Return-Path: XPUM04@prime-a.central-services.umist.ac.uk Received: from G.SEI.CMU.EDU by ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.3) id AA19233; Wed, 6 Jun 90 09:32:15 -0400 Received: from SEI.CMU.EDU by g.sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.5) id AA02387; Wed, 6 Jun 90 09:32:11 -0400 Received: from nsfnet-relay.ac.uk by sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.3) id AA12349; Wed, 6 Jun 90 09:32:00 -0400 Received: from sun.nsfnet-relay.ac.uk by vax.NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK via Janet with NIFTP id aa15073; 6 Jun 90 13:47 BST From: Anthony Appleyard To: KRVW <@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK:KRVW@sei.cmu.edu> Date: Tue, 05 Jun 90 14:02:00 BST Message-Id: <$TGVGDBVHCNWT at UMPA> Subject: Virus-L vol 0 issue #0605 Virus-L Digest Sun, 5 Jun 88, Volume 0 : Issue #0605 Today's Topics Re: forwarded from RISKS... Re: forwarded from RISKS... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 5 Jun 88 20:52:25 EST Reply-To: Virus Discussion List Sender: Virus Discussion List From: Glen Matthews Subject: Re: forwarded from RISKS... In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 3 Jun 88 15:03:48 EDT from >Subject: Virus-writing 101? > >Thought I'd relate a recent incident to the group regarding computer virus >writing and propogation. Apparently we have a professor who thought it would >be a good experience for his students, as a project, to write (each) a >virus, and demonstrate that it works. K, in my opinion we're already on In my opinion, I think that this is unethical. My opinion comes as a software developer, ie I write programs in order to eat. (But perhaps that's neither here nor there.) Perhaps an analogy could get across my point of view. Suppose that some professor of mechanical engineering were to decide that to truly understand how a car works, his class should learn how to jimmy a car such that it would have an accident. I would suggest that this is similar to such a situation (by the way, I sincerely hope that no engineering courses teach students how to DESTROY things!). In order to truly understand something, one needn't know how to pervert it. Glen Matthews McGill University -------------------- Date: Sun, 5 Jun 88 23:16:00 EDT Reply-To: Virus Discussion List Sender: Virus Discussion List From: Stan Horwitz Subject: Re: forwarded from RISKS... In-Reply-To: Your message of Sun 5 Jun 88 20:52:25 EST This story about the prof who had his students write a computer virus is most interesting. I might be wrong, but it seems like this story might have undergone some contortions as it passed through the network. I find it hard to believe a professor would have his/her students write a virus and then infect innocent systems with it. Perhaps the professor never actually had intended the viruses be spread. Maybe he had religated a certain computer on which to test the results of his students' work. If the professor had specifically instructed his students not to actually spread their virus programs, I would say he was not acting irresponsibly. If the professor had not discussed the harm such virus infestations can do, he or she was certainly remiss in his/her duties and responsibilities. Of course I like the basic idea of giving each student an assignment to write a virus. Then each student can be given other student's virus and assigned the task of writing a cure. This would be a great educational experience. Those who consider this professor to be irresponsible might be write if the story goes as told. I just wonder how well a person can develop a cure for a virus without having a very good understanding of how they work. One can get no better understanding of how a virus would work than by actually writing one and having others try and cure it. Just think of all the progress made by medical science. Much research in medicine involves creating viruses or rather growing them, to see how they grow and thrive. The same is true of imunizing against a software virus. Of course, I would hope that software scientists would take the same care and responsibility that their medical counterparts do. -------------------- *** end of Virus-L issue ***