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=0.6 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,ea6b1f0ff507cd52 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: "Robert C. Leif, Ph.D." Subject: Re: Netscape Software Flaw Date: 1996/05/20 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 155831801 sender: Ada programming language x-sender: rleif@mail.cts.com comments: cc: "Comp.Lang.Ada" content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.lang.ada x-mailer: Windows Eudora Version 2.0.3 Date: 1996-05-20T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: To: Rick LaRowe From: Bob Leif Subject: Netscape Software Flaw Date: 20 May, 1996 You wrote > > >If you are suggesting the use of Ada for writing applets (via Intermetrics' >AppletMagic), then this really doesn't solve anything but accidental errors. >The real concern with Java and Netscape right now is that there are quite a >few security holes that enable clever, malicious folks to "attack" machines >on the net. Being able to write an applet in Ada isn't going to affect an >attacker, since s/he will write in raw JVM byte codes if necessary. That said, >it is fairly obvious that security must be enforced at the JVM level. > >If what you were referring to was a whole new Java/JVM/Netscape implementation >scheme, then that's an entirely different thing. And while I think Ada might >help quite a bit in this area, I think that the biggest thing that can be added >to the pot is the use of formal design methods to ensure a secure execution >environment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- It is the latter, It was a complete new implementation. If I remember correctly, in principle, formal design methods are language independent. Although in reality, an Ada 95 implementation might be the easiest and most reliable way to produce the code. I am still interested if strong typing, useful exception handling, and other facilities of Ada would increase the immunity of an operating system from attacks. Obviously, the code would have to be executed with all checks on, and the use of Ada still requires a reliable design methodology. Regards, Bob Leif Robert C. Leif, Ph.D., PMIAC, Vice President & Research Director Ada_Med, A Division of Newport Instruments 5648 Toyon Road San Diego, CA 92115-1022 Tel. & Fax (619) 582-0437 e-mail rleif@mail.cts.com