Hacker 2/HACKER2.mdf/virus/virusl3/virusl3.16

Text File | 1995-01-03 | 11KB | 248 lines

VIRUS-L Digest   Friday, 19 Jan 1990    Volume 3 : Issue 16

Today's Topics:

Re: Internet Worm Creator stands trial
Re: Internet worm writer stands trial
BitNet *can* FTP now.....
Internet Worm Trial
New files (PC)
Re: Ethical Judgement of the Internet Worm

VIRUS-L is a moderated, digested mail forum for discussing computer
virus issues; comp.virus is a non-digested Usenet counterpart.
Discussions are not limited to any one hardware/software platform -
diversity is welcomed.  Contributions should be relevant, concise,
polite, etc., and sent to [e-mail] (that's
LEHIIBM1.BITNET for BITNET folks).  Information on accessing
anti-virus, document, and back-issue archives is distributed
periodically on the list.  Administrative mail (comments, suggestions,
and so forth) should be sent to me at: [e-mail].
 - Ken van Wyk

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Date:    19 Jan 90 01:14:53 +0000
From:    munnari!mullian.ee.mu.oz.au![e-mail] (Inspector Gadget)
Subject: Re: Internet Worm Creator stands trial

[e-mail] (Geraldo Xexeo) writes:
>I suppose that all the computer community have already judged the
>worm creator in discussions around the world, so it is fair
>to make a jury of "non-computer" people.
>
>My point is, this trial don't eliminates the necessity of a
>ethical judgement. Maybe what he did is not a crime, but is clearly
>a violation of ethical aspects of computer use.

        Virtually any person accused of crimes that have been given
wide publicity will find a jury with its opinions formed _prior_ to
the court case. "Non-computer people" would have also been exposed to
the media hype surrounding the Internet Worm, but exposed to rather
less well informed comment than "computer people".  It is _not_ "fair"
to have a jury of computer illiterates on the simple grounds that they
have less chance of seeing through the rubbish thrown up by either
side.

        The whole issue of what consitutes an 'ethical' use of
computers is thorny enough as it is. Just what sort of understanding
of computer ethics do you expect a jury of "non-computer people" to
have ? End result is that a whole swag of 'computer experts' have to
be called in to give evidence about what is and isn't ethical
behavious. In any case I've never known courts to be concerned about
ethics, per se. The letter of the law (and its multiple possible
intended meanings) are the deciding factors. Ultimately it comes down
to the ability of the jurors to map laws made from a non-computer
environment onto a computer environment and decide which ones the
defendant has broken. I can't see any benefit in having computer
illiterates doing this job.

Grenville Armitage.

"Only dead fish go with the flow" - someone else.
To be arrogant you need to have opinions. Therefore these
opinions are all mine, thank you very much.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 19 Jan 90 12:32:00 +0000
From:    Todd Hooper <munnari!mail.cut.oz.au![e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Internet worm writer stands trial

[e-mail] (Damon Kelley; (RJE)) writes:
> Mr. Morris is a student who was suspended from Cornell University
> because of his actions.

I would remind you that he _allegedly_ unleashed the Internet Worm.
Innocent before proven otherwise and all that stuff, you know...

>       When I read the article that I got the above information from,
> I was a bit shocked that the jurors were deliberately picked by the
> U.S. Justice Department lawyers because didn't know *anything* about
> computers.  Would the jurors understand enough of the computer talk
> thrown between defense and prosecutor to reach a truly informed
> verdict?

In Australia at least, this is standard procedure in trials. For
example, let's say someone had been charged with stealing a sportscar
from some executive type. The defence lawyers will try to 'stack' the
jury by rejecting all jurors who may be executives or own sportscars
or the like, in case they are biased towards the prosecutions case.

> [bits deleted]
>
>       Those lawyers better straighten up.  Not all computer
> enthusiasts practice regularly what Mr. Morris did, nor do they openly
> encourage the wanton destruction of computer systems "for a kick."

Again, I don't think the Internet Worm was intended to be malicious.
From the reports I've read, the author had intended it to be a sort of
'advanced networking experiment' ;-). Granted, that isn't a valid
excuse, but you can hardly paint a picture of Morris as a wanton
vandal, destroying computers for a kick.

- --
Todd Hooper                                                Computing Centre
                                            Curtin University of Technology
PSImail: psi%050529452300070::CHOOPER                     Western Australia
ACSnet : [e-mail]
Bitnet : [e-mail]
UUCP   : {enea,mcvax,uunet,ubc-cs,ukc}!munnari!acad.curtin.edu.au!CHOOPER
Phone  : [phone] (24 hour messaging system) Fax [phone]

------------------------------

Date:    Wed, 17 Jan 90 22:05:45 -0600
From:    James Ford <[e-mail]>
Subject: BitNet *can* FTP now.....

SCANV55.ZIP and VSTOP54.ZIP are available via anonymous FTP from
MIBSRV.MIB.ENG.UA.EDU (130.160.20.80) in the directory
pub/ibm-antivirus.  For those people who can *not* FTP, guess what!
You can!  And all for $1.99!

Seriously, Bitnet nodes can request files from BITFTP@PUCC.  The
following text explains how to go about this process.  *WARNING* It
might be *real* slow if many requests are in queue (sp?).

James Ford - [e-mail], [e-mail]

- -------------- Mailfile sent with HELP as the message text ----------------

[Ed. Due to its length, I've removed the help listing.  However, to
get your very own copy, send mail (or interactive message) to
[e-mail].  In the message, include the text:

HELP

...and you'll get information mailed to you on how to use the BITFTP
facility.]

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 19 Jan 90 08:11:53 -0500
From:    Bridget Rutty <[e-mail]>
Subject: Internet Worm Trial

I believe most of the testimony is completed.  Morris testified
yesterday and said that he had written the worm so that it would
spread through the network but that he had not intended it to hurt any
of the computers.  He attempted to get help from a friend who
testified that he had suggested writing a second program to try to
trap and destroy the first one.  Morris decided not to because he
thought that would make matters worse.

To my mind he should be convicted.  There was no purpose to the
program other than spreading through the network and consuming
resources.  This is clearly unethical, and in the case of federal
defense networks, criminal.  How badly the computers were affected is
only a matter of degree which probably should be taken into
consideration for sentencing if he is convicted.

What is interesting to me is that he spoke to two different groups on
computer security, one of which was (I think) a government agency.
This speech was videotaped and apparently is being used as evidence by
both the prosecution and the defense!  The defense lawyers want to
introduce as evidence who attended the conference (or whatever) but
the list of attendees is classified information.  The video is not.

This is all I have gleaned from a partial reading of last night's
paper.  I don't generally read the local papers as I don't have a very
high opinion of them.  I can't afford to spend vacation time attending
the trial (much to my regret) so I can't give a blow by blow
description.  Sigh.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 19 Jan 90 10:28:53 -0600
From:    James Ford <[e-mail]>
Subject: New files (PC)

The following files have been added to MIBSRV.MIB.ENG.UA.EDU
(130.160.20.80):

File             Description                            received from
- -----------      -----------                            -------------
SCANV56.ZIP   -  Scan V56                               (Homebase BBS)
SCANRS56.ZIP  -  Scan V56 (tsr)                         (Homebase BBS)
SHEZ51.ZIP    -  ZIP, ARC, LHZ shell which uses SCAN    (Homebase BBS)
CLEANP56.ZIP  -  Removes all known virii                (Homebase BBS)
VSTOP54.ZIP   -  Smaller/compact version of SCANRES (?) (Homebase BBS)

Files are located in pub/ibm-antivirus.  Users may upload files
to pub/ibm-antivirus/00uploads.  All files are scanned and then
ZIPed.  PKZ102.EXE (self-extracting (total) ZIP package) is
available in pub and pub/ibm-antivirus
- ----------

James Ford -  [e-mail], [e-mail]
              University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

------------------------------

Date:    19 Jan 90 17:08:58 +0000
From:    Irving Chidsey <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Ethical Judgement of the Internet Worm

[e-mail] writes:
<It seems equally clear that this profession does not have sufficient
<integrity to inoke such sanctions.  Though Cornell concluded that he
<did it (and he does not deny it), they have said that he is eligible
<to re-apply for admission to continue his studies.  Other
<"responsible" members of the profession have been willing to employ
<him.  Thus his contemporaries could conclude that, while such actions
<might be in technical violation of the ACM's code, they are not in
<violation of community standards.
<
<If the profession and society are to be protected from such impolite,
<disorderly, and destructive behavior, then we must reach a collective
<conviction we are prepared to consistently support in both
<voice and action.  In the absence of such a concensus, we can expect
<more of the same.
<
<William Hugh Murray, Fellow, Information System Security, Ernst & Young

This raises the questions of appropriate punishment and rehabilitation.

What punishment is appropriate for what he did?

Can he be rehabilitated?  Should he then be employed in the field
Computers?

If not, does this mean that breeding virii is the unforgivable sin?

Or just that although he can eventualy be forgiven, he cannot be
trusted?
                                                                Irv

I do not have signature authority.  I am not authorized to sign anything.
I am not authorized to commit the BRL, the DOA, the DOD, or the US Government
to anything, not even by implication.
                        Irving L. Chidsey  <[e-mail]>

------------------------------

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