 [ ]19 [ ]20 [ ]21 [ ]22 [ ]23 [ ]24 [ ]25 [ ]26
-
- [ ] single hotel room: $ 60 per day x ___ days =
- [ ] double hotel room: $ 80 per day x ___ days =
- [ ] triple hotel room: $ 100 per day x ___ days =
-
- [ ] single student room: $ 20 per day x ___ days =
-
- Total amount :
-
- Date: Signature:
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 19:56 GMT
- From: 0003965782@mcimail.com (Sanford Sherizen )
- Subject: File 4--Donnees Secretes sur les Reserves Cambiales Bresiliennes
- Repost from: Risks-Forum Digest
-
-
- A Reuters report found in the NY Times (21 Jan 1993) states that computer
- disks holding secret information on Brazil's banking reserves have disappe-
- ared from the central bank. The federal police are investigating the loss.
- According to the report, President Itamar Franco "took the unusual step" of
- releasing information on the reserves to offset any damage or financial
- speculation from loss of the disks. The disks held information on day-to-
- day reserve operations and details like where the reserves are invested,
- what they consisted of and how the reserves were generated.
-
- COMMENTS
-
- This disappearance may be related to ex-President Collar's involvement in
- the looting of Brazil. At a minimum, the data disappearance seems to be
- another indication of the Post-Hacker Era, where governments and companies
- have learned that computers can be used as an essential aspect of crime
- and/or to cover up a crime. The lines between "hacker" activities and
- "legitimate" activities may become increasingly less clear. In order to
- almost have to use computer techniques. While there continues to be an
- (often unconscious) image that many have that computer crime is "bad
- individuals" against "good" organizations, the Organization as Computer
- Criminal is rapidly becoming a serious problem. One but certainly not the
- only instance of this is the recent British Airway's penetration of Virgin
- Air's resercations system.
-
- [Moderateur: Voici l'article du _NY Times_ dont il est fait question:
-
- ++++
- Brazil data are missing
- New York Times PP: D, 20:4 Jan 21, 1993 ISSN: 0362-4331 JRNL CODE: NY
- DOC TYPE: Newspaper article LANGUAGE: English
-
- ABSTRACT: A spokesman for President Itamar Franco of Brazil said Jan 20,
- 1993 that computer disks holding secret information on Brazil's banking
- reserves have disappeared from the central bank. Police are investigating
- the loss.
-
- GEOGRAPHIC NAMES: Brazil
- DESCRIPTORS: Bank reserves; Central banks; Government documents]
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Paris, le 8 Fevrier 1993
- From: Ambassade du Bresil, Paris
- Subject: File 5--Incident du Vol de Disquettes (lettre)
-
-
- Ambassade du Bresil
- 34 Cours Albert Ier
- 75008 Paris
-
-
- Monsieur Jean-Bernard Condat
- CCCF
- 47, rue des Rosiers
- 93400 Saint-Ouen
-
-
- Monsieur,
-
- En reponse a votre lettre du 31 janvier, je vous confirme la publication,
- par le quotidien bresilien "O GLOBO", d'un article relatif a un vol de
- disquettes de la Banque Centrale qui contiendraient des donnees secretes sur
- les reserves cambiales bresiliennes.
-
- 2. En effet, l'Agence Brasil/RADIOBRAS, qio envoie chaque jour a l'Ambassade
- du Bresil un resume des principales matieres publiees par les grands journaux
- bresiliens, a transmis, le 20 janvier, un court resume de l'article ci-dessus.
-
- 3. Je regrette de ne pouvoir vous envoyer copie du texte integral, etant
- donne que l'Ambassade ne dispose plus de l'exemplaire du "GLOBO" dans lequel
- il a ete publie.
-
- 4. Vous trouverez ci-apres le nom et les numeros de telephone et de fax de
- la correspondante du GLOBO a Paris, pour une eventuelle obtention deu texte
- integral:
-
- Mme Helena Celestino
- Tel 42 79 80 78
- Fax 43 22 66 12
-
- 5. D'autre part, la revue VEJA du 26 Janvier, dans un article intitule "Le
- citoyen commun", concernant un autre sujet, mentionne rapidement, a la fin de
- l'article, l'incident du vol des disquettes.
-
- 6. J'espere que ces renseignements seront utiles a votre projet.
-
- Veuillez agreer, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguees.
-
-
- Celina Assumpcao do Valle Pereira
- Ministre-Conseiller
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Sun Jan 10 13:00:58 -0500 1993
- From: jbcondat@ATTMAIL.COM (Chaos Computer Club France )
- Subject: File 6--Reactions sur "The Little Black Book of Computer Virus"
- Copyright: Coastal Associates Publishing L.P., 1992
-
-
- Balancing fears, rights in wars against viruses; a little black book
- reveals secrets and highlights some difficult issues facing the
- computer industry. (Mark Ludwig's 'The Little Black Book of Computer
- Viruses, Volume I') (Issues and Trends)(MacInTouch)
- Ford, Ric
- MacWEEK VOL.: v6 ISSUE: n26 PAGINATION: p96(1)
- PUBLICATION DATE: July 13, 1992
-
- A little black book reveals secrets and highlights some difficult issues
- facing the computer industry.
-
- Rights in conflict. Wars always raise difficult questions about the
- limits of civil liberties, and the current war on computer viruses is no
- exception.
- At the moment, anti-viral forces are battling to contain a breach in
- the information curtain--a little black book from a virus researcher and
- enthusiast that details step-by-step recipes for cooking up programs to
- infect MS-DOS systems.
-
- Black book. The author, Mark Ludwig, is a physicist who became
- interested in viruses and found it difficult to obtain detailed technical
- information about them.
-
- "I find that the whole field is very secretive," Ludwig said. "There's
- a closed group of people who have access to viruses and pass them around
- among themselves."
-
- Unwilling to agree to their codes of secrecy, Ludwig struck out on his
- own, setting up a bulletin board system and soliciting contributions of
- viruses, which he analyzed.
-
- In Ludwig's introduction to "The Little Black Book of Computer
- Viruses, Volume I," he explains his rationale: "I am convinced that
- computer viruses are not evil and that programmers have a right to create
- them, possess them and experiment with them."
- He warns repeatedly against irresponsible use of the virus recipes in
- the book but also expresses concern about governmental abuse of power.
-
- "The book is a bad thing," said David Stang, chairman of the
- International Computer Security Association. "We should have a law,
- somehow, against it."
-
- He blamed an earlier book for spawning hundreds of viruses and said
- defenders of such publications "have yet to show us an example of a good
- virus."
-
- As Stang points out, Ludwig's book lacks anti-viral utilities, and it
- offers little assistance to system administrators contending with real and
- imagined virus threats.
-
- Other critics reportedly have called for bookstore boycotts, picketing
- and similar protests against distribution of the book.
-
- The ICSA and the National Computer Security Association (which is open
- to end users and organizations) analyze viruses and anti-viral programs,
- primarily from DOS systems.
- Stang claims a collection of some 10,000 viruses. "I receive viruses
- from anyone, but I don't trade," he said.
-
- The two groups distribute selected information through several public
- and private channels, but current policies rule out public distribution of
- sensitive materials, such as source code and viruses themselves.
-
- Cops and criminals. In the Macintosh community, the virus problem is
- smaller and under better control than in the DOS world.
-
- An international "police force" shares viruses and information among
- its members, many of whom are programmers of anti-viral utilities.
-
- This cooperative group releases bulletins to the public about new
- viruses and assists in identifying and prosecuting virus writers. Its
- identity and the identity of most of its members are secret.
-
- The group's low profile helps discourage macho challenges between
- virus and anti-virus programmers, and its members avoid being overwhelmed
- by thousands of false reports triggered by various other Mac bugs and
- features.
- Individual responsibility. As standardization and networking grow, so
- does the virus threat. Imagine a virus infecting a room full of Newton
- Personal Digital Assistants sharing information in a meeting.
-
- Simultaneously, threats to individual computer users' rights also seem
- to be on the rise. Consider the Secret Service's raid on game publisher
- Steve Jackson or the implications of the FBI's new telephone-monitoring
- proposal.
-
- In the end, responsibility for securing our systems lies ultimately in
- our own hands. Free exchange of information and control over our own
- systems are our most effective defensive weapons, and we should not
- compromise them in a war that has never claimed a life.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- End of Chaos Digest #1.08
- ************************************
-