Libris Britannia 4/science library(b).zip/science library(b)/INFO/PCCDEMO.ZIP/COMP1.EXE/VIRUSES.PRS

Text File | 1993-12-20 | 8KB | 122 lines

                                          éÄîÅöôäæ òêæöÆäÆ ╬╠╬╠╬╠╧╧╬╠╬╠╬╠╬╠╡
        σΣα≤⌠±Σ α±≤ΦΓδΣ            │     "Viruses are here to stay, and
                                   │  there's  nothing  you  can  do to
±Σδα≤Φ⌡Σδ√  σΣ÷   ⌡Φ±⌠≥Σ≥   Γα⌠≥Σ  │  change that".   This new maxim is
αΓ≤⌠αδ   πα∞αµΣ   ≤ε  ≤τΣ ≥√≥≤Σ∞≥  │  oft repeated in the news, movies,
≤τΣ√  Φφ⌡απΣ, αφπ  ûΦ≤τ   α   σΣ÷  │  magazines:     without  exception
≥Φ∞∩δΣ  ∩±εΓΣπ⌠±Σ≥,   α  Γε∞∩⌠≤Σ±  │  this    aphorism    is   declared
≥√≥≤Σ∞  ∞α√  ßΣ   ∞απΣ  ⌡Φ±≤⌠αδδ√  │  everywhere      computers     are
Φ∞∞⌠φΣ ≤ε ⌡Φ±⌠≥ α≤≤αΓΩ.            │  employed.
                                   │
                                   │     This is simply not true.  With
÷ τ α ≤    Φ ≥     α               │  proper  information   and  a  few
▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄█▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄  │  simple  procedures,   a  computer
█   █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █  █  █▄█ █    │  system  may   be  made  virtually
█▄▄ █▄█ █ █ █ █▄█ █▄█  █▄ █▄▄ █    │  immune  to  virus  attack.    But
              █                    │  before one  may begin  to develop
              ▄                    │  "immunity", a clear understanding
          ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄        │  of   the    computer   virus   is
          █ █ █ █   █ █ █▄▄        │  essential.  Thus, we will do well
          ▀▄▀ █ █   █▄█ ▄▄█        │  to    generate     an    accurate
                                   │  definition   for   the   computer
       ß√ Ωα±≥≤Σφ  ëεταφ≥≥εφ       │  virus.

                                   │     By  accepting   the  facts  as
   Reports, beginning as early as  │  portrayed  in  the  news,  one is
1983,  have  forwarned  of  virus  │  spared the  overwhelming  task of
programs designed  to eat through  │  learning     through     hands-on
diskettes,  cause  the read/write  │  experimentation.   This  would be
heads  to   scrape   hard  disks,  │  too much to ask,  as new concepts
permanantly damage monitors, hide  │  surface daily.
in communication ports or destroy  │
ROM.    Of  course,  one  by one,  │     Acceptance of  these new facts
these rumors  were  disproven and  │  depends  on  the  status  of  the
dismissed  as  false.    Although  │  discoverer.   Although  one would
viruses do exist,  none have ever  │  do well to trust the judgement of
exhibited such behavior as listed  │  an expert  with  special training
above.    In  fact,  most  of the  │  and   credentials,   inquiry   is
hearsay  effects   have  remained  │  hindered   by    the   legitimate
impossible to recreate  even in a  │  authority who  errs, or purposely
controlled  environment.   Still,  │  misleads    within    their   own
the  glaring  coals  of ignorance  │  particular domain.   Furthermore,
are stoked  by ill-informed media  │  inquiry is also  hindered when we
experts poking for a hot story.    │  depend  on     the  authority  of
                                   │  experts  speaking  outside  their

realm   of    expertise.      Not  │  clandestine cargo carried by the
surprising  then,  most  of  them  │  Trojan  horse   is  developed  to
disagree on what a computer virus  │  somehow   alter    one's   system
actually is.                       │  without  the  user's  permission.
                                   │  This  modification   may   be  to
   Possibly the simplest means to  │  change a specific target, or even
arrive at  an accurate definition  │  to  cause  generic  damage  to an
is to describe  and compare a few  │  entire system.  In all cases, the
seemingly  related  programs, and  │  Trojan horse  is malevolent.   In
explain how they differ them from  │  all   cases,    its   effect   is
a computer virus.                  │  immediate.
                                   │
   One such  brute is  the Trojan  │     Although some  viruses contain
horse.    A  Trojan  horse  is  a  │  code   devised   with   an  added
programmed    legacy    to    the  │  ability   to    inflict   serious
inauspicious gift    left  at the  │  damage,   two  principal anomales
gates of Troy in Greek mythology.  │  in Trojan horses confer the virus
ôτΣ    ∩±εµ±α∞     ∩⌠±∩ε±≤≥    ≤ε  │  sui generis.
αΓΓε∞∩δΦ≥τ ≥ε∞Σ≤τΦφµ  ⌠≥Σσ⌠δ, ß⌠≤  │     First,  relatively few viruses
÷τΣφ   Σ≈ΣΓ⌠≤Σπ,    ±ΣδΣα≥Σ≥  Φ≤≥  │  cause   actual   damage   to  the
≥⌠±±Σ∩≤ΦΓΦε⌠≥     ∩α√δεαπ.    The  │  systems they invade.  Second, and

most  important  to  our purpose,  │     Several years  ago,  Robert T.
Trojan  horses   cannot  concieve  │  Morris  Jr.  created  what became
progeny.    Clearly,  the program  │  known as  the  êφ≤Σ±φΣ≤  ûε±∞. It
must be able to reproduce its own  │  was simply an  executable Email -
code before it  can be labelled a  │  Electronic  mail-   message  that
computer virus.                    │  would  analyze      the  reader's
                                   │  mailing list, and  send copies of
   One such program  that is able  │  itself  to  the  first  two  mail
to  self-reproduce  is  called  a  │  recipients indexed.
worm. Ç ÷ε±∞  Φ≥ α ≥Φ∞∩δΣ ∩±εµ±α∞  │     Although many  have mistakenly
πΣ⌡Φ≥Σπ   ≤ε   ±Σ∩±επ⌠ΓΣ   Φ≤≥Σδσ  │  referred to the  Internet Worm as
≤τ±ε⌠µτε⌠≤ α  ≥√≥≤Σ∞, and perform  │  a  virus,  experts  agree  that a
some specific  task.   A worm may  │  true virus  needs a  host file to
be programmed  to form  a list of  │  allow execution.   The  worm does
valid passwords on a network, and  │  not require a host program, as it
return the  list  to  the writer.  │  precipitates its own execution.
Another,   arguabley   beneficial  │
function  could  simply  relay  a  │     Therefore,      the     second
message    to    specific   users  │  principle that must be met before
throughout the network.            │  a computer program  may be titled
                                   │  a  virus  is  this:    A computer

virus must  rely  on  a  host for  │  ≤τΣ   ∩ε±≤Φεφ εσ ≤τΣ àÇô ∩εΦφ≤Φφµ
execution.                         │  ≤ε ≤τΣ   ⌡ΦΓ≤Φ∞   σΦδΣ,   ε± ∞αΩΣ
                                   │  ≥ε∞Σ Γε∩√  εσ  Φ≤≥Σδσ,   φα∞Σπ Φφ
   Retaining   this  information,  │  ε±πΣ±   ≤τα≤  Φ≤ ∞α√  ßΣ Σ≈ΣΓ⌠≤Σπ
plus   by    direct   observance,  │  ßΣσε±Σ  Γεφ≤±εδ  Γαφ ßΣ ∩α≥≥Σπ ≤ε
computer virus  may be accurately  │  ≤τΣ τε≥≤.
defined in this manner:            │
All virus programs:                │     If a  program does  not follow
                                   │  each  of   these  guidelines,  it
¢. ±Σδ√    εφ   α    τε≥≤   σΦδΣ.  │  cannot adopt  the  virus moniker.
ôτΦ≥  ΦφΓδ⌠πΣ≥,     ß⌠≤   Φ≥  φε≤  │  All  virus   programs  faithfully
δΦ∞Φ≤Σπ    ≤ε    .Γε∞'≥,  .Σ≈Σ'≥,  │  follow the above set of rules.
.≥√≥'≥,  ≤τΣ  ßεε≤  ≥ΣΓ≤ε±,   αφπ  │
∩α±≤Φ≤Φεφ ≤αßδΣ.                   │  In the next edition, we will look
                                   │  at protection  and  prevention of
£. Γεφ≤αΦφ  ±ε⌠≤ΦφΣ≥ Γα⌠≥Φφµ   Φ≤  │  viruses.
≤ε  ≥Σα±Γτ       σε±,    ε±    ≤ε  │
±ΣΓεµφΦⁿΣ  α   σΦδΣ  ≥⌠Φ≤αßδΣ σε±  │
ΦφσΣΓ≤Φεφ (Φ.Σ.: α ⌡ΦΓ≤Φ∞).        │       Karsten  Johansson   is  the
                                   │  owner/proprietor of PC Scavenger,
¥. αδ≤Σ±   ≤τΣ   ⌡ΦΓ≤Φ∞  σΦδΣ  ε±  │  a company  committed  to computer

virus research and data security,  │
and can  be reached  at (416)463-  │
8384.    His  much-awaited  book,  │
COMPUTER VIRUSES:  The Technology  │
and  Evolution  of  an Artificial  │
Life Form is now in progress. His  │
spare  time   is   spent  writing  │
articles for a number of Canadian  │
and American publications ñ        │