Hi!
patl@??? schrieb am 20 Oct 98, (you wrote):
> This is exactly the sort of bloatware that does -not- belong in the
> MTA. Virus detection should be done as close to the recipient as
> possible so that the user can decide what to do with the infected
> message.
Why? If you have a system at a central point, this system could be used
to filter unwanted or harmfull stuff. If you don't filter at the
central point you have to filter everywhere, which means lot's more
effort (!).... to keep virus pattern uptodate is easier at one point
then at hundred workstations (as you suggested).
> Otherwise, how would you ever send a virus to a security
> team for examination?
As I told, there could be different "levels". Let's say mail accounts,
which recieve everything unfiltered, or which recieve mails with a
warning (if infected) or which recieve nothing (if infected) instead
the orginator of the mail gets a automatic reply with a warning.
I think the second would be what I prefer.
> Furthermore,
> keeping a virus detector up to date is at least as big of a project as
> exim itself.
No. For example think about McAffee virus scanners... you only have to
download the newest virus pattern file (every month). Btw you would
have the same problem if you protect each workstation, but there you
have to do updates at several points.
> ALL users should be educated
> about the dangers of executing attachments received in e-mail and news
> articles;
Users could be stupid, actually a lot are. :) A virus filter gives them
a big aid.
Your argument sound familiar to the spam argument... there is a problem
(spam or virus) and providers/sysop do nothing against, because it
could causes "technical" problems or costs time... but at the end it
helps the users. Isn't this the argument which counts?
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