# 95-03


Contents


        Disaster Recovery Journal Annual Survey
        SANS IV Conference
        PGP for the Masses
        The Book Every Mathematician Needs for Rainy Days
        Hellraiser, Ludwig and Ray


1.  The March 1995 edition of "Disaster Recovery Journal" contains the
annual survey of disaster recovery consultants as well as an interesting
article/synopsis of a questionnaire completed at the Sixth International
Disaster Recovery Symposium & Exhibition.  There is also a comprehensive
listing of data recovery software programs available from commercial sources.

2.  USENIX has distributed registration information for the 4th UNIX System
Administration, Networking & Security Conference, scheduled for April 24-29
in Washington, DC.  The conference include full-day tutorials as well as
a triple track technical conference.  One may direct questions to sans@clark.
net or call the conference office at 719-599-4303.

3.  O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., has published "PGP:  Pretty Good Privacy"
by Simson Garfinkel.  I have made my way quickly through the first four
chapters, and it has been enjoyable reading.  There are separate Appendices
on the installation of PGP on MS-DOS, UNIX and MACINTOSH systems.  The 
ISBN number is 1-56592-098-8 with a cost of $24.95 plus shipping charges.

4.  At the other end of the spectrum in terms of tough reading I picked
up a copy of "Network and Internetwork Security:  Principles and Practice"
by William Stallings.  Obviously designed as a college textbook the first
chapter has been murderous in the discussion of encryption schemes.  The
"knife in the heart" came when at the end of the chapter I found a multitude
of test questions (without any answers given--of course!).  If you are a
mathematician, or perhaps a doctrinal candidate in computer science, then
this may be the book for you.  I am gathering my strength before moving on
to chapter two.  The ISBN number is 0-02-415483-0 with a cost of $50.00
which includes shipping for IEEE members.  The IEEE customer service number
in the U.S. and Canada is 800-CS-BOOKS; outside the U.S. 1-714-821-8380.
The e-mail address, for those adventurous enough to provide a credit card
number, is cs.books@computer.org.

5.  The February 1995 edition of "Wired" contains an article by Julian
Dibbell entitled "Viruses Are Good For You".  Interviews with Hellraiser
from the Phalcon/Skism group and with Mark Ludwig of "The Little Black
Book of Viruses" fame are predictable.  But there is an interview with a
Tom Ray, identified as a "University of Delaware ecologist", which I found
of more interest.  The article describes Mr. Ray as a "breeder" of worm
programs.  It also provides an ftp address for obtaining a copy of his
proposal for his networkwide biodiversity project and for the source code
for his Tierra program.  


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