Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: Write-only devices (Was read only devices) [via LSMTP - see
From: mouse () Collatz McRCIM McGill EDU (der Mouse)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 20:16:28 -0400
An advantage of paper over magnetic records is that they are human readable. Rightly or wrongly, important people such as law enforcement, lawyers and juries tend to trust paper more than magnetic records.
They're harder to doctor after the fact, though of course they're equally easy to _fake_ after the fact.
Where's the problem ??
[with using a logging machine]
In a word: complexity. Cheap 9-pin printers are simple, reliable and understandable. Linux boxes are complicated and go wrong more often and in mysterious ways. On the other hand, their great advantages are higher storage density and more powerful log analysis tools.
You could get the best of both worlds, you know. Hook up three RS-232 connectors, such that the transmit pin of the log-generator machine drives the receive pins of both the printer and the log-keeping machine. Then you have logs in softcopy form to slice and dice with analysis tools, plus you have a hardcopy trail in case you have to produce something in a court that doesn't recognize that magnetic media are just as good as paper. der Mouse mouse () collatz mcrcim mcgill edu
Current thread:
- Re: Write-only devices (Was read only devices) [via LSMTP - see der Mouse (Jun 24)