odawa@apple.com (Michael Odawa) (09/22/89)
Thank you for bringing this issue up with others before you acted. We have
had previous discussions about this issue, and here are some of the
considersations:
a) Virus technology is still relatively primitive; there is much we do
not know about the interaction of viruses with other software
functions, such as real-time, cycle counting procedures. Hence even
a well-intentioned virus writer can not anticipate all the effects
his code may produce.
b) It is highly likely that bugs and unintended side effects will be
present in any complex piece of software. Thus even an intended
"beneficial" virus is likely to take action beyond what was designed
by the author.
c) The existence of "good" viruses in the environment would create a
massive identification problem for the anti-viral software routines
which currently exist and which are being developed. How could a
virus detector distinguish between a "good" virus and a "bad" virus
that was masquerading as a "good" one?
d) One of the worst aspects of virus propagation is that it alters the
contents of other people's computers and storage media without their
consent. This is a very serious ethical principle which cannot be
broached even in the name of public service. You simply do not have
permission to muck with people's computing hardware without asking
them first.
For these reasons and others, we ask you not to become seduced by the
temptation to create a "good" virus. Indeed, we believe that,
The only good virus is a dead one.
Michael Odawa
Sofware Development Council
odawa@well.uucp