dmg@lid.mitre.org (David Gursky) (07/29/89)
[From the Seattle Weekly, 5/3/89] PUT A CONDOM ON YOUR COMPUTER Every worry that your computer might be hanging out in a network where it will pick up some disgusting virus? Empirical Research Systems of Tacoma suggests you supply it with one of their "computer condoms". This high-tech prophylactic is a combination of hardware and software embodied in a controller card that simply replaces the one already in the machine. Rick Cummings, the company's president, says the system "stops all viruses" by monitoring the user network, the keyboard, and the program in use. He notes that the system is programmable to alter the parameters of its control on any given machine, but he guarantees that, "when programmed to your requirements, it will not allow viruses to enter." The technology was developed through successful efforts to protect a group of European banks from the massive virus that penetrated European computer networks last autumn. "Naturally these became our first orders," Cummings says. He has since picked up an additional 2500 firm orders in Europe, with 5000 more contingent on inspection of the product. In the United States, the product has been reviewed by Boeing Computer Services and computer technicians at the UW. It will be on the domestic market "early next autumn at a cost of under $1000," Cummings says. DG -- Pardon me while I laugh uncontrollably.
hassler@nap1.arpa (Barry D. Hassler) (08/01/89)
In article <0003.8907311200.AA25265@ge.sei.cmu.edu> dmg@lid.mitre.org (David Gu rsky) writes: >[From the Seattle Weekly, 5/3/89] > >PUT A CONDOM ON YOUR COMPUTER > >... >Cummings, the company's president, says the system "stops all viruses" by >monitoring the user network, the keyboard, and the program in use. He notes >that the system is programmable to alter the parameters of its control on >any given machine, but he guarantees that, "when programmed to your >requirements, it will not allow viruses to enter." Pardon me for my opinions (and lack of expertise in viral control), but I think these types of products are dangerous to the purchaser, while most likely being especially profitable for the seller. I just saw a copy of this floating around to some senior management-types after being forwarded several times, and dug up this copy to bounce my two cents off. First of all, I don't see any method which can be guaranteed to protect against all viruses (of course the "when programmed to your requirements" pretty well covers all bases, doesn't it?). Naturally, specific viruses or methods of attach can be covered with various types of watchdog software/hardware, but I don't think it is possible to cover all the avenues in any way. - ----- Barry D. Hassler hassler@asd.wpafb.af.mil System Software Analyst (513) 427-6369 Control Data Corporation
kelly@uts.amdahl.com (Kelly Goen) (08/02/89)
hahahahahahahahah!!!!!!! right chief just like swamp land in them thar
everglades... seriously though things will not improve until vendors
start going for protected mode and other tricks...I am talking about
386's and 68030's here... maybe something could be done in this area
with charge cars on a 286 but I doubt it... your need that virtual
8086 partition on the 386 to have any real safety and have to be
operating protected mode to take advantage of it(DESQVIEW 386,
THD386.sys etc) after that then there are still so many ways to get
in!!
cheers
kelly