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,dbd35bb508093bd9 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-11-28 07:12:56 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!nntpserver.com!newsfeed1.easynews.com!easynews.com!easynews!newsfeed.news2me.com!newsfeed2.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!harp.news.atl.earthlink.net!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: New Ada compiler for .NET Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 10:12:02 -0500 Organization: MindSpring Enterprises Message-ID: References: <7823N817@web2news.com> <4519e058.0211270931.64615740@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: d1.56.b9.33 X-Server-Date: 28 Nov 2002 15:12:56 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:31287 Date: 2002-11-28T15:12:56+00:00 List-Id: Ted Dennison wrote in message news:4519e058.0211270931.64615740@posting.google.com... > > Just yesterday I was told that free trial downloads of the SoftIce > debugger for NT device drivers (NT kernel-mode debugger) were no > longer available because the government is afraid of terrorists using > it. Not one person has ever been proven killed by computers under the > control of malicous coders, while there are quite a few incidents of > buggy code killing people unintentionally. If we were *really* > concered about hacker-terrorists, or even computers causing meyhem in > general, we should be discouraging unsafe languages like C, not > debuggers. > In fairness, you might consider that they might not be so much concerned with terrorists killing people with software as they might have a concern about terrorists using the software to disrupt computers and cause havoc. Note the amount of damage that has been caused in the past by cyberpunks spreading viruses, etc., costing large sums of money and other intangible losses to businesses. I don't know about SoftIce and what it does, so it might or might not present a threat and the government might or might not be acting stupidly. Its just that there are more ways to hurt people than simply blowing them up. OTOH, if its a readily available commercial product, taking it off the internet isn't really doing much to stop the dedicated, well funded, professional terrorist, is it? Maybe just reducing the risk of nefarious use by cyberpunks - which might be a wise objective. But it does seem a little like closing the barn door after the horses have all run off. We'd be far wiser to fund the development of a much more secure OS and reduce the ways in which cyberpunks or terrorists can do damage. (Maybe we can get a government contract under the auspices of "Homeland Defense"? :-) MDC -- ====================================================================== Marin David Condic I work for: http://www.belcan.com/ My project is: http://www.jast.mil/ Send Replies To: m c o n d i c @ a c m . o r g "I'd trade it all for just a little more" -- Charles Montgomery Burns, [4F10] ======================================================================