p1@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca (Rob Slade) (06/06/91)
John Dvorak's syndicated newspaper column focusses this week on viri.
The headline (for which he cannot be held accountable, I realize) is
"Computer viruses: their cause and cure." The first sentence runs,
"It's not easy to report on something if you don't understand it at
all." He then tries to do that.
I probably shouldn't be all that hard on the article. He doesn't make
too many really boneheaded errors. He doesn't write much of any
substance, either. (Certainly there is nothing, absolutely nothing,
in the article that deals with "cure".)
He does state that a virus must attach itself to a program, thus
eliminating all BSI's from consideration. He also belittles the
definition of the Morris/Internet worm as a worm, apparently not
understanding that his definition requires it. Fred Cohen is
mentioned, as is "Shockwave Rider." ("The Adolescence of P1" is not.
Sigh. :-)
No real viral programs are mentioned, except for the brief and
uninformative reference to the Morris worm.
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