Virus Collection for research!!!!

Virus Collection for research!!!!

[agate!spool.mu.edu!darwin.sura.net!wvnvms.wvnet.edu!marshall.wvnet.edu!rc]

--  Viruses (Code, Info, and Ideas)

	I have started a project with a Computer Science Professer we are
collecting virus code to build a DEMO for a paper that we are writting.  If you
have any Virus Code (CODE ONLY) please send it to one of the first two accounts
below or post it here and I will get it.  And you Ideas are welcome!!!!!

						Thank You!!!!

-- 
						Jason Haught (The Master)

E-Mail Addresses:

	RCBI20@Marshall.WVnet.edu (Internet) / RCBI20@Marshall (Bitnet)
	CIS0201@Muvms2.WVnet.edu  (Internet)
	@Byrd.MU.WVnet.edu:JHaught@RCBINS.MU.WVnet.edu (Internet)
	Jason@Quayle.MU.WVnet.edu (Internet)

Virus Collection for research!!!!

[SAHARBAUGH]

Jason Haught (The Master) asks for virus code.  I don't
have any (I killed all that I did have, I think) BUT I
will use the opening to make a comment.
  I have long thought that we should study virus code. 
It has two properties of great interest to systems
engineers, it works and it is robust.
  I would put it to work managing networked workstations.
As the world "downsizes" the computer rooms disappear
and central management nust be redesigned.  Even in
our small company it is difficult to make sure that
every wworkstaion on the net upgrades applications software
to the latest version at the same time.  Ironically the
upgrade we pay most attention to is the virus protection.
  A virus could be sent out to search and destroy Excel 3.0
and replace it with version 4.0. Work products could be
similarly managed.  A virus could be sent out to search
and destroy all old versions of a document and replace them
with the latest.  We will need a virus stop at the door
of the archive library of course.
  Jason, please tell us (me) the objective of your research
or your thesis if that is the case.  And please change the
name of your computer next week [Jason@Quayle.MU.WVnet.edu (Internet)]
sam harbaugh
---

Re: Virus Collection for research!!!!

[Chris Page]

In article <9301141201.AA24601@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu>, SAHARBAUGH@ROO.FIT.EDU
wrote:
> 
>   A virus could be sent out to search and destroy Excel 3.0
> and replace it with version 4.0. Work products could be
> similarly managed.  A virus could be sent out to search
> and destroy all old versions of a document and replace them
> with the latest.  We will need a virus stop at the door
> of the archive library of course.

This can easily be accomplished with a centralized program which inspects
each appropriate computer on the network. There are commercial products
available for the Macintosh which do this; no doubt there are similar
products for other systems.

Using a virus exposes the user to risk (what if the virus accidentally
deletes the wrong files on the wrong computers) beyond that of a
centralized
program, because virii by their nature self-replicate and usually don't
carry enough information with them to identify which machines it should
travel to and when it should die. Unless all the copies of the virus
talk to all other copies (read "lots of network traffic"), they won't
know when all machines have been "updated".

Certainly, the "biological" behaviors of virii are interesting and imply
that
some useful application is possible, but I don't think that network
management
is one of them.

Chris Page
Adobe Systems, Inc.
cpage@mv.us.adobe.com

Disclaimer: these are my own opinions and not necessarily those of my
employer.
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