Re: Recent Attacks

["Paul D. Robertson" <proberts () clark net>]

On Wed, 23 Feb 2000 ark () eltex ru wrote:

> > > Viruses are a problem which can be `managed'.  They're `damage' is also
> >
> > Only after the fact.
>
> *BEFORE*. Just don't run (well, you can call it "open", if you are
> lose-dose user) shit from the net and you are safe.
> Don't use .doc and .xls for external communications. Use rtf and 
> comma-separated format instead. It is a good idea anyways, just because
> not everybody outside runs weendoze. 

In most companies, that's not an option.  An amazing number of vendors
send .xls spreadsheets and .doc files these days.  Personally, I haven't
acquired any viruses unintentionally in the last 10 years, and only one in
the period prior to that (and it wasn't Internet-related, it was
internally spread from a business partner in a software development shop 
in a company that didn't have any scanners or even a security policy.)

Fortunately, I'm now at the point where I can choose my computing
environment, *most* people are at the behest of company standards.

> It's a good idea to eliminate that nasty thingies inside the company too.
> Switching to less dangerous formats and more reasonable groupware and
> document handling system will help you not only with security.

If you know people in ~30 person non-technology companies who can even
enumerate "less dangerous formats", let alone get their *customers* to
switch, you know a lot more bright people than I at that level.

> If you are, after all, forced to get those things from outside, set up
> a quarantine system and perform checks (or even format conversion) on it.
> Use server-based virus scanners on your LAN.

Again, virus scanners are an after-the-fact mechanism.  Especially
because someone has to get the virus prior to someone generating a
signature.

> I see the PC viruses from they day they were invented. And my opinion 
> did not change for more that 10 years: only natural born idiot can get

You underestimate the total number of natural born idiots in the world
obviously ;)

> damaged by a virus. If you run files you recieve by email, you are one
> of those. If your users are, you should punish them for that, throw them
> out or shoot them, just like you will do with someone who damages your
> hardware on regular basis.

If we could shoot lusers, we probably wouldn't have jobs since there'd be
nobody to protect anymore.

Paul
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul D. Robertson      "My statements in this message are personal opinions
proberts () clark net      which may have no basis whatsoever in fact."
                                                                     PSB#9280