[comp.sys.mac.misc] Disinfectant vs WDEF

clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) (11/07/90)

ack@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Andy J. Williams) writes:

>... Here at Dartmouth we have been reccomending Disinfectant INIT 2.3
>and Gatekeeper Aid (for its WDEF abilities) and that's it. Vaccine is really
>old and I question its usefulness at this point. Just the two described
>above (along with an always handy copy of disinfectant) should keep the nasties
>away from your Mac.

But Disinfectant INIT catches WDEF too, you know.  It did just that for me
recently, detecting WDEF and preventing it from spreading from the infected
floppy to my hard disk.  Does Gatekeeper Aid perform some other function
that Disinfectant INIT doesn't?

I have to admit, though, that I still use Vaccine, even though it doesn't
catch most of the recent new viruses.  I guess it's because Vaccine will
catch *some* unknown viruses, whereas Disinfectant nearly guarantees not
to.  Disinfectant's attitude is more rational ... but you can't expect me
to be paranoid about viruses AND rational too, can you?
--
Jim Clarke  -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
  clarke@csri.toronto.edu  or  clarke@csri.utoronto.ca  //  (416) 978-4058

vd09+@andrew.cmu.edu (Vincent M. Del Vecchio) (11/08/90)

> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.mac.misc: 7-Nov-90 Disinfectant vs WDEF
> (was: .. Jim Clarke@csri.toronto. (1139)

> Does Gatekeeper Aid perform some other function
> that Disinfectant INIT doesn't?

Gatekeeper Aid stops and *removes* WDEF.  Disinfectant Init forces you
to use Disinfectant to get rid of it.

-Vince
vd09@andrew.cmu.edu

jln@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (John Norstad) (11/08/90)

In article <0bC9O_K00Vpe0LA24r@andrew.cmu.edu> vd09+@andrew.cmu.edu 
(Vincent M. Del Vecchio) writes:

> Gatekeeper Aid stops and *removes* WDEF.  Disinfectant Init forces you
> to use Disinfectant to get rid of it.

Actually, in the document I recommend that users of the Disinfectant INIT 
rebuild the desktop file to get rid of WDEF when the INIT discovers a WDEF 
infection on a floppy.  Only takes a few seconds, and it's much quicker 
and easier than running Disinfectant.  Losing Get Info comments is the 
only disadvantage.

John Norstad
Academic Computing and Network Services
Northwestern University
jln@casbah.acns.nwu.edu

clarke@csri.toronto.edu (Jim Clarke) (11/09/90)

jln@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (John Norstad) writes:

>In article <0bC9O_K00Vpe0LA24r@andrew.cmu.edu> vd09+@andrew.cmu.edu 
>(Vincent M. Del Vecchio) writes:
>> Gatekeeper Aid stops and *removes* WDEF.  Disinfectant Init forces you
>> to use Disinfectant to get rid of it.

>Actually, in the document I recommend that users of the Disinfectant INIT 
>rebuild the desktop file to get rid of WDEF when the INIT discovers a WDEF 
>infection on a floppy.  Only takes a few seconds, and it's much quicker 
>and easier than running Disinfectant.  Losing Get Info comments is the 
>only disadvantage.

And anyway, I'd rather not have a program automatically doing things to
my disk, even if it's a virus-protection program instead of a virus.
I realize that means I'm paranoid, but I was happier rebuilding the
desktop myself than I would have been being told by Gk Aid that it had
done something automatically.

Still, I can see the other point of view, and it's nice to learn something.
--
Jim Clarke  -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
  clarke@csri.toronto.edu  or  clarke@csri.utoronto.ca  //  (416) 978-4058

KPURCELL@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK (11/10/90)

In article <0bC9O_K00Vpe0LA24r@andrew.cmu.edu>, vd09+@andrew.cmu.edu (Vincent M.
Del Vecchio) says:
>
>> Excerpts from netnews.comp.sys.mac.misc: 7-Nov-90 Disinfectant vs WDEF
>> (was: .. Jim Clarke@csri.toronto. (1139)
>
>> Does Gatekeeper Aid perform some other function
>> that Disinfectant INIT doesn't?
>
>Gatekeeper Aid stops and *removes* WDEF.  Disinfectant Init forces you
>to use Disinfectant to get rid of it.

Gatekeeper aid also trap some other potential virus modes (MDEFs for
example) stopping those potential viruses. This is also the reason that
GKA is large than Eradicate 'em.

Try GK 1.1.1 (were is 2.0!) + Disinfectant INIT + GKA 1.0.2 -- I use
them and I feel pretty safe  (yea, right, I'm paranoid :-)

Kevin

Kevin Purcell          | kpurcell@liverpool.ac.uk  -or-  kgp@cxa.dl.ac.uk
Surface Science,       |
Liverpool University   | There is now a *Twin Peaks* distribution list for
Liverpool L69 3BX      | UK Peak Freaks. Mail me for details ....