From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,85034d1ac78a66eb X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-03-11 17:59:14 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!hub1.nntpserver.com!newsfeed01.sul.t-online.de!t-online.de!fr.clara.net!heighliner.fr.clara.net!proxad.net!news-hub.cableinet.net!blueyonder!psiuk-p2!psiuk-p3!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada Operating System Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 09:57:32 -0500 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: References: <3c77b476.322111671@news.cis.dfn.de> <3C88E0D1.89161C16@despammed.com> <3C8A3999.2000301@earthlink.net> <3C8B0191.3080705@mail.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: dhcp-200-133.miami.pace.co.uk X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 1015858650 2026 136.170.200.133 (11 Mar 2002 14:57:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@news.cam.pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 11 Mar 2002 14:57:30 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:21095 Date: 2002-03-11T14:57:30+00:00 List-Id: O.K. Try re-reading what I wrote and see if I said anything about buffer overflow or automatic error checking in the part you quote. I'd guess you just jumped on what you *thought* I said rather than what I *did* say. :-) What I was suggesting there is that there *might* be some interest on the part of some users to have some really tight security around all the possible external gateways within a computer. Some version of firing up a third-party application that might be making use of the Ethernet to connect to ports/addresses behind your back and blip data in either direction without your knowledge. If the OS is doing a good job of monitoring this and presenting it in an easily interpreted manner such that you can tell that Bill Gates is attempting to watch you through your use of "Outlook" or "Explorer", that might have an interest to some people. Being able to block it might be even more interesting. I'm not saying you can't do some of that with existing operating systems or third party security apps. What I'm saying is that an extensive capability in this area that was inherent in the OS and difficult/impossible to circumvent might just be a feature that would make such an OS attractive by offering something new/different/better than what you can get elsewhere. MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "Hyman Rosen" wrote in message news:3C8B0191.3080705@mail.com... > Marin David Condic wrote: > > What about "privacy"? Would it be useful if the OS gave you a guarantee > > that some app you have can't be blipping your data to some unknown source or > > accessing websites without your knowledge/permission? > > I'm afraid your love for Ada has blinded you to the fact that not > all software errors are because of buffer overflow. Many of the > errors and vulnerabilities that show up these days are "cross- > scripting" errors and the like, where programs execute externally > submitted scripting code because they fail to properly validate > inputs. This is purely an error of program logic - no automated > language checking is going to catch this. >