Destroying computers

Major Variola (ret) mv at cdc.gov
Thu Jun 19 07:41:52 PDT 2003


At 01:07 AM 6/19/03 -0400, Tyler Durden wrote:
> Methinks Mr Hatch is not a very bright man.

A Southern senator.  Need I say more?

Usual suspect wrote:
>>If Orrin Hatch proposes such a thing, we can propose technologies
which
>>identify those from .gov or .mil or other Congress/Gov't. domains and
send
>>lethal viruses and suchlike back to them to destroy their machines  if
they
>>illegally connect to our machines.

Trivial to do, and legal, if they are advised and consent by clicking
through.
M$'s auto bug- / RAMsnooping- reporting is legal since the lUsers
agreed.
One man's trojan is another's remote control / file sharing program,
baby.
Similarly an encryption program that won't decrypt without a license.

I have often considered releasing binaries with a EULA that stipulates
various actions taken if found to be running on machines whose IP
address
reverse-lookups to an evil, (specified) TLD.  No different than a demo
program that won't save results without a license; if the license is
granted
automatically for non-evil TLDs.  Similarly with M$'s auto posting of
RAM.

Of course, that astronomy Professor Usher would be pretty bummed when
his research was toasted by an RIAA killbot, but then the Prof employs a

provocatory surname, no?  "Collateral damage" -hey, he could change his
name, after all.  Maybe to David Nelson :-)

----
If programmers are liable for security flaws in code, are legislators
liable
for unconstitutional laws they pass?





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