From: Alex Young <alex@...>
Date: 2006-05-23T15:25:46+09:00
Subject: Re: Brite - A ruby compiler for the .NET platform

Kris Leech wrote:
> Its not just having code stolen but the fact that it can be modified so 
> that it dumps its data to file or screen... If your dealing with 
> sensitive data thats a problem.
> 
Ok.  What we have here is 3 separate problems:

- Data security.  Don't want people who shouldn't being able to get hold 
of the data.
- Code security.  Don't want people who shouldn't being able to get hold 
of the source (or a usable representation of it).
- Code validity.  Don't want untrusted code running at all.

The first is answered by classical computer security concerns.  The last 
requires trusted hardware.  The second is technically impossible but 
legally enforceable.  There may be mileage in putting *enough* of a 
barrier up to wave the DMCA in peoples' faces if they cross it (in 
addition to whatever contractual/copyright/licencing system you put 
around your code), but that doesn't deal with the problem of finding out 
when they have.

I feel I should also point out that despite how easy it is to reverse 
CIL and Java bytecode, there is a thriving commercial market in software 
dealing with sensitive data for both those platforms.

-- 
Alex