Re: melissa and her daughters

Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Tue, 06 Apr 1999 22:49:02 -0700

Ross A. Finlayson wrote:

> Those people who got afflicted with this Melissa macro (I won't call it a
> virus, viruses are cool and take skill)

Thanks Ross! I was hoping someone would point this out. {8^D

> are at fault for using insecure communication methods...

Or are at fault for not disabling MS Word macros. Mostly I see Microsloth is at fault for not lifting a corporate finger to secure word macros against just such a thing. As Peter McCluskey pointed out, the concept virus was known, a loooong time ago, yet, as far as I know, Microsloth is stillll shipping Word with macros enabled, a feature which will be used by few, but is a dangerously efficient superhighway for creating and spreading malicious code.

> People assume too much from this tacit agreement stuff, and shifting the
> topic, informed consumerism is a difficult thing to achieve.

Difficult? Its impossible. The software company should assume at least a modicum of responsibility. It would be easy to write a safeguard that will disallow a word macro from invading the user's address book, creating a jillion copies of itself, and scattering them like the leaves of autumn. Im not a software type, but am I alone here? Is not Microsoft at least partially to blame for the melissa fiasco? spike