hrc@himalia.dk (Henrik Raeder Clausen) (02/14/89)
Our public libraries in Denmark are about to buy complete Fish disk
libraries for public lending, but they are quite worried about possible
sabotage in the form of viruses, Greetings and the like on their disks.
Is there anyting better to do than to glue the write protection block into
permanent read-only position? This is too easy to circumvent - just use a
creditcard.
Any help would be greatly appreciated - the concept of PD disks in the
public libraries is just too good to waste!
Yours, Henrik Clausen, hrc@daimi.dkperley@trub.steinmetz (Donald P Perley) (02/19/89)
In article <1986@daimi.dk> hrc@daimi.dk (Henrik Raeder Clausen) writes: >Our public libraries in Denmark are about to buy complete Fish disk >libraries for public lending, but they are quite worried about possible >sabotage in the form of viruses, Greetings and the like on their disks. >Is there anyting better to do than to glue the write protection block into >permanent read-only position? This is too easy to circumvent - just use a >creditcard. Keep write protected master copies, and diskcopy them on to a "lending" disk whenever anyone wants one. It takes a little time, but that's what it takes. This will protect them from the public. If you don't trust the staff (or can't really keep them secure from the public), then you should do periodic CRC checks which will add more time to the maintenence. All this means the library has to have an amiga too. -don perley
lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (02/20/89)
In <1986@daimi.dk>, hrc@himalia.dk (Henrik Raeder Clausen) writes: >Our public libraries in Denmark are about to buy complete Fish disk >libraries for public lending, but they are quite worried about possible >sabotage in the form of viruses, Greetings and the like on their disks. >Is there anyting better to do than to glue the write protection block into >permanent read-only position? This is too easy to circumvent - just use a >creditcard. > Any help would be greatly appreciated - the concept of PD disks in the >public libraries is just too good to waste! I would suggest that the only safe way would be to either: 1. Diskcopy the original onto each loaner as it is returned, or 2. Use a compare program (will need to be written) that will do a complete compare of the entire original with the entire loaner when it is returned. All other schemes are doomed to failure, and if it becomes known that either of the above methods are in operation, there will undoubtedly be attempts at sabotaging those as well. Such is the nature of the pea-brains who write viruses. -larry -- Frisbeetarianism: The belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | // Larry Phillips | | \X/ lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca or uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips | | COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
c152-cb@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Vince Lee) (02/22/89)
In article <1986@daimi.dk> hrc@daimi.dk (Henrik Raeder Clausen) writes: >Our public libraries in Denmark are about to buy complete Fish disk >libraries for public lending, but they are quite worried about possible >sabotage in the form of viruses, Greetings and the like on their disks. >Is there anyting better to do than to glue the write protection block into >permanent read-only position? This is too easy to circumvent - just use a >creditcard. > Any help would be greatly appreciated - the concept of PD disks in the >public libraries is just too good to waste! Just take the write protect tab out altogether. Pry apart the disk with a small screwdriver and use another to "pop" the tab out.
fmr@cwi.nl (Frank Rahmani) (02/22/89)
> > In <1986@daimi.dk>, hrc@himalia.dk (Henrik Raeder Clausen) writes: > >Our public libraries in Denmark are about to buy complete Fish disk > >libraries for public lending, but they are quite worried about possible > >sabotage in the form of viruses, Greetings and the like on their disks. > All other schemes are doomed to failure, and if it becomes known that either of > the above methods are in operation, there will undoubtedly be attempts at > sabotaging those as well. How about: 1.copy your master to the loanerdisk 2.give disk to user 3.on return (first bulkerase if you want to be very safe) reformat loanerdisk 4.goto 1 If you keep your masterdisks in a safe place there's no way to beat this scheme. By the way I'm afraid some Fishdisk are distributed with errors on them. I'm sure about 83, which I bought about 20 times from different vendors internationally and always get read error in directory tex. Giving up on this one. fmr@cwi.nl -- It is better never to have been born. But who among us has such luck? Maintainer's Motto: If we can't fix it, it ain't broke. These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.
fnf@estinc.UUCP (Fred Fish) (02/23/89)
In article <816@sering.cwi.nl> fmr@cwi.nl (Frank Rahmani) writes: >By the way I'm afraid some Fishdisk are distributed with errors >on them. I'm sure about 83, which I bought about 20 times from >different vendors internationally and always get read error in directory >tex. Giving up on this one. My master is fine, as should be all the copies I distribute. If you have problems with a particular disk, then complain to your supplier or go further up the supply chain to acquire a good copy. Use the crc lists published on various disks to help verify that you have good copies. -Fred -- # Fred Fish, 1835 E. Belmont Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA # 1-602-491-0048 asuvax!{nud,mcdphx}!estinc!fnf