RE: Origins of Security Problems

["Alun Jones" <alun () texis com>]

[EMAIL PROTECTED] <> wrote on Thursday, June 17, 2004 10:59
AM: 
> At 9:52 AM -0700 6/17/04, Blue Boar wrote:
> > Hm?  You mean they had to have privs on VMS to allocate a
> listening port?
>  What
> does that matter?  DECNet doesn't only run on VMS.
>
> But the vast majority of current DECnet usage is on VMS.

And ten years ago, the vast majority of TCP/IP usage was on Unix, where you
could "rely" on a source port under 1024 meaning that the connection had
been sanctioned by an educated administrator who cared about keeping the
Internet comfy cosy and safe.  If you go back that far, you'll probably find
some posts from me complaining that even then, not all Unix systems were
administered by professionals, and that the recent arrival of Winsock on the
stage meant that such an unreliable assumption was not even remotely going
to remain true.

If there is not sufficient security in the protocol, and DECnet may have
enough security, there is certainly not sufficient security in assuming that
your fellow network citizens are clever and kind.

Alun.
~~~~