[ale] MS trying to blind side Linux via tcp/ip?

[Russell Hogg]

I always thought it would be fun to geographically plot virus/exploit
outbreaks on a world map.  Drawing in the major internet trunks of course.
Actually I'd be surprised if someone hasn't tried this yet as antivirus
companies usually know who gets hit (Don't they?).  The hardest part might
be figuring out where geographically an IP or range of IPs exists.  You
could even take it further and display OS or webserver types as some color
or something.

I wonder if you could predict where viruses were most likely to take hold
next if you had this sort of information.  I guess that's what this strand
was already about.

Has anyone ever run across anything like this?

-Russ


_________________________________________
russellh at x-soft.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Thompson Freeman [mailto:tfreeman at intel.digichem.net] 
To: ale at ale.org
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 11:52 AM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
Subject: Re: [ale] MS trying to blind side Linux via tcp/ip?



I suspect that the models of biological illness may be appropriate to the
study of computer security. If there has been work done on this approach,
does anybody have some pointers to the relevant literature?

Thanks.


On Thu, 16 Aug 2001, Jeff Hubbs wrote:

> As a technologist, what I see in Code Red is an illustration of a
> practical limit to how many identical systems can be somehow
> interconnected.  
> 
> Learn from biology.  Varying degrees of susceptibility to a given
> pathogen gives populations a means to protect itself.  Even the Black
> Death wound down after a while.  If we were all the same and if we all
> lived crammed together in too small an area, any contagious bug that
> would cout down one of us would very likely cut down ALL of us.  That's
> kind of what we've done with the Internet - hook up millions of nearly
> identical entities to each other, effectively cramming them into the
> same closet.  Almost makes you wish there were fifty different Web
> servers in wide use instead of, what, four (Apache, IIS, iPlanet, and
> Zeus)?  
> 
> - Jeff
> 
> Mel Burslan wrote:
> > 
> > Well, I was not aware of Steve Gibson's comments about Code Red, but if
> > anyone thinks that it died or subsided is up for a big surprise in *MY*
> > opinion. I am sure he was not talking about this particular showing up
> > of the virus/worm when he said it will grow exponentially. It was a mere
> > indication that there are more to come in the footsteps of code red. As
> > anyone who has a half brain and some computing experience can see, code
> > red is just the base line what can be done by a mere nitwit who can
> > gather and glue up some scripts available on the net. And another point
> > about exponential growth : he may be right if you think that the number
> > of computers are growing and again in my opinion, code red or its
> > variants will never go away. So over the long span of time, exponential
> > growth is not too much of a bad mathematical mistake.
> > 
> > I respect Steve Gibson's opinions and have not seen him writing up
> > something just to get some media attention. Media attention comes from
> > the openness and truth of what he writes about the possible effects of
> > what he surfaces. Cringely on the other hand is a media author, and his
> > work requires him to rely on the hypes to some extent. Otherwise he
> > would be a boring author, which may not be good for his career goals. So
> > comparing Steve Gibson to R.(X) Cringely is much like apples to oranges
> > comparison. Therefore, on contrary to what you have said, enough is not
> > said...
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > Mel Burslan
> > 
> > Jonathan Rickman wrote:
> > >
> > > On Wed, 15 Aug 2001, Joseph Andrew Knapka wrote:
> > >
> > > > Can you explan this comment a bit more? Assuming zero audience
> > > > familiarity with either Mr. Gibson or Mr. Cringely, preferably.
> > >
> > > WARNING!!! This is about to get totally off topic.
> > >
> > > The best way to explain things is with links and quotes so here goes
> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > We mustn't forget GRC founder Steve Gibson, who warned in hyperbolic
> > > multi-colored lettering that Code Red's "'growth line' is actually
> > > exponential!"
> > --
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-- 
===========================================
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
                    Lee Iacocca
===========================================
Thompson Freeman          tfreeman at intel.digichem.net

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