RE: write viruses? it's controversy time of the month

[Blanchard_Michael () emc com]

What about writing a virus, but never intending for it to get out, but it gets out?  Um, Melissa anyone?

I'm not gunna touch it any further though, I have a cell phone to throw!  :-)

Michael P. Blanchard 
Antivirus / Security Engineer, CISSP, GCIH, CCSA-NGX, MCSE
Office of Information Security & Risk Management 
EMC ² Corporation 
4400 Computer Dr. 
Westboro, MA 01580 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: funsec-bounces () linuxbox org [mailto:funsec-bounces () linuxbox org] On Behalf Of Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 5:28 PM
To: Gadi Evron
Cc: funsec () linuxbox org
Subject: Re: [funsec] write viruses? it's controversy time of the month

On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:13:49 CDT, Gadi Evron said:
> http://www.heise-security.co.uk/articles/77440
>
> Okay, so, who wants to shout writing viruses is bad, first?

Releasing viruses is bad.

Keeping a stockpile of viruses under conditions that they may escape
is bad - and it doesn't matter if you wrote them or collected them.
You may have collected a rare virus that hasn't been seen yet by A/V
signature writers - or you may write viruses that intentionally are
detected by current scanners.  So the moral injunction is to not release
undetectable viruses, no matter what source.

Writing a non-released virus?  That's a black box by definition, and
morally neutral.

_______________________________________________
Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts.
https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec
Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.