RH: Idea to almost eliminate computer viruses

From: Robert Ho (ho3@pacific.net.sg)
Subject: RH: Idea to almost eliminate computer viruses


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Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore
Date: 2003-06-14 05:12:02 PST

RH:

1. Biological viruses require a means of transmission. In the case of
malaria or dengue fever, for example, the vector is the mosquito.

2. Computer viruses are even simpler in transmission. Unlike
biological viruses, computer viruses have only ONE main Vector, and
that is the Email Program.

3. Think. If computer viruses are prevented from spreading through
every single email program, the incidences of infection will
practically vanish overnight and the world will be rid of computer
viruses once and for all, except for some continuing catching,
studying, and anti-doting of new viruses whenever these appear.

4. Of course, determined virus writers can still create new viruses
that the world has no defence against but the moment a new virus
appears and is caught, studied and anti-doted against, the new
antidote will then quickly be updated to all the world's computers
through automatic updates to every single email program thus quickly
bringing the new infection to an instant stop.

5. Thus, all it requires is for every single copy of every email
program to incorporate a good anti-virus program with the properties
to:

a) scan incoming emails for viruses
b) scan outgoing emails for viruses
c) automatically update anti-virus protection from the Internet every
time a new virus has been antidoted and can be released for updating
d) keep these above functions as permanently-on and cannot be turned
off or disabled

6. I would like to use the analogy of the Network Effect. Network
Effect is defined as 'a network where the value of something increases
as more people use it'. Thus, Network Effect is 'the resulting
increased value of a product because more and more people use it'.
Examples are telephones, fax machines and computer operating systems.
[For more examples and definitions, do a search].

Thus, my idea works on the Network Effect. If only 5% of the world
currently, [let's say] have anti-virus protection, then the world is
not very safe. But if 15% have it, then the world becomes very, very
much safer -- and by much, much, more than just a simple additional
10% -- because the Network Effect kicks in. Now, my idea calls for a
utopian 100% of the world to have protection but even if only, say,
30% are protected, already the incidences of virus outbreaks would be
very greatly reduced, probably to very negligible levels!

Meaning that, if by next year, 2004, all new email programs
incorporate this protection that I propose, then very probably, by
2006, computer viruses will be a thing of the past, with incidences
reduced to an insignificant volume. Think of all the phenomenal
benefits to businesses [especially] as well as home users! The savings
to businesses from prevented disruptions would be well in the region
of trillions [CMP Reality Research, based in Jericho, New York,
estimated worldwide virus disruption costs to businesses in the
neighborhood of US$1.6 trillion in 2000].

7. However, other than the main vector of the email program, there is
also the Internet. But infection through infected websites is much
less fearsome because it is one infection at a time, from website to
computer. And if this infection cannot propagate through email, it
ends there in that computer, even if it is so vicious it destroys the
machine. Similarly, infection through the insertion of a media such as
a floppy disk, CD-ROM, etc, is also a very manageable one-to-one
infection that will not be troubling except to the single machine
affected. Finally, there is the computer network of linked computers.
Here, although the network can propagate a virus to many, maybe even
all, of its worker users, this is limited to within the company,
provided email programs are not infected as well that can spread it
outside the company.

The good news is, companies with network computers are usually well
protected, if only because they have so much to lose if infected. So,
here, the problem is not serious. And if within this network of
computers, the email program is not infected, and only some business
shared programs are infected, the infection will not be large-scale.
Another point, virus writers zoom in on common programs to infect,
meaning that specialised business programs are usually quite safe from
attack.

8. Thus, to indulge in a rare analogy, before my idea is implemented,
we have a situation where a successful infection through an email
program can spread a virus in a nuclear-bomb chain-reaction effect
through email, but once my idea is implemented, it is as though the
chain-reaction works in reverse, from multiplying infections at
lightning speed to a reverse-chain-reaction of rapidly diminishing
infections until very little activity occurs. That would be the effect
of my idea. All in about 2 years.

9. Now, I would have to address any concern anti-virus software
companies might have about going out of business. Indeed, this might
happen in a few years as the rapidly-diminished infections result in
less and less viruses to catch, study and antidote against. Some will
probably have to find other jobs. However, before that happy state of
events is reached, some lucky anti-virus companies will strike it rich
because they will literally sell a copy of their incorporated
anti-virus programs with every single copy of new email programs sold.
Unless Microsoft creates its own anti-virus module to incorporate into
its ubiquitous email programs.

It will be a happy event, nevertheless, because virus writers will
lose interest as their effectiveness becomes greatly reduced, down to
single infections, so boringly one at a time, instead of the lightning
spread chain-reaction infections that make the 9 'o' clock news
headlines. If anti-virus companies have to find other jobs, how about
turning anti-spam? There is some potential there, certainly. Perhaps,
the anti-virus techniques already developed can be useful there, too?
But that is another thought for another day. To add hope, there is
still work to protect other programs against existing and new viruses,
for example, the various Office programs and other more specialised
programs. There will always be new programs and therefore a need for
new protection of these new programs, although, on a greatly reduced
scale.

10. Would the incorporation of anti-virus protection and features into
all email programs be difficult? Certainly not. Both are already
well-established mature programs and it would not be difficult to
merge the two, or salient features of the two. This could be another
opportunity for Microsoft to further dominate its business. On the
other hand, it could be an opportunity for a new company to create
just such a successful email program with in-built virus protection
that will conquer the market, provided anti-trust laws force Microsoft
to unbundle its Outlook email program, or at least, to allow the
installation of a separate email program. Perhaps, this could be the
opportunity for Linux to muscle into the mainstream action. Who knows?
Who dares to read chicken entrails after the dotcom bust? I leave that
to more knowledgeable minds.

THIS IDEA IS CONCEIVED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, NW3 7NE, ON 14 JUNE
2003, TAKING SEVERAL HOURS, AND FIRST PUBLISHED IN THIS NEWSGROUP,
SOC.CULTURE.SINGAPORE. WITH PUBLICATION, THIS IDEA FLOATS INTO THE
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND I WILL HAVE LITTLE LEGAL TITLE OF OWNERSHIP TO IT.
HOWEVER, ANYONE MAKING MONEY FROM THIS IDEA HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO
CONTACT ME TO SEND ME A CHEQUE.

ROBERT HO
14 JUN 03
UK 1311 SINGAPORE 2011

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