TOTAL IMMUNITY TO COMPUTERS FROM VIRUS
0.0 Synopsis
Nuisance created by a virus is of great concern to every class of people genuinely involved in the computer world. The vaccine programs are also found ineffective as every time new viruses crop in.
Observance of certain standards by all the concerned (i.e. those dealing with hardware, software and the users), according to the author, could possibly provide total immunity against any virus. The paper dealing with the standards envisaged based on the concept of WRITE PROTECTION.
1.0 Introduction
The programs written by the virus-writers can sustain considerable damage to our software and data, can cause malfunctioning or slow the computer. Therefore, the virus-writers work against the mankind. It has been reported that nearly 16 % of data loss is attributed to virus. The program corrupted by virus then can be reinstalled from originals (floppies, CDs) or backups. In the absence of proper backup however the data corrupted by virus have to be actually re-entered.
It is also reported that daily nearly 100 new viruses are produced to attack our computers. A vaccine-provider carefully analyzes the behaviour of every new virus, which takes its own time to develop suitable vaccine software. Therefore, the virus-writers can always beat the vaccine-providers. It means that at present, total immunity from viruses cannot be achieved at any given time.
The user has to incur regular expenditure on antivirus vaccines from time to time for his computer, whereas the virus- writers and vaccine-providers are minting money for their unproductive work and no fruitful contribution to the mankind is served. The innocent user is thus trapped between the virus-writers and the vaccine-providers.
2.0 Present scenario
2.1 At present two weapons are available to the user for combating the viruses. Details are given below.
2.1.1 Spot-checking:-
In this approach the user is required to periodically run the available antivirus software to check the presence of any virus in the system, to kill the same when found. Thereafter the antivirus software tries to repair all the infected program-files. Due to unknown behaviour of every new virus, a complete repair to the infected files is always not guaranteed. Sometimes, antivirus software may totally fail to repair infected files, because virus may overwrite the stored data by some misleading one.
2.1.2 Continuous monitoring:-
In this approach, an antivirus program is always loaded in the memory of the computer. This program continuously monitors the operations of the computer. If any operation is suspected to be affected by any virus, then the processing is interrupted and the user is alerted. This process of continuous monitoring the operations of computer, however, results in slowing the speed of computer, apart from its inability to remove the virus.
3.0 Necessity of setting standard:-
None of the above mentioned tools is found as an antidote and therefore calls for need to develop some new technique which may provide the user 100% security against any virus. To come out of the clutches of the virus-writers and the vaccine-providers, I have to suggest a new technique in the form of specific standards to be strictly adhered to by all the concerned -- the hard disk manufacturer, the software manufacturer, the BIOS manufacturer and the user. I have named this technique as "WOV" standard – “War On Virus” standard. The WOV standards for each of the elements -- the user, the manufacturers of the hard disk drive, software and BIOS software, involved is explained in the following paragraphs.
3.1 "WOV" standards for Hard Disk Drive (HDD) manufacturer
HDD manufacturer shall provide some facilities through hardware to 'write protect' the HDD, so that nothing can be modified or erased by software. In short, the HDD will work like ROM chip. The protection could be in the form of shorting the hardware pin with ground or Vcc by means of a key-switch (to be known as WOV key) provided on the front panel of the computer. The key switch could be connected on the rear side of the HDD say near the jumper setting arrangement. The key-switch for the purpose should be foolproof -- its key can be taken out from the switch only in WRITE DISABLE (WD) mode, but cannot be taken out if the switch is in WRITE ENABLE (WE) mode.
Once the user selects WRITE DISABLE mode, any virus program or the user himself cannot overwrite on the HDD. Thus like ROM, no program including virus one or the one run by the user himself cannot alter the HDD, unless the user changes to WRITE ENABLE mode.
For HDDs having many partitions, each partition could be selected in WRITE DISABLE mode. Since the first partition contains Operating System, it should necessarily be in write-protected mode, while other partitions could be by choice either in WRITE ENABLE (WE) or WRITE DISABLE (WD) mode, e.g. for my HDD having four partitions (i.e. 'C', ' D', 'E', and 'F' drives), I shall be able to select WRITE ENABLE mode or WRITE DISABLE mode for any drives (logical) as per following procedure.
1. Put the WOV key in WE mode
2. Put the entire HDD in WRITE ENABLE mode by key-switch.
3. By software, select either WD mode, or WE as required, for each logical drives ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘F’ and etc..
4. Save the configuration thus created, in 'C' drive for protecting drives having WD mode.
5. Put the WOV key in WD mode.
6. Check for presence of any virus, using virus-scanning software.
7. For changing the mode of any logical drive, follow the same procedure as above.
3.2 WOV Standard for the software manufacturers:-
The manufacturer shall design software such that all its executable files shall be installed in protected WRITE DISABLE drive, like 'C' drive and all its temporary files and data files shall be placed in WRITE ENABLE drives.
For example in "Window 95" package., all the executable files like EXE, DLL, COM, VXD and DRV shall be placed in 'C' drive and the temporary files like INI, GRP and SWAP files shall be placed in 'D' drive or any other WRITE ENABLE drive.
3.3 WOV standard for the users:-
The user shall confirm that the media of the software shall be write protected and its installation throughout, shall necessarily be in write-protected mode. Any software media requiring WE mode for its installation should therefore be rejected. Moreover every software shall be thoroughly checked for virus (and if found, be removed) both before and after installation.
Once all the required software are thus installed with due care, the user shall once again ensure the entire system virus free and then turn the key switch to make the HDD in WRITE DISABLE mode. Now, as the key is in safe custody of the user. One is worry free from any virus whatsoever, even if other person is using one’s computer? The key could be used only when the user wants to add or remove any software by strictly adhering to above procedure.
3.4 WOV standard for the BIOS providers:
Every BIOS manufacturer shall design his BIOS software with following facilities -
1. To transfer the CMOS settings, the Boot program and the partition table to the FLASH RAM so that virus may not be able to alter these items.
2. To assign READ ONLY (RO) attribute to any subdirectory. Once any subdirectory is assigned RO attribute, then all its child subdirectories and its’ all files shell be automatically assigned RO attribute, which means better security will be provided to the data stored.
4.0 Expected results on acceptance of WOV standards. :-
As on today very few software are compatible to the WOV standard. As such, the capacity assigned by the user to logical 'C' drive will be small. All other software being not compatible to WOV standard will be installed in logical 'D' drive having very large capacity to accommodate temporary files also. All the data files shall be placed in 'E' drive. As the user has to check virus in WRITE ENABLE logical drives only, the time for scanning the software will be saved. Obviously, the software in WRITE DISABLE drive needs no more checking for virus.
With the passage of time, as the WOV standard gets widely accepted, the availability of software with WOV standard will increase. The software manufacturers will also modify their existing software to make them compatible to the WOV standard. Once all the available softwares are WOV standard compatible, those could be installed in WRITE DISABLE drive. Under these conditions, the user no more needs any antivirus vaccine for his computer.
Further, I feel that there should be an antivirus software manufacturing company, who should manufacture antivirus software. This company should give antivirus software along-with regular updates free to all computer users. Major software and hardware companies should finance this company to incur all expenses.
I look forward for such a change -- virus free computer world that we all long for -- to happen. I have offered my loud thinking to generate interactions in this regard. Obviously its reality solely depends upon the cooperation from all the concerned -- the users, manufacturers of HDD, BIOS and software. The manufacturer of software/hardware closer to WOV standard are requested to send the details of their products for inclusion in the proposed directory intended for the users. Please redistribute this document without modifying the same, to provide wide publicity. Any suggestions and your views in this regard are earnestly solicited at below mentioned address.
Anil V. Chaudhary,
1002/3 Amrut Aangan,
Mumbai Pune Road,
Kalwa (west), Thane,
Pin :- 400 605,
Maharashtra, (India).
Tel :- 091-022-25382402.
E-mail :- anilvc31@gmail.com
First released on 24TH OCTOBER 1998. Latest released on 17TH FEBRUARY 2011.
THE END
