REVIEW: "Managing Computer Viruses", Eric Louw/Neil Duffy

External Since: Mar 22, 2004 Posts: 94

BKMNCMVR.RVW 20031217

"Managing Computer Viruses", Eric Louw/Neil Duffy, 1992, 0-19-853974-6
%A Eric Louw
%A Neil Duffy
%C 70 Wynford Drive, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1J9
%D 1992
%G 0-19-853974-6
%I Oxford University Press
%O cjp.DeleteThis@oup-usa.org
%O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198539746/robsladesinterne
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198539746/robsladesinte-21
%O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198539746/robsladesin03-20
%P 171 p.
%T "Managing Computer Viruses"

Chapter one is a vague outline of the problem of computer viruses,
interspersed with other, semi-related issues. There is a broad
background and history, in chapter two, but the authors do not appear
to have fully understood their own research, confusing, for example,
the Xerox PARC worm with the game of core wars. There are basic
frameworks presented from the works of other researchers, but these
are given in a muddled structure. Chapter three spends a lot of time
drawing analogies between computer and biological viruses, while
simultaneously warning that you shouldn't do this. Protection against
viruses, in chapter four, presents a generic security plan with a few
details related to malware. An opinion survey of sorts is tendered in
chapter five. Policy formation, in chapter six, is another section
lifted from a general security text. Chapter seven is a precis of the
book.

Yes, the book is outdated, but it didn't have much to say in the first
place.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2003 BKMNCMVR.RVW 20031217

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External Since: Apr 02, 2004 Posts: 6

On that special day, Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor,
(rslade@sprint.ca) said...

> but the authors do not appear
> to have fully understood their own research, confusing, for example,
> the Xerox PARC worm with the game of core wars.

They probably read Allan Lundells book "Virus! The Secret World of
Computer Invaders That Breed and Destroy" (1989) without understanding
much of it. Lundell saw the Core Wars as a kind of meme that might have
incited the idea of creating a virus, but surely didn't classify the Red
Dwarf and Cie as "viruses"

Did they mention that portion in Lundell's book about the theory that
the Core Wars were inspired by a story about a networm named "Creeper"
that would multiply and copy itself and eat up space across the arpanet,
and that programmers created "Reaper" to catch "Creeper", to delete it,
or destroy itself, if no Creeper was found? It is said to have happened
around 1970.

Gabriele Neukam

Gabriele.Spamfighter.Neukam.TakeThisOut@t-online.de

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