# 95-02


Contents


        So Which Scanner is the Best --  Assuming We Know What Best Means
        SAM's Release of the NVP Update
        Is Cipher Another Friday the 13th Casualty?
        GSSP --  Computers at Risks Still Lives
        MOD/LOD --  CyberSpace Antics


1.  The January 1995 edition of "Virus Bulletin" contains the results of
its latest evaluation of anti-viral products for MS-DOS/Windows.  Twenty-
four (24) products have evaluations.  As is the inevitable case with test
evaluation procedures, it is rare to have the current version of a product
evaluated.  Against a test suite consisting of samples "in the wild", boot
sectors, standard and polymorphic, the top five overall were:  Dr. Solomon's
Anti-Virus ToolKit, ThunderBYTE, VET, F-PROT Professional, and AVScan.  The
trend of overseas product dominating the evaluation results continues.

2.  In ISS # 95-01 I indicated that DataWatch had issued an update to its
Macintosh anti-viral/trojan program Virex to detect the NVP trojan.  Symantec
made a similar update to its SAM program which is now available on its BBS.
As a registered user of both programs I have ordered the DataWatch upgrade,
and downloaded the SAM update.  At this point against one copy of the NVP
trojan SAM alarmed against the sample, and performed as documented.

3.  The third edition of the electronic version of the "Cipher" appeared on
January 13, 1995.  This will probably be a collector's item since the
date on the top of the edition reads "January 13, 1994".  I guess the
editor had a sense of humor for a Friday, the 13th, distribution.  Archives
are available at http://www.itd.nrl.navy.mil/ITD/5540/ieee/cipher/cipher-
archive.html.

4.  The Computer Security Institute has distributed to its members for
review an "Exposure Draft of the Generally Accepted System Security Principles
(GSSP)", copyright 1994 by the GSSP Committee under the auspices of the ISSA.
ISSA is the Information Systems Security Association which has been involved
in the certification of information security professionals as well as one of
the leads in the formulation of the GSSP.  The document is twelve pages.  
Since ISSA has asked for the widest possible dissemination of the document
for review/comment, I will be happy to send anyone a copy who wants one.
I need your mailing address rather than FAX number in the interest of my
time.

5.  The "Masters of Deception:  The Gang that Ruled Cyberspace" has been
available for over a month.  The book, written by Michelle Slatalla and Joshua
Quittner, proposes to examine the creation of MOD and the ensuing rivalry
between its members and the Legion of Doom (LOD).  I am one-third of the
way through.  While I am not in a position to verify the accuracy of the
account, the style is fast-paced and reminiscent to me of Bill Landreth's
"Out of the Inner Circle".  The publisher is HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-017030-


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