Re: [Evolution] Re: FRQ: Pipe incoming mail through AntiVirus tools

["Anton J Aylward, CISSP" <aja si on ca>]

On Fri, 2002-07-12 at 00:34, Jeffrey Stedfast wrote:
> Sure, but solving problems that don't exist is just wasting time (there
> aren't any viruses that can affect Evolution like Melissa, ILoveYou,
> etc).

Now, Jeff, that not altogether reasonable for two reasons.
First the "yes it used to be but we changed all that" will apply
as LINUX gains in popularity.  When MS-Windows came out, the DOS based
virus couldn't affect it and people were making much the same argument.

Second, consider the corporate environments.  All the ones I've worked
in are wildly heterogeneous: Novel+MS, PC+Mainframe+Mac, IBM, Compaq,
Dec, HP.  As the profile of Linux develops, we are going to see
corporations with a heterogeneous mix of workstations: Linux+windows
(and possibly mac).  So saying there is no need for virus protection
because of the presence of Linux is an argument that often won't apply.

Finally there is the case where people end up working with both Linux
and Windows.  I'm like that.  There are some applications that simply
don't exist in any form under Linux.  I'm on mailing lists for the user
groups and while I read the mail under evolution, occasionally I need to
do stuff with it in the Windows context.  I fire up the Windows box and
connect to my IMAP server and ... need to make sure that even though the
mail repository is on a Linux machine it has been protected against
Windows malware.

Talk to Rob Rosenberger if you want to really learn about the myth
surrounding viruses.  My sword arm is sore and tired on this point.

> Along the same lines, solving problems that are already solved is also a
> waste of time (if you want a virus scanner for your email, this is best
> done on the SERVER not the CLIENT).

Damn Right!
And in a corporate setting the likelihood of a mail gateway or central
server is much greater.

/anton