Nexus - 0105 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Computers Gremlins Infect Human sponsible for the recent total destruc- tion of The Prophet BBS, Sydney’s | largest public computer bulletin board. Owners of Macintosh computers need not feel left out as Aldus Corpo- ration, producers of the most popular desktop publishing programs, have admitted that many copies of their new program Freehand have been distributed while infected with a vi- , tus that originated in Canada. Note that these examples all affect only personal computers - i.e. only those machines that put computers into the hands of the mug punter. News of viruses in larger computers is few and far between. Irate Pirates So now that these viruses exist, who wins? The large computer companies for a start. Software piracy will yirtu- free public domain programs. ally cease to exist except for those that The problems posed by viruses can prove their programs are notin- are already creating commercial fected. After all, who’s going to risk _ profits. A Melbourne group called their hard work invested in comput- Hackwatch/Data Protection Group - erised data to save a few dollars? which used to make a living out of Everybody willbuylegit.And ifyour warning corporations about com- software company isn’tlargeenough puter crime - collected examples of to provide personnel and computer several viruses, came up with anti- security needed toensure yourprod- dotes and then sold the results to a uct is virus-free, then you can go to French electronics company and a the wall, irrespective of how good _ similar organization in the Nether- your program may have been. lands. The director of Hackwatch is maur dichandina tha areanizatinn omputers and theirnetworks ( are everywhere. If they were all put together, just about anybody could know almost any- thing about anyone. While there are controls on these things only a very few are placed intentionally - others not so intentionally. For instance, the computer indus- try and the media has made us all very aware of the Computer Hacker- that fiendish creature motivated by curiosity or espionage that accesses, uses and sometimes destroys infor- mation held on mainframe comput- ers. And usually without paying. Now the computer hackers have : made themselves obsolete, particu- Irate Pirates larly in destroying computerised in- So now that these viruses exist, who formation, by inventing a class of | wins? The large computer companies programs called viruses. These pro- fora start. Software piracy will yirtu- free public domain programs. grams ‘live’ by transmitting copiesof ally cease to exist except for those that The problems posed by viruses themselves to other computers via can prove their programs are notin- are already creating commercial telephone lines or floppy disk ex- fected. After all, who’s going to risk _ profits. A Melbourne group called changes. Their purpose isto seek out their hard work invested in comput- Hackwatch/Data Protection Group - a computer’s major permanent erised data to save a few dollars? which used to make a living out of memory -likeits hard disk-and start Everybody willbuylegit.And ifyour warning corporations about com- munchingand manglingalltheinfor- softwarecompanyisn’tlargeenough puter crime - collected examples of mation it finds there. to provide personnel and computer several viruses, came up with anti- While isolated and relatively security needed toensure your prod- dotes and then sold the results to a harmless examples of these bugs uct is virus-free, then you can go to French electronics company and a were discovered as far back as 1979, _ the wall, irrespective of how good _ similar organization in the Nether- it’s only recently that they’ve turned _ your program may have been. lands. The director of Hackwatch is malignant. The Amiga computer pro- A . ae now disbanding the organization ia by Commodore ‘on the first Antidotes & Penicillins ang returning to England. affected with a virus that was im- To date these viruses have appar- The level of paranoia viruses will ported in mid-1987 via pirated games _ently only affected microcomputers produce in the computer industry disks. In a recent consignment to as they must be written specifically will rival that which governments Perth of 200 legitimate disks, 110 for cach computer and its operating _ feel towards terrorists - and lead to were found to have a virus. system; once discovered and analy- _ similar results. ‘The majority of users Another virus that attacked IBM sed a program can be written that will have their communication free- personal computers was discovered detects and destroys that specific doms restricted for reasons of ‘inter- at the Hebrew University in Jerusa- virus. Many legitimate users that _ nalsecurity’. The growthin thediver- lem. This virus was designed as a some would call hackers (such as __ sity and use of computers will slow. time bomb in that for the first few members of above-ground com- Checks and balances to allow social months of it’sexistenceit only copied _ puter-users groups and operators of organisations to catch up with the itself. Only then, afterithadbeen well publiccomputer bulletin boards) are changes that computers force, or distributed around the world via soworried thatthey’re puttingalotof erasion of democracy? A academic disk transfers, diditstartits | work into writing good “penicillin” - M’bob destructive work. This virus was re- programs and distributing them as NEXUS New Times Five - Winter 1988 27 Irate Pirates free public domain programs. The problems posed by viruses are already creating commercial profits. A Melbourne group called Hackwatch/Data Protection Group - which used to make a living out of warning corporations about com- puter crime - collected examples of several viruses, came up with anti- dotes and then sold the results to a French electronics company and a similar organization in the Nether- lands. The director of Hackwatch is now disbanding the organization and returning to England. The level of paranoia viruses will produce in the computer industry will rival that which governments feel towards terrorists - and lead to similar results. The majority of users will have their communication free- doms restricted for reasons of ‘inter- nal security’. The growth in the diver- sity and use of computers will slow. Checks and balances to allow social organisations to catch up with the changes that computers force, or erasion of democracy? A - M’bob ee : : Es) sciences Computer viruses - like their biological counterparts - change the mindscape and workspace... Hackers Obsolete Antidotes & Penicillins