Your CIO can reduce virus hoaxes in your firm. Here's how

Bizarre quotes from the experts

A compilation by Rob Rosenberger

Even the real computer virus experts go overboard on occasion. "Notable quotables" include:

John McAfee, founder of McAfee Associates
Charles Rutstein, staff researcher, National Computer Security Association
Dr. Alan Solomon, founder of S&S International

John McAfee, founder of McAfee Associates

This self-proclaimed "world virus authority" made fortunes selling his company's products as shareware. His firm follows the shareware concept to this day and, indeed, it qualifies as the most important reason for his products' worldwide popularity.

Sadly, McAfee bashed shareware and its distribution channels for a number of years. (His company avoids the politically incorrect word in its press releases, choosing instead to say they "pioneer[ed]" the use of "electronic distribution.") McAfee offers far too many wild quotes to list on a single web page. Some of the best examples include:

Read the reviews of "Computer Viruses, Worms, Data Diddlers, Killer Programs, and Other Threats to your System" by John McAfee & Colin Haynes (240pp, 1989, St. Martin's Press)

Online magazine, 1/90
Robert Slade, 4/93

Writing in his 1989 book on the computer virus phenomenon:

"Limit use of [shareware and public domain software] to systems without fixed disks. If you do use them on fixed disks, allocate separate subdirectories... Public domain or shareware software should never be placed in the root directory."

"If operating in a network environment, do not place public domain or shareware programs in a common file-server directory that could be accessible to any other PC on the network."

Writing in a 1989 article for Computerworld:

"The single most effective policy that can be implemented in a corporate environment is to prohibit the use of public-domain and shareware software programs... A blanket policy forbidding their use will go a long way toward providing a measure of security."

Advice offered in a 1991 DOS presentation-software package, made available for download on his company's BBS:

"Reduce the use of public domain and shareware programs... Disallow [the use of] public domain software."

McAfee Associates, like most successful companies, generates a fair number of press releases. However, they avoid using the word "shareware" to describe their marketing strategy, describing it in a more politically correct term as simply "electronic distribution." An interesting press release from mid-1993 illustrates this point:

"The world's leading developer and electronic distributor of anti-virus software... announced that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire... ButtonWare Inc... Jim Button, largely recognized as an early pioneer and developer of value-priced, electronically distributed software, will remain with the company... McAfee Associates develops, markets, and distributes personal computer and network software designed for electronic distribution." [the press release never mentions the word "shareware" despite Button's resounding fame as "the father of shareware"]

From a 1993 report submitted to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission:

"Develops, markets and distributes personal computer software designed for electronic distribution... The Company's business is based on the belief that electronic distribution is a powerful channel that can reach corporate, government and institutional markets. Electronic distribution enables the Company to..." [the report never mentions the word "shareware"]

From an ironic 1992 press release:

"McAfee Associates announced today it will sponsor its First International Shareware Contest. "The goal of the contest is to promote the shareware concept, heighten public awareness and encourage new shareware authors," said John McAfee, CEO." [The press release never mentioned the fact his company employs the shareware concept, nor even "electronic distribution"]

McAfee of course has a lot to say about the threat of computer viruses. On 5 Mar 92 -- the day before Michelangelo supposedly would attack five million computers -- McAfee appeared on the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour and debated with virus researcher Charles Rutstein:

Rutstein: "ten to twenty thousand [computers] worldwide" will suffer on March 6 when Michelangelo triggers. McAfee: "anywhere from 50,000 to five million" computers will suffer, but "we're still talking $60 million at the very low end" for virus damage & cleanup costs.

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Charles Rutstein, staff researcher, National Computer Security Association

Rutstein, like many genuine virus experts, predicted relatively few disasters in 1992's hysteria surrounding the Michelangelo virus. And he obtained some serious airtime where he urged TV viewers to calm down. When the media fiasco came to light on March 6, 1992, Rutstein called Michelangelo "overhyped, without question" -- yet he praised the hype in a public message to one of John McAfee's employees:

"It really doesn't matter that much any more [how many had the virus]. I think we can all give McAfee Associates...a round of applause... Regardless of the amount of hype, if it helped to save one critical machine at, say, a hospital, I feel that the hype is justified."

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Dr. Alan Solomon, founder of S&S International

Writing in his company's "Virus Central" website:

"What is a virus? A virus is a program that copies itself. That's the definition of a virus."

DOS itself therefore qualifies as a "virus" under Solomon's definition -- it copies itself via the SYS, FORMAT, BACKUP, COPY, and XCOPY commands. All backup/restore programs qualify as viruses, too, because they copy themselves to floppy disks or tapes...

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