more Caution Smallpox Researchers Seek Help From Millions of Computer Users

[David Farber <farber () tmail com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Touch <touch () ISI EDU>
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Caution Smallpox Researchers Seek Help From Millions 
of Computer Users
Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 10:43:23 -0800

Hi, Dave,

> Folks, if you want to participate in this program, *make sure* it's
> allowed first.

In addition to the concerns raised in the recent followup (handing out 
local resources without permission), as above, I have another: 
subversion.

What is to prevent a criminal (or worse) from masquerading as a 
public-interest research project seeking resources? There are two 
possible outcomes:

        a) virus infection: you're running code someone else provides,
        typically without source.

        b) complicity: what if you end up helping to crack a message
        on behalf of thieves, and are you liable if you do?

Joe
-- Dave

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