dplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt) (03/26/88)
The March 22nd issue of "Macintosh Today" includes a set of articles on
computer viruses, and on the MacMag virus instigated by Richard Brandow
(the one that infected disks containing Aldus FreeHand).
On page 3, there's a short article on Brandow himself. He is described
as "unrepentant", and someone who "considers himself an unorthodox
crusader in the battle to protect the public from contaminated
software".
Most interesting is a quote from Brandow himself, who states that
viruses are spread "only when people copy somebody else's software".
This statement is at best misleading, and at worst is outright wrong.
Many viruses (including Brandow's own, as I recall) are quite capable
of spreading themselves even if no software is copied... they can
spread by infecting any non-write-protected disk inserted into an
infected machine.
Brandow is reported to have said that he's been honored by a Canadian
software manufacturers' organization for making Mac users more aware of
tainted software. No details were given concerning the alleged
honor... can anyone up in Canada tell us just who it was who honored
Brandow for spreading an allegedly-benign virus?
Personal opinion: A person who throws rocks (even small ones) has
little justification for claiming that he's alerting people to the
dangers of people who throw rocks. Brandow's public statements to date
have been self-serving; he's refused to admit that he bears any moral
(let alone legal) responsibility for whatever harm may have been done
by his pet virus. I'd respect Brandow a lot more if he'd acknowledge
that spreading a virus was a stupid way to seek publicity for himself
and his magazine.
Grrr.
--
Dave Platt
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