[Info-vax] VSI strategy for OpenVMS

[Dave Froble]

On 9/16/2021 2:04 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2021-09-16, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>> On 9/16/2021 1:50 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>> On 2021-09-16, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>>> On 9/15/2021 7:07 PM, kemain.nospam at gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> It will be interesting to see if OpenVMS runs into this same challenge not
>>>>> that it will soon be released on X86-64.
>>>>
>>>> I don't think the change in HW platform would result in many more
>>>> patches.
>>>
>>> It's not that clear Arne. The change in architecture to x86-64 will bring
>>> along security researchers who have tools for probing operating systems
>>> running on that architecture.
>>
>> I am not convinced that the number of people:
>> - interested in checking VMS
>> - willing to get and install VMS on a standard VM
>> - not willing to get and install VMS on a VAX or Alpha emulator
>> is that big.
>>
>
> There are more tools available for probing operating systems running
> on x86-64 than there are for those same operating systems running on
> VAX or Alpha.
>
> There are other reasons the barriers to probing on x86-64 are lower
> as well. For example, those researchers are far more likely to know
> in great detail the x86-64 architecture (when writing shellcode, etc)
> than they would the VAX or Alpha architectures.
>
> Simon.
>

So ...  are you promoting "security through obscurity" ???

:-)

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