0003965782@mcimail.com (Sanford Sherizen) (09/07/90)
Some time ago, I posted an inquiry about viruses in the USSR. Thanks
for responding to Y. Radai, Fridrik Skulason, Dimitri Vulis, Werner
Klotzbuecher, E. Shapira, Aryeh Goretsky, and a person who prefers to
remain anonymous.
My article on computerization in the USSR was printed in
COMPUTERWORLD, In Depth Section, August 20, 1990, 73-74. For Virus-L
readers, here are the major findings regarding viruses.
One of the earliest publicized cases of a computer virus in the USSR
occurred in 1988, when an unidentified programmer at the Gorky
Automobile Works on the Volga River was charged with deliberately
using a virus to shut down an assembly line in a dispute over work
conditions. The man was convicted under Article 206, the so-called
hooliganism law, which provides for a jail term of up to six years for
(quote) violating public order in a coarse manner and expressing a
clear disrespect toward society.(end quote)
Pirated software appears all over the USSR and the Soviets often get
hit with viruses when they buy copies via the Hong Kong or Swiss
connections. There are also several Bulgaria contributions. Aryeh
Goretsky at McAffee Associates says that there have been confirmed
attacks of Yankee Doodle, Vacsina, Microsoft88 (534), Sunday, Amstrad
or Pixel, Disk Killer 170X, Stoned, Ping Pong, Vienna, Jerusalem,
Friday the 13th COM, Pakistani Brain, Disk Killer and W-13.
Anti-virus program in the USSR are AIDSTEST by Lozynky and ANTI-KOT
and ANTI-KOR by Kotik. Some Western anti-virus programs and some
homegrown verisons are also available there.
While the Soviet computerists whom I met are aware of the virus
threat, there is a general lack of organizational preparedness to meet
the challenge. Soviet hackers, forces from out side the borders, and
even some political or ideological persons may set off viruses in the
near future. Several of the experts I met knew how to creat a virus
and others certainly know how to get copies. More than likely, viruses
will be sold or traded as so many other commodity are.
Since perestroika is heavily based on rapid computerization of
enterprises, virus created disruptions could mean serious disruptions
of basic economic restructuring efforts.
Further comments are found in the full article.
Sandy
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Sanford Sherizen, Ph.D.
President
Data Security Systems, Inc.
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