🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3467@accuvax.nwu.edu> jln@acns.nwu.edu (John Norstad) writes:
>In the announcement of Disinfectant 1.6 I mentioned that I'm working on 
>version 2.0, and I thought you might be interested in some of the things 
>I've been planning and working on.  Version 2.0 will be a major new 
>release.

 [list of really nifty improvements to be coming]

>Don't hold your breath waiting for 2.0.  I have a real job, and I mostly 
>work on Disinfectant at home at night and on the weekends.

>Of course, with all this new stuff, I'll have to charge double - the 
>program will still be free :-)


Disinfectant is great stuff, cheap.  Your work to combat this
problem is significant, and greatly appreciated.  This future
version of Disinfectant sounds very nice, and the re-usable user
interface code should prove very handy for other applications. 
We salute you and the others who have worked so hard to keep the
Macintosh world safe from unwanted vermin. 
  I must wonder, though, where this will all lead to.  Are we
doomed to a never-ending stream of new virii followed by a
scramble to come up with and distribute new countermeasures?
  The real solution to the virus problem has got to be either
preventing the miscreants from spawning these nasties, or to
make our systems less vulnerable to attack.  We haven't got
any way to stop people from creating viruses or worms, so we
must reduce our vulnerability.
  John Norstad and others have worked admirably and effectively
to address many aspects of the problem.  But they can only do
so much to patch up a system with many holes.  Why do we have
so many holes?  Wouldn't we expect the manufacturer to be doing
something about the problem?
  But Apple offers only a half-fast virus detector (VirusRX) that
most Mac users will never receive or even hear about.  And even
if you have it, it can only tell you you've been infected, not
prevent it.  The most effective defenses are those that can only
be built into the computer and operating system.  What, if
anything, is Apple doing?

  Oh well...  I don't really want to pay for a multi-level secure
system with a kernel proven to meet the Orange-book A1 criteria,
nor would such a system be very friendly to use or manage.  But a
protected-mode operating system would eliminate many virus
mechanisms.  There are many other reasonable measures that could
be taken to make the Mac more secure, but they require a comittment
by Apple and software developers to make them happen.

{This started out as a pat on the back for John Norstad, but I
 guess it kind of devolved into hand-wringing.  Oh well... I feel
 better already.}

-Jon
-- 
-----
Jon L. Spear:              DDN/ARPAnet: spearjl@afsc-sdx.af.mil 
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