full-disclosure - AV Naming Convention

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From: tcleary2 at csc.com.au (tcleary2@....com.au)
Subject: AV Naming Convention

Frank Knobbe said:

>says "We got a new one! Can't give details of course since you are a
>competitor. But if you find the same thing in your research, let's call
>it Humptydumpty-2."
>Whoever finds the virus first has first choice on the name. No sharing
>of information required, just agreement on a name.

How hard can it be?

All we need is the AV guys to agree to use some external standard, and who 
CARES what it is so long as we can agree it's universal?

Under outbreak conditions, ambulance chasing, keeping secrets and failure 
to co-operate do not win friends.

Look at other solutions to the same problem - naming hurricanes?

Personally, I could care less whether is called nebiwo or fred as long as 
when I phone someone to discuss the latest and greatest I can use one word 
instead of having to spend five minutes making sure we're talking about 
the same bit of malware.

Even if we bother to go to the extent of formalising classification ( and 
yes, I did study zoology and microbiology for a while so I know such 
systems exist and underpin the disciplines... ) whatever scheme is 
eventually adopted we need immediate, clear shorthand too.

Figuring out that Fred and Ginger are in fact variants is not the issue 
when you're attempting to prevent mass failures and the guy on the other 
line is saying "Do you mean MyDoom.AAHTDRFSWQT or Beagle.QSWPROTU?"

But us voices in the wilderness don't maximise shareholder value, right?

Regards,

tom.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Cleary - Security Architect

CSC Perth

"In IT, acceptable solutions depend upon humans - Computers don't 
negotiate."
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