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Computer underground Digest Wed May 25, 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 45
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
Retiring Shadow Archivist: Stanton McCandlish
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Covey Editors: D. Bannaducci & S. Jones
CONTENTS, #6.45 (May 25, 1994)
File 1--The Net Strikes Back (Greencard Spamming reprint)
File 2--Netcom cancels Canter's Account (fwd)
File 3--What is Spamming? (fwd)
File 4--Fidonet Crackdown in Italy - Follow-up (24 May '94)
File 5--PGP 2.6 IS NOW AVAILABLE!
File 6--Re: CuD 6.43 - Response to Skulason
File 7--Re: File 2--Re: CuD 6.42 (Response to Review of Anti-Virus Book)
File 8--In Re CuD 6.43, Possible "Court Fraud" twist in AA Case
File 9--Ontario Provincial Police harass Internet Users
File 10--RSI Network Newsletter
File 11--Special Issue on Electronic Communication and Sociology
Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
available at no cost electronically.
CuD is available as a Usenet newsgroup: comp.society.cu-digest
Or, to subscribe, send a one-line message: SUB CUDIGEST your name
Send it to LISTSERV@UIUCVMD.BITNET or LISTSERV@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU
The editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
60115, USA.
Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
on RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020 (and via Ripco on internet);
and on Rune Stone BBS (IIRGWHQ) (203) 832-8441.
CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from
1:11/70; unlisted nodes and points welcome.
UNITED STATES: etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD/
ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/Publications/CuD
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world.std.com in /src/wuarchive/doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
uceng.uc.edu in /pub/wuarchive/doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
wuarchive.wustl.edu in /doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
EUROPE: nic.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud/ (Finland)
ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud/ (United Kingdom)
JAPAN: ftp.glocom.ac.jp /mirror/ftp.eff.org/
COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long
as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that
non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are
preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts
unless absolutely necessary.
DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
violate copyright protections.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 13:50:31 -0700
From: hlr@WELL.SF.CA.US(Howard Rheingold)
Subject: File 1--The Net Strikes Back (Greencard Spamming reprint)
The Net Strikes Back
by Howard Rheingold
Originally published as a "Tomorrow" column in the San Francisco Examiner.
How should Internet citizens respond when ambitious
entrepreneurs violate the Net's unwritten rules of conduct? The
question arose recently when two Arizona lawyers indiscriminately
posted advertisements to thousands of inappropriate online forums -- a
gross breach of Netiquette known as "spamming." Can the Net defend
itself against practices such as spamming without endangering the
freedom of expression that has made this global electronic forum
valuable?
Some Netheads responded to the lawyers' ad barrage with
guerilla tactics, "flaming" the spammers -- jamming their electronic
mailboxes with impolite notes. A minority of zealots suggested
"fax-bombing" the perpetrators' office -- sending endless loops of
black paper faxes to the attorneys' advertised fax number. But the
proposed punishment that won the widest favor was one that seemed to
best fit the "crime:" Netizens were urged to e-mail the two lawyers
and ask for information about their business by paper mail. If enough
polite but bogus requests were blasted back at the spammers, these Net
users reasoned, then perhaps the price of finding one paying client
would be raised too high.
But in the end, the most effective way of safeguarding the
Net's democratic code is neither guerilla war not the tyranny of
rules. Under the banner of "tools, not rules," some Usenet enthusiasts
have created computer programs to deal with online boors. A
"kill-file" can cause anything written by specified person to be
discarded without viewing; the messages will arrive at your computer
community, and others can choose to read them, but they won't be shown
to you as an option when you check different conversations (known as
newsgroups) for new postings.
If a pushy salesman wants to crash a communal conversation
about health care reform or Haiti, the 16,000 people involved in that
mass conversation can put the offender's electronic address in their
kill files, and postings from the offending electronic address will no
longer be displayed on their computers.
On Usenet, nobody can stop you from spouting any kind of
nonsense, but anybody can make you disappear from his or her own
screen. Using the available tools to bar unwelcome solicitors is far
easier than limiting freedom of expression on the Net -- it's also
morally preferable.
Some people are now talking about filtering out all Usenet
messages sent by known spammers to entire computer communities on the
network. This mass screening would spare hundreds of Usenet
participants in each of those communities the trouble of listing the
spammer in their personal kill files. It would be easy for computers
on the Net to identify accounts that broadcast large amounts of
messages to abnormally large numbers of newsgroups, and alert other
communities instantly.
Attention is the currency of cyberspace. If spammers learn
that the Net will demonstrate its disapproval and turn off its
attention in an organized manner, maybe they'll go away before they
damage the cybernetic commons.
The attack of the spammers is probably just the first of many
coming collisions between human greed and common courtesy on the Net.
We need to get better at building computer tools and social contracts
that deal with such problems without entangling ourselves in rules and
regulations.
###
Howard Rheingold hlr@well.sf.ca.us
Millennium Whole Earth Catalog
27 Gate Five Road * Sausalito, CA 94965 * Vox 415 332 1716 * Fax 415
332 3110
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 18:22:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Stanton McCandlish <mech@EFF.ORG>
Subject: File 2--Netcom cancels Canter's Account (fwd)
Date--Fri, 20 May 1994 17:53:37 -0700 (PDT)
>From--Glee Harrah Cady <glee@netcom.com
Dear Fellow Network Providers and other interested parties.
NETCOM On-Line Communications has taken the step of cancelling the
service of Laurence Canter of Canter and Siegel, the lawyer commonly
referred to as the "Green Card Lawyer". Mr. Canter had been a
customer of NETCOM in the past. He had been cautioned for what we
consider abuse of NETCOM's system resources and his systematic and
willful actions that do not comply with the codes of behavior of
USENET.
Mr. Canter has been widely quoted in the print and on-line media about
his intention to continue his practice of advertising the services of
his law firm using USENET newsgroups. He has also widely posted his
intention to sell his services to advertise for others using the
newsgroups. We do not choose to be the provider that will carry his
messages.
NETCOM believes that we can and will refuse service to people who have
demonstrated that they do not respect the guidelines preventing
posting advertisements to inappropriate USENET newsgroups. As a
commercial Internet service provider, NETCOM encourages commercial
activity on the Internet and believes it to be an important part of a
complete service. However, NETCOM also believes that commercial
activities need to be undertaken in an orderly and thoughtful manner,
with attention to appropriate usage and sensitivity to the cooperative
culture of the Internet community.
Our position is that NETCOM can be compared to a public restaurant
where a customer may be refused service if the customer is not wearing
shoes. For the health of the other customers and the good of the
restaurant, that customer may be turned away. NETCOM believes that
being a responsible provider entails refusing service to customers who
would endanger the health of the community. Customers, commercial or
not, who will contribute to the health of the community, respect the
laws of the land, and the rights of others, will be welcome.
With best regards for a expanded Internet community, I am
John Whalen,
President, NETCOM On-Line Communication Services
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 12:02:11 -0700
From: Ken Miller <kcmiller@NETCOM.COM>
Subject: File 3--What is Spamming? (fwd)
In reply to the question "What is Spamming:
Spamming is sending out junk mail to a large number of newsgroups or lists.
Recent examples of spam include the infamous Cantor & Siegel Green Card
posting (5000+ newsgroups), Taford's Investment Opportunities (a piker at a
mere 200 or so lists), and the above-mentioned Skinny Dip (all the alt.*
and comp.* groups, at last count).
The use of the word "spam" in this context has its origin in a Monty Python
skit. (Spam (tm) occupies a significant place in Python symbology.)
Downloaded from alt.fan.monty-python:
<begin downloaded document>
From--djaffe@mirna.together.uvm.edu (Douglas Jaffe)
Subject--Re--Need Spam script
Steve McGrew (stevem@comtch.iea.com) wrote:
: Could someone either post or mail me the script to the Spam skit? Thanks.
: --
: Brian the Half a Lumberjack
The Spam Sketch from the second series of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and
"Monty Python's Previous Record"
(Spam = Spiced Pork And Ham, a sort of cheap luncheon meat)
Scene: A cafe. One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned
helmets on. A man and his wife enter.
Man (Eric Idle): You sit here, dear.
Wife (Graham Chapman in drag): All right.
Man (to Waitress): Morning!
Waitress (Terry Jones, in drag as a bit of a rat-bag): Morning!
Man: Well, what've you got?
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam;
egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage
and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam
bacon spam tomato and spam;
Vikings (starting to chant): Spam spam spam spam...
Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked
beans spam spam spam...
Vikings (singing): Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
Waitress: ...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a
Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with
truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
Wife: Have you got anything without spam?
Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in
it.
Wife: I don't want ANY spam!
Man: Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?
Wife: THAT'S got spam in it!
Man: Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam (crescendo through next few lines)
Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?
Waitress: Urgghh!
Wife: What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!
Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!)
Waitress: Shut up!
Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up! (Vikings stop) Bloody Vikings! You can't have egg bacon
spam and sausage without the spam.
Wife (shrieks): I don't like spam!
Man: Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it.
I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam
spam and spam!
Vikings (singing): Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Waitress: Shut up!! Baked beans are off.
Man: Well could I have her spam instead of the baked beans then?
Waitress: You mean spam spam spam spam spam spam... (but it is too late and
the Vikings drown her words)
Vikings (singing elaborately): Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful
spam! Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam. Lovely spam!
Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Spam spam
spam spam!
__
djaffe@mirna.together.uvm.edu
<end downloaded document>
For more on spamming, check out alt.current-events.net-abuse and/or
news.admin.misc.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 May 1994 18:18:19 PDT
From: Bernardo Parrella <berny@well.sf.ca.us.>
Subject: File 4--Fidonet Crackdown in Italy - Follow-up (24 May '94)
"The crackdown needed to be done, software piracy has become a National
sport in Italy. Unfortunately, the operation rapidly became too wide for our
forces: right now, here in Pesaro we are only three Prosecutors, quite busy
with penal trials, in court all day long. We will try to do our best with
the less possible damage for the entire community."
Here are the explanatory words of Gaetano Savoldelli Pedrocchi, the Pesaro
Prosecutor who is managing the investigations that last week led to a
nationwide crackdown on Fidonet Italia BBSes
During the operation - confidentially known as "Hardware 1" - more than 60
(some sources go up to 130) Bulletin Board Systems have been visited and
searched by police officials.
In the central and northern part of the country, several Fidonet nodes were
closed and dozens of operators were charged of "conspiracy with unknown for
distribution of illegally copied software and appropriation of secret
passwords."
Some figures say the seizures included more than 120 computers, 300
streamer-cassettes and CD-ROMs, 60,000 floppy disks, an imprecise number of
modems and other electronic devices.
In some cases, police officials sealed off rooms and garages where the BBSes
were operated or closed all the hardware they found in a closet.
Several Fidonet operators (generally students, professionals, small-company
owners) lost their personal data because every magnetic support was
"suspected to carry pirated software".
Aimed to crack a distribution ring of illegal software run by two people
using the publicly available Fidonet nodelist, investigators searched and
seized every single site of the list - even those that had never had any
contact with the two suspected.
Also, many operators not inquired by police were forced to immediately shut
down their systems, searching for possible illegal software covertly
uploaded on their BBSes.
As a consequence of such indiscriminate operations, the real, very few
pirate boards had the chance to quickly hide their businesses - sources say.
"I do not believe to this scenario," said the Pesaro Prosecutor in an
interview by SottoVoce Magazine. "We acted after precise information about
the activities of a specific data-bank: if some operators have nothing to do
with the charges, we'll verify it as soon as possible."
Questioned about further investigations against BBSes users, the Prosecutor
said: "We'll see later....at the present, users can sleep peacefully:
otherwise, I cannot imagine how many people should be investigated. I do not
want to criminalize the entire population. Even if the inquiry has become so
vast, this is not a subject of vital importance for our country. It is
mostly a fiscal and bureaucratic issue, a matter of small-scale but spread
illegality."
However, rumors say other inquires are currently underway in other cities,
and even the Criminalpol is working on similar issues.
Assisting the investigated people, some lawyers already asked for the
immediate return of the confiscated materials, while others suggested to
wait for better times. In any case, it will probably take months (years?)
before receiving official answers regarding the seizures.
Struggling to re-open in some way their systems, Fidonet operators are also
working to get the attention of mainstream media on the issue - with little
success, so far. After an article published by La Repubblica, two local
newspapers, Il Mattino and Il Giornale di Brescia, run brief reports on May
15, both centered on "a wide software piracy ring cracked by police
officials".
But the real activity is happening inside and around electronic communities.
MC-Link and especially Agora' Telematica (the biggest Italian systems) are
doing a great job, offering space for news, opinions and comments - also
acting as connection links between the decimated net of BBSes and worried
individuals scattered in the country.
Here is just one example: "....police officials seized everything, including
three PCs (one broken), a couple of modem (just fixed for some friends),
floppies, phone cables, phone-books. Now Dark Moon is off, hoping to have at
least one line available in a few days, maybe at 2400. I fear that more
raids will soon follow elsewhere. So, please, stay alert..."
A catching dynamism flourishes from the BBSes linked to Cybernet. Although
some of them are currently not operating, a special issue of the Corriere
Telematico was just released over the net and their printed voice, Decoder
Magazine, will soon distribute news, testimonies, comments on "Operation
Hardware 1".
PeaceLink has set up a defense committee-news center in Taranto and its
spokesperson, Alessandro Marescotti, will sign an article for the next issue
of the weekly magazine Avvenimenti.
Promptly alerted, the International online community gave good response -
quickly redistributing the news over the Net and sending supportive
messages.
Michael Baker, Chairman of Electronic Frontiers Australia, sent this email:
"To that end I am writing to offer assistance to anyone in Italy who wants
to set up such an organisation. Recently I (along with others) have set up
Electronic Frontiers Australia, and I am now its Chairman. Other national EF
groups have been, or are being, set up in several other countries (Canada,
Ireland, Norway, UK and Japan)....if there is anything we can do to help,
please ask."
Shifting toward politics, on May 19, the first working day of the new
Italian Cabinet, six Members of the Reformers group presented a written
question to the Ministers of Justice and Interior.
After a short introduction about telecom systems, the document gives an
account of the facts and asks three final questions to the Government:
"- if it will intend to open an investigation to verify if the raids ordered
by the Pesaro Prosecutor's office were prejudicial to the constitutionally
guaranteed freedom of expression;
- if it is not the case to set up a better and greater team of computer
experts in order to avoid further random seizures of electronic devices that
lead to shut down the BBSes;
- if it is not the occasion to confirm that current legislation does not
charge system operators with objective responsibility for users' activities
on telecom systems."
Although the Fidonet sysops community (about 300 people) is still quite
uncertain regarding its future, many of them feel the urgent need to
overcome a sort of cultural and social isolation that clearly surrounds the
telecom scene in Italy.
At the moment the main issue is how to raise public interest and political
pressure to obtain clear laws in support of civil rights in the electronic
medium.
Ideas and proposals are developing from several electronic laboratories,
such as the Community Networking conference on Agora' Telematica.
"We underestimate our strength: if we could just be able to set up an
Italian Association of Telecom Users we could put pressure on political and
legislative bodies."
"We must attract common people, through hundreds of tables and events in the
streets more than online, even if we do not have a Kapor to support us."
"What about a 24-hours silence from any system in the country with
simultaneous events in each city and village where a BBS operates?"
The situation is rather fluid and in motion. Stay connect!
- Bernardo Parrella
<b.parrella@agora.stm.it>
<berny@well.sf.ca.us>
electronic distribution of this posting is greatly encouraged,
preserving its original version, including the header and this notice
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 12:17:43 -0700
From: Tommy the Tourist <nobody@SODA.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject: File 5--PGP 2.6 IS NOW AVAILABLE!
+---------- Forwarded message ----------
_MIT PGP Release_
PGP 2.6 IS NOW AVAILABLE!
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
MIT is pleased to announce the release of PGP 2.6, a free
public-key encryption program for non-commercial use. PGP 2.6
provides for digital signatures and confidentiality of files and
messages.
PGP 2.6 is distributed in source form for all platforms.
For convenience, an MSDOS executable is also part of this release.
Because source is available, anyone may examine it to verify the
program's integrity.
PGP 2.6 uses the RSAREF(TM) Cryptographic Toolkit, supplied by RSA
Data Security, Inc. PGP 2.6 is being released by MIT with the
cooperation of RSADSI.
In order to fully protect RSADSI's intellectual property rights
in public-key technology, PGP 2.6 is designed so that the
messages it creates after September 1, 1994 will be unreadable by
earlier versions of PGP that infringe patents licensed exclusively to
Public Key Partners by MIT and Stanford University. PGP 2.6 will
continue to be able to read messages generated by those earlier
versions.
Because earlier versions of PGP (including MIT's Beta test PGP
2.5 release) will not be able to read messages created by PGP 2.6
after September 1, 1994, MIT strongly urges all PGP users to upgrade
to the new format.
The intent of the format change is to discourage continued use
of earlier infringing software in the U.S., and to give people
adequate time to upgrade. As part of the release process, MIT
commissioned an independent legal review of the intellectual property
issues surrounding earlier releases of PGP and PGP keyservers. This
review determined that use of PGP 2.3 within the United States
infringes a patent licensed by MIT to RSADSI, and that keyservers
that primarily accept 2.3 keys are mostly likely contributing to
this infringement. For that reason, MIT encourages all
non-commercial PGP users in the U.S. to upgrade to PGP 2.6, and
all keyserver operators to no longer accept keys that are
identified as being produced by PGP 2.3.
How to get PGP 2.6 from MIT:
PGP 2.6 is available from MIT only over the Internet. Use anonymous
FTP to login to net-dist.mit.edu. Login as anonymous. Look in the
directory /pub/PGP. In this directory, available to everyone, is a
README file a copy of the RSAREF license and a copy of a
software license from MIT. Please read the README file and these
licenses carefully. Take particular note of the provisions about
export control. THe README file contains more detailed instructions
on how to get PGP 2.6.
Also in /pub/PGP is a copy of the PGP Manual (files pgpdoc1.txt
and pgpdoc2.txt) and the file pgformat.doc that describes the PGP
message, signature and key formats, including the modifications
for PGP 2.6. These are being made available without the
distribution restrictions that pertain to the PGP source and
executable code.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6
iQBVAgUBLeGAOlUFZvpNDE7hAQG4yQH+PbABiBvnFQU0u084Ed9whx988IaUNpIp
Sl4Ab950SChJbewZNvcpQ/yEMjF2wi6PhUx4k3VySUvKmaC6W7rhNQ==
=+qTj
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 May 94 10:25:57 EDT
From: morgan@ENGR.UKY.EDU(Wes Morgan)
Subject: File 6--Re: CuD 6.43 - Response to Skulason
In CuD 6.43 frisk@COMPLEX.IS(Fridrik Skulason) writes:
>The problem is that becoming a virus "expert" five years ago was much,
>much, easier than becoming one today...
Well, there's a reason for this difficulty that you didn't mention.
However, you illustrate this additional problem later in your message:
>>What a lot of people don't know is that other public systems have been
>>a target of the same people.
>
>And what is wrong with that ? Public systems that distribute viruses
>any way or other are IMHO a part of the virus problem....they are not
>serving any useful purpose, and I will not oppose any attempts by
>anyone to shut them down.
How, then, will new "virus experts" arise? Since I don't have extensive
contacts in this particular business, I can only examine the viruses that
find their way into our labs. One doesn't learn much from 4 viruses...
>I will not actively attempt to shut them down myself, though...
I'm glad to see that comment...
>Just look at all the anti-virus products that have been withdrawn from
>the market, discontinued or just falled hopelessly far behind. On the
>other hand, there is not a single good new anti-virus product (written
>from scratch, that is) that I am aware of, which has appeared in the
>last two years.
In the absence of new "virus experts," how will new anti-virus products
appear at all?
>Simple nonsense. In fact, there is a high degree of co-operation among
>most of the companies in the anti-virus industry.
That may be true, but there is zero cooperation between the industry
and interested parties out in the world.
I see this as a close cousin to the general problem in computer security.
I'm a good guy - a white hat, if you will - but there is absolutely no
way for me to "establish my credentials" within the rather close-knit
security groups. Everyone tells me, "go to conferences, publish papers,
and things will open up to you." Well, folks, that isn't an option for
most of us; I don't have the money to go to conferences, and I don't have
a prayer of publishing a paper until I can get my hands on research ma-
terial. It's a textbook case of Catch-22...and a lot of *good* people
are chafing under it. (Heck, one vendor wouldn't even give me an update
on a bug that *I* reported!)
Please don't misunderstand me. I'm *extremely* grateful for the efforts
put forth by the anti-virus industry. It's just that I'd like to learn
more - and, perhaps, even contribute something back - and I can't even
get my foot in the *$&^%(#(# door.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 10:34:58 -0500
From: Jason Zions <jazz@HAL.COM>
Subject: File 7--Re: File 2--Re: CuD 6.42 (Response to Review of Anti-Virus Book
)
>>For example:
>>"It would be difficult to create more [virus] experts, because the
>>learning curve is very shallow. The first time you disassemble
>>something like Jerusalem virus, it takes a week. After you've done a
>>few hundred viruses, you could whip through something as simple as
>>Jerusalem in 15 minutes."
>
>Well, this may not make sense to you, but nevertheless it is pretty
>accurate.
Not in the English language it's not; it's still nonsense. A shallow
learning curve would make it easier to become a virus expert, not more
difficult.
>simply because the number of viruses is so much greater, and because of the
>"advances" in virus development during the past few years.
If the advances are so great as to render old methods for understanding them
obsolete, then a current expert (e.g. you) and a newcomer have exactly the
same learning curve to climb. If the advance is not so great, then a
newcomer, having climbed the original learning curve, has the same
incremental distance to climb as you. I assert that changes in the world of
Physics have been far more complex and been far more paradigm-shattering
than anything in the virus world, and yet we still turn out physicists by
the hundreds.
> Public systems that distribute viruses
>any way or other are IMHO a part of the virus problem....they are not
>serving any useful purpose, and I will not oppose any attempts by
>anyone to shut them down.
It has been suggested that one of the purposes such public virus
repositories provide is one of education; that is, newcomers to the
anti-virus world have a place to grab examples of viruses to disassemble. Do
you disagree with that purpose?
>>"It's my opinion, most
>>of these kinds of things are really attempts to keep access to
>>information from competitors."
>
>Simple nonsense. In fact, there is a high degree of co-operation among
>most of the companies in the anti-virus industry. One of the main
>functions of CARO is to share information - in particular virus
>samples, but also useful technical information. For example, earlier
>this month there was considerable discussion on the detection of the
>two SMEG viruses that have just been reported in the UK.
Ah; it's an oligopoly, then. A small number of putative competitors
restrict information to themselves as a barrier to competition. If the
conspiracy theorists are correct, that small number of competitors
also create and distribute enough "new" viruses to keep the learning
curve high for someone not already a member of the club. This is, of
course, merely a conspiracy theory; I do not assert that this is so.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 May 1994 18:31:53 -0400 (ADT)
From: The Advocate <cudigest@mindvox.phantom.com>
Subject: File 8--In Re CuD 6.43, Possible "Court Fraud" in AA Case
In CuD 6.43, hkhenson@CUP.PORTAL.COM writes:
>To bring you up to date, I uncovered evidence of outright fraud on the
>court system, and brought it to the attention of the FBI two weeks
>ago. It involved the San Francisco US Attorney who unilatterally took
>a motion off a judge's calendar after it had been placed there by a
>court clerk.
>
>I presented court records to the FBI agent which clearly showed the
>problem. The agent claimed to be absolutely baffled. He admitted
>that I had shown clear evidence of serious problems which he said he
>had discussed over the last two weeks with his superiours. He
>admitted that I had every right to be concerned, but was certain that the
>FBI would be unable to do anything at all --since they had to ask the
>very person responsible for the fraud for permission to investigate!
>
>Neither he nor his bosses were so naive as to believe this request
>would be permitted. Please note: there are agents of the government
>who can committ serious crimes--in this case sedition, i.e.,
>undermining the constitutional provisions for separation of
>powers--and get clean away with it.
You must be talking to a very junior FBI agent. because there are
lots of ways to remedy this problem. First, presentation of the
evidence to the clerk of the court. They can send the information to
the judge, who can convene a contempt hearing, and have information
developed by US Marshals, the FBI under order and release of US
Attorneys files. THe Judge can also complain to the justice dept
office of professional responsibility or the Public Integrity Section
of the Criminal Division or The Inspector General of the DOJ.
The evidence can also be presented to the Chief judge of the district,
and these old men are not to be messed with. They are life Lords of
the bench, and unlikely to Like a political appointee of the Clinton
administration acting out of line.
The third course is to call the Congressional over-sight commision.
They can have the GAO investigate as well as hold hearings, and
wouldn't the republican senators like to stick it to Janet Reno.
The fourth course is to send the information to Jack Anderson. he's
always good for a red hot pin to the eyeball.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 11:00:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: Stanton McCandlish <mech@EFF.ORG>
Subject: File 9--Ontario Provincial Police harass Internet Users
Date--Fri, 20 May 1994 22:00:16 -0400 (EDT)
From--[anonymous EFF member]
Note: due to the current political climate in Ontario, please do not
forward this story over the net with my name on it. Reading the story
will explain why. There is increasing evidence that with in the next
two years we may see in Canada a similar situation as has been taking
place in Italy over the last few weeks with the shutting down of
'amature' BBS sites.
As reported in Toronto's EYE Newspaper [eye@io.org] (similar to New
Yorks Village Voice) dated May 19. 1994
The London Ontario detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police have
begun a campaign of harassment against local University Internet users
who are attempting to use the 'net to gain information on the Karla
Homolka trial. A University of Western Ontario (London) student had
his Internet account frozen by the university computer staff when
requested by the Police. The reason for this lay in the student's name
being left on the text of a FAQ of the details of the trial. Another
student in Toronto had Faxed this material (which had been Emailed to
him) to the Toronto media, and the offices of the Premier of Ontario
and the Attorney-General as an act of provocation against the Ban (his
regular anonymous forwarding site was not working).The problem was
that he had forgotten to remove the other persons name and account
number from the original E-mail that was sent out.
The police action against the student's account was done without a
warrant, and also involved the questioning of the student at the local
police station. Likewise the students home computer was searched
without a warrant by using the threat of criminal charges. The
Student's computer account was re-instated, but he was required to
turn over all incoming Email to the police under the threat of
criminal charges if he did not cooperate. A list of about 50 people
who had received Homolka FAQ's were passed on to the police. The
important part of this entire situation is that no one, including the
Ontario Attorney-General office is certain that the ban applies to the
Internet. The ban states that details of the trial cannot be published
in the print media but there is no ban on possession of information.
There is no mention of the Internet, nor the use of computer systems
in the ban. Further, there is no official investigation of the
Internet on the part of the Ontario Provincial Police, except for this
one detachment.
One of the questions raised is the ethics of the University of
Western Ontario's computer department. Their cooperation with the
police was based on a fear of having their computer equipment
confiscated (similar to the case of the University of Cambridge in
England). If the situation had taken place with in the library system
of the university, it would not have been tolerated by the library
staff due to the long held tradition in that profession of the defence
of freedom of speech. If the Internet is to remain open this set of
values will have to become part of the professional comittment of the
MIS staff of universities as well.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 14 May 1994 00:35:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: email list server <listserv@SNYSIDE.SUNNYSIDE.COM>
Subject: File 10--RSI Network Newsletter
Typing and mousing injuries are becoming a serious problem. Maybe your
organization can help build awareness among computer users.
Consider joining the the RSI Network Newsletter. It is a free
publication, distributed over Internet once every two months, with
occasional supplements. Since it is a moderated list, the traffic amounts
to about 20K/month on average.
We have changed from a manually managed subscription list to an automated
one, so I feel better about advertising the RSI Network Newsletter's
existence to a wider group.
The RSI Network Newsletter covers all topics of interest to people with
arm, hand, wrist, shoulder injuries from typing, or people who have to
cope with computers even though they have an injury of this sort. A Topics
Index follows.
Issue 17 came out in early May and Issue 18 will be out by the end of June.
I edit and publish the electronic version on Internet, pro bono. Please
feel free to repost or redistribute this message. You may subscribe as an
individual, or subscribe a list at your organization. Back issues are
widely available by Gopher and FTP. Please Email me directly for more
information on back issues.
Getting On the List: subscribing
--------------------------------
Send a mail message to:
majordomo@world.std.com
The Subject doesn't matter. Put this into the body
of your message just as it appears here:
subscribe rsi
Getting Off the List: unsubscribing
-----------------------------------
Send a mail message to:
majordomo@world.std.com
The Subject doesn't matter. Send the message:
unsubscribe rsi
...COD
--
Craig O'Donnell | Editor, RSI Network Newsletter on Internet
dadadata@world.std.com | Author of Cool Mac Sounds (Hayden 1993)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 May 94 17:57:44 EDT
From: mcmullen@PHANTOM.COM(John F. McMullen)
Subject: File 11--Special Issue on Electronic Communication and Sociology
Special Issue on Electronic Communication and Sociology
The American Sociologist invites submissions for a special issue
to be titled "Electronic Communication and Sociology." Papers
should deal with issues surrounding electronic communication and
its implications for sociology--both good and bad. Electronic
communication is broadly conceived both technologically and
socially. It includes Email, local area networks, modems, faxes,
wireless communications, BITNET, the INTERNET, multimedia,
commercial networks and services such as Prodigy and CompuServe,
telecommuting, distance learning, research collaboration at a
distance, sociological studies of electronic communication,
using electronic communication to access scholarly resources
and datasets, electronic journals, reader lists, bulletin boards,
remote access to computers and resources, cyberspace, on-line
conferencing, fax-on-demand, and telephony.
Topics might include but are not limited to the following:
- Implications of electronic communication for distance learning,
extension, and outreach
- How BITNET and the INTERNET are changing research in sociology
- How sociological practice is changing due to electronic communication
- Research opportunities afforded by electronic communication
- Integrating electronic communication & multimedia into the sociology
curriculum
- How will electronic communication change social life?
- Using local area networks to collect data and conduct social
psychological experiments
- Electronic communications as a data source for sociological research
- Invisible colleges in the electronic age
- Security and privacy issues in distributed data
- Problems with electronic communication including threats to productivity
- Weighing electronic publications and other computer-based work in
the tenure decision
- Resources on the INTERNET and their implications for sociological
research and teaching
- The role of sociologists in public policy formation regarding the
information superhighway
- What should the ASA and other professional associations do to take
advantage of electronic communication in the discipline?
Submit four copies of your paper, in TAS style, before March 1, 1995,
to either special-issue coeditor:
Edward Brent Edward Mirielli
Department of Sociology Idea Works, Inc.
University of Missouri 607 Jackson Street
Columbia, MO 65211 Columbia, MO 65203
SOCBRENT@MIZZOU1 RUSOEDM@MIZZOU1
FAX: (314) 875-5812 FAX: (314) 875-5812
Voice: (314) 882-9172 Voice: (314) 875-5827
------------------------------
End of Computer Underground Digest #6.45
************************************