BSD tty security

[Arthur W. Protin Jr.]

Folks,
    I cc'ed this mail-list with my response to Greg Lindahl
<gl8f at astsun.astro.virginia.edu> because I thought that the
response was applicable to more than just his rantings.  I
have two more of his messages, quoted here in full, and again
I hope to answer many of you with one reply.  (But I won't bother
to address him specifically.)

>In article <26893 at adm.brl.mil> you write:
>>Greg,
>>    I am sorry to have say this but you are wrong when you say:
>
> Responding to email in public? Newbie. I should have guessed from your
> security-through-obscurity orientation.

No, I am not a newbie. I felt that my response was directed to more
than just you.  "security-through-obscurity" is a poor position that
regretably we sometimes find ourselves in when products lack quality,
assuming that we are doing anything of any importance.  Unimportant
things need little or no security, important things need the best
security available, and it is truely shameful when that is only
"security-through-obscurity".

(End of first message)

> Dan provided a patch file? Funny, it doesn't seem to have gone
> anywhere else than at your site. 
The only "patch file" I know of for this problem is not a patch file
but a multi-step recipe for curing the problem.  And Dan generously
posted that recipe for all of us to benefit from.

>                                  Other than that, I still find your
> assumption that everyone is evil to be disgusting. Must be fun when
> you know enough to condemn everyone else as evil crackers despite
> knowing nothing about them.
I don't assume anyone is evil, let alone that every one is.  I do assume
that there exist evil people, but the only way of determining if some one
is evil is by what they do.  I do think that it is reasonable and proper
to be suspicious of people who can not understand the technical aspects
of this discussion but demand to be given a purely offensive weapon.
Dan's secret code is only for attacking systems!

I guess the shoe fits too well, or why would some of you carry on so.
This goes for anyone who is offended by what I have said.  I
did not accuse anyone of wrong doing or bad intent.  I said that
there is no good reason for Dan's weapon to be released early.
If anyone feels that this implicates them it is only because they
know themselves too well.

I stand by what I said.  Judge me by my words for I will surely judge
you by yours.

    respectfully yours,
    Arthur Protin


Arthur Protin <protin at pica.army.mil>
These are my personal views and do not reflect those of my boss
or this installation.