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List:       firewalls-gc
Subject:    RE: Re: Virus Scanner
From:       Paul Ferguson <pferguso () cisco ! com>
Date:       1997-07-28 12:24:42
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At 11:56 AM 07/28/97 -0400, Jerry Huyghe wrote:

>
>All I am saying is that people who use encryption are more likely to be:
>1) known and trusted

Again, encrypted transactions with a 'known and trusted' peer does not
reduce the likelihood that the encrypted data may be infected with a
virus. Gratuitous assertions may be just as gratuitously proven to be
false in the absence of statistical data.

>2) using data security methods which include good virus protection on their
>own system.
>

These are two unrelated issues -- one should not assume that because a user
has the means to encrypt their data that they also practice safe hex, at
least insofar as computer viruses are concerned. This is a fundamental
aspect of a security mentality.

>As far as encrypted downloads, sites which use these are more likely to be
>concerned about data security, and probably use a virus scanner.
>

I agree with the former portion of this statement, but the presence of
encryption does not preclude ignorance or apathy with regards to viruses.
Relating these two is a flawed logical correlation.

Cheers,

- paul


--
Paul Ferguson                                           ||        ||
Consulting Engineering                                  ||        ||
Herndon, Virginia   USA                                ||||      ||||
tel: +1.703.397.5938                               ..:||||||:..:||||||:..
e-mail: pferguso@cisco.com                         c i s c o S y s t e m s

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