NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: M. E. KABAY ON SECURITY 10/12/04 Today's focus: Anti-virus laws?
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * The thorny question of outlawing virus writing * Links related to Security * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Lucent Align Your IT Resources and Deliver Results Fast IDC reports that Lucent VitalSuite(r) Performance Management Software helps many businesses centrally monitor, manage and deliver advanced services rapidly while generating outstanding financial benefits-an average ROI as high as 719% and 133 day payback. Use the IDC ROI Calculator tool to learn how VitalSuite(r) software can benefit your operations and bottom line too. URL: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84880 _______________________________________________________________ Security Event : DEFENDING IN DEPTH Security: The vulnerability that paralyzes enterprise. Exposes assets. Drains capital. Compromises users. And terrifies management. It's your network's Achilles heel - but it doesn't have to be your downfall. Register today to find out how to protect yourself. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84843 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Anti-virus laws? By M. E. Kabay Every now and then the topic comes up of whether it makes any sense to pass laws against writing viruses. For as long as I have been involved in it (since the early 1990s), some people have argued that writing a virus should itself be illegal. Such laws would make it clear to everyone that writing viruses is _bad_. Having legally prescribed punishments for virus writing would discourage some (not all) casual hobbyists from contributing their pathetic efforts to the pool of viruses. However, others object that such laws would make anti-virus work more difficult. They warn that regulating virus writing might justify a new bureaucracy dedicated to virus control. The law might be unenforceable and therefore ill-advised. Even more fundamentally, the harm from a virus, they argue, comes not from its existence but from its dissemination to unsuspecting victims. Writing the virus does nothing as long as other people don't infect their computers. Even sending the virus to a willing recipient doesn't seem to be a problem: after all, people are free to run whatever programs they want on their own computers. Making virus _writing_ illegal would be a form of prior restraint and divert attention away from monitoring or punishing clearly harmful acts. Even defining a virus in legal terms would be difficult, especially given the low level of technical knowledge among the legislatures of the world. Some humorists argue that a sloppy definition might classify Windows itself as a virus. Furthermore, say the skeptics, viruses are written all over the world and the damages often occur in other countries. How will anti-virus laws be enforced internationally? I would like to see clear laws in place worldwide making it a serious crime to write computer programs which, without permission, insert their own code into programs or other executable code. To include worms, we might have to include programs which propagate without authorization. This simple idea would focus on the fundamental attribute of viruses and worms: their sneaky invasion of _our_ computers. Ideally, the U.N. would frame a convention urging nations to allow extradition of people alleged to have written viruses that have harmed the citizens of another nation. More in the next column. _______________________________________________________________ To contact: M. E. Kabay M. E. Kabay, Ph.D., CISSP, is Associate Professor in the Division of Business and Management at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. Mich can be reached by e-mail <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and his Web site <http://www2.norwich.edu/mkabay/index.htm>. A Master's degree in the management of information assurance in 18 months of study online from a real university - see <http://www3.norwich.edu/msia> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Veritas Meta Group Whitepaper Database Infrastructure Performance Challenges: Approaches to Better Manage Application Database and Storage Subsystem Performance Corporate relational databases now manage the majority of business-critical data within the enterprise. IT organizations face continuing challenges in managing increasingly complex, data-driven application environments. Read this white paper to discover several factors which will converge to challenge the IT organization's ability to manage its database software infrastructure. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=84692 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the Security newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/sec/index.html Breaking security news: http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/security.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE THE NEW DATA CENTER Today's top companies are accelerating toward Web-based computing. That means building the new data center -- where grids, virtualization, autonomic computing and other big changes shatter the traditional boundaries on applications and information, and bring the extended enterprise to life. Learn about The New Data Center on NW Fusion's Research Center at: <http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/datacenter.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2 International subscribers click here: http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx> To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Preferences.aspx> To change your e-mail address, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx> Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. This message was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please use this address when modifying your subscription. _______________________________________________________________ Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor, at: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Inquiries to: NL Customer Service, Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 For advertising information, write Kevin Normandeau, V.P. of Online Development, at: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Copyright Network World, Inc., 2004 ------------------------ This message was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
