dmcanzi@watserv1.waterloo.edu (David Canzi) (12/21/89)
[These have been delayed because I was out of town, and without access to Usenet.] +------------------------------------------------+ ! ! ! Health Info-Com Network ! ! Newsletter ! +------------------------------------------------+ Editor: David Dodell, D.M.D. St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center 10250 North 92nd Street, Suite 210, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4599 USA Copyright 1989 - Distribution on Commercial/Pay Systems Prohibited without Prior Authorization Volume 2, Number 45 December 4, 1989 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News for Week Ending December 3, 1989 Copyright 1989: USA TODAY/Gannett National Information Network Reproduced with Permission --- Nov. 28, 1989 --- CONFLICTING AIDS REPORTS: Healthy men infected with the AIDS virus have normal brain function. That contradicts a 1987 University of California, Berkeley, study. The new research, by scientists at Johns Hopkins and Northwestern universities, finds extremely low levels of brain malfunction, and only one case of mild dementia. (From the USA TODAY Life section.) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Volume 2, Number 46 December 11, 1989 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News for week ending December 10, 1989 Copyright 1989: USA TODAY/Gannett National Information Network Reproduced with Permission --- Dec. 7, 1989 --- AIDS COMMISSION PRESENTS REPORT: Turning in its report to President Bush eight months early, the National Commission on AIDS Wednesday emphasized the USA's failure to deal with the AIDS crisis. The panel said early intervention and access to care are needed. The commission's "pro-active stance" was hailed by AIDS groups; they urged the Bush administration to respond. --- Dec. 8-10, 1989 --- STUDY GIVES HOPE FOR AIDS: A study in which a vaccine prevented an AIDS-like disease in monkeys is the strongest evidence yet that an AIDS vaccine might work. A team at Tulane University, New Orleans, inoculated nine monkeys with chemically inactivated SIV - the simian immunodeficiency virus, which resembles the human immunodeficiency virus. Eight monkeys didn't get well; one did recovered. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Volume 2, Number 47 December 17, 1989 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comments & News from the Editor ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Warning - Watch out for AIDS Virus ... on Computer Disk ! As many of your are aware, there is a computer virus being distributed in the form of a disk labeled that it contains AIDS Information. Here is the information I received: This is an urgent forward from John McAfee: A distribution diskette from a corporation calling itself PC Cyborg has been widely distributed to major corporations and PC user groups around the world and the diskette contains a highly destructive trojan. The Chase Manhattan Bank and ICL Computers were the first to report problems with the software. All systems that ran the enclosed programs had all data on the hard disks destroyed. Hundreds of systems were affected. Other reports have come in from user groups, small businesses and individuals with similar problems. The professionally prepared documentation that comes with the diskette purports that the software provides a data base of AIDS information. The flyer heading reads - "AIDS Information - An Introductory Diskette". The license agreement on the back of the same flyer reads: "In case of breach of license, PC Cyborg Corporation reserves the right to use program mechanisms to ensure termination of the use of these programs. These program mechanisms will adversely affect other program applications on microcomputers. You are hereby advised of the most serious consequences of your failure to abide by the terms of this license agreement." Further in the license is the sentence: "Warning: Do not use these programs unless you are prepared to pay for them". If the software is installed using the included INSTALL program, the first thing that the program does is print out an invoice for the software. Then, whenever the system is re-booted, or powered down and then re-booted from the hard disk, the system self destructs. Whoever has perpetrated this monstrosity has gone to a great deal of time, and more expense, and they have clearly perpetrated the largest single targeting of destructive code yet reported. The mailings are professionally done, and the style of the mailing labels indicate the lists were purchased from professional mailing organizations. The estimated costs for printing, diskette, label and mailing is over $3.00 per package. The volume of reports imply that many thousands may have been mailed. In addition, the British magazine "PC Business World" has included a copy of the diskette with its most recent publication - - another expensive avenue of distribution. The only indication of who the perpetrator(s) may be is the address on the invoice to which they ask that $378.00 be mailed: PC Cyborg Corporation P.O. Box 871744 Panama 7, Panama Needless to say, a check for a registered PC Cyborg Corporation in Panama turned up negative. An additional note of interest in the license section reads: "PC Cyborg Corporation does not authorize you to distribute or use these programs in the United States of America. If you have any doubt about your willingness or ability to meet the terms of this license agreement or if you are not prepared to pay all amounts due to PC Cyborg Corporation, then do not use these programs". John McAfee Early reports from people who have disassembled the AIDS trojan that has been mailed to numerous European corporations indicate that the trojan may be encrypting information on the disk rather than destroying it outright. The results are the same without a decrypting routine but the possibility is] now raised that the perpetrators do have and may offer such a decryptor. The report from Chase Manhattan Bank that the name and address in the Trojan are bogus may not be correct. John Markoff of the New York Times has since stated that his sources found a real corporation corresponding to the name and address in the file. This raises some interesting questions which, I believe, only time will answer. Whatever is happening, this much is known: The trojan will make all data on the hard disk unusable; the change happens suddenly; and no recovery is yet known. If you find or have a copy of this diskette don't use it. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Medical News for week ending December 17, 1989 Copyright 1989: USA TODAY/Gannett National Information Network Reproduced with Permission --- Dec. 11, 1989 --- HOME CARE REDUCES AIDS COSTS: Home health care could reduce the cost of AIDS care by 75 percent compared with hospitalization, reports experts at a national AIDS care conference held Friday in Atlanta. Cited: Examples of patients whose hospital costs were up to $2,500 per day who where transferred, with comparable care, to their homes at $400 per day. --- Dec. 12, 1989 --- AIDS WAS THE MAJOR STORY: A majority of health and science reporters nationwide cite AIDS as the dominant health care story of the 1980s, reports The Wirthlin Group and Hill and Knowlton Inc. Those surveyed believe AIDS will continue to dominate health news in the 1990s. Other top story: Health care insurance and its cost. AIDS COVERAGE HAD TWO SIDES: Many health reporters see their AIDS reporting as a two-edged sword, reports surveyers The Wirthlin Group and Hill and Knowlton Inc. Why: It increased understanding of the disease and motivated change in behavior in high-risk groups but it also increased public prejudice toward high-risk groups. --- Dec. 14, 1989 --- LITTLE VIRUS GOES A LONG WAY: A study concludes that just one pint of blood from an individual with AIDS contains enough virus to cause about 2 million AIDS infections, reports New England Journal of Medicine's Dec. 14 issue. Doctors say this explains why people who accidently receive AIDS-tainted transfusions almost always catch the virus. (From the USA TODAY Life section.) AIDS VIRUS RISES IN VICTIMS: The level of the AIDS virus rises as patients get sicker, reports a study in the New England Journal of Medicine Dec. 14 issue. Conclusion: The study should dispel doubts that human immunodeficiency virus is the true culprit in AIDS. (From the USA TODAY Life section.) --- Dec. 15-17, 1989 --- BEWARE OF DISK WITH VIRUS: A computer disk on AIDS information contains a "virus" that is destroying information on some personal computers, new reports said. The warning is being sent especially to banks and hospitals, universities and researchers whose work on AIDS research might be destroyed by this database. About 10,000 copies of the "Aids Information-An Introductory diskette" were sent worldwide. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: +------------------------------------------------+ ! ! ! Health Info-Com Network ! ! Newsletter ! +------------------------------------------------+ Editor: David Dodell, D.M.D. St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center 10250 North 92nd Street, Suite 210, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4599 USA Telephone (602) 860-1121 FAX Available - Call/Write/Email for Additional Information Copyright 1989 - Distribution on Commercial/Pay Systems Prohibited without Prior Authorization International Distribution Coordinator: Robert Klotz Nova Research Institute 217 South Flood Street, Norman, Oklahoma 73069-5462 USA Telephone (405) 366-3898 The Health Info-Com Network Newsletter is distributed weekly. Articles on a medical nature are welcomed. If you have an article, please contact the editor for information on how to submit it. If you are intrested in joining the distribution system please contact the distribution coordinator. E-Mail Address: Editor: FidoNet = 1:114/15 Bitnet = ATW1H @ ASUACAD Internet = ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org LISTSERV = MEDNEWS @ ASUACAD anonymous ftp = vm1.nodak.edu (Notification List/ftp = hicn-notify-request@stjhmc.fidonet.org) Distribution: North America Australia/Far East Europe FidoNet = 1:19/9 David More George Cordner Usenet = krobt@mom.uucp FidoNet = 3:711/413 Fidonet Internet = krobt%mom@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu 2:23/105 -- David Canzi