Hi all OK - here is a basic question - sorry if this is totally clueless.
I have a client who runs a heavy engineering shop. To date all his computerised punches and bend breaks etc. have been driven via a windows CAD workstation talking to them on a serial cable - basically a data dump to the machine which runs a modified dos based OS. So he buys a new sheet metal laser cutter and they bring the system online whilst I'm busy throwing shielded cabling for serial comms to the new machine - lo and behold the system boots to windows 2000 (the concept of a high powered laser metal cutting device driven by windows is another conversation entirely...) So I have a closer look at the beast and it is basically a pc built into a very large machine - has all the usual LAN / USB etc. The system even comes pre-installed with Norton AV. We (read me) make a management decision not to park said machine on the LAN (concept of disgruntled employee and said laser) also the data suite that talks to the laser is now windows based and not an old dos prompt data suite to the older machines. So the question is, is a pc / machine connected to another pc via serial cable only using specialised windows software to move data to the machine at all vulnerable to viruses? Can they transmit themselves across a serial cable? Jean --- Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.744 / Virus Database: 496 - Release Date: 2004/08/24 _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
