[cap-talk] Horton at HotSec '07: How broadly object/capability?

[Marcus Brinkmann]

At Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:01:29 -0700,
"Mark Miller" <erights at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > To be fair, it certainly is easier to install software on every
> > computer than to wrap every tree in a membrane
> 
> Virtually all biological creatures already are wrapped in membranes.

True, but I meant feasibility of human modification of the system.

> The most salient differences between the physical, biological, and
> computational worlds:
> * In the physical world, many kinds of attack involve "work factor" --
> some marginal cost to the attacker. In the computational biological
> worlds, the marginal costs of an attack is paid by the victim.

Isn't that also true for biological viruses and parasites, for
example?

> * In the physical and biological worlds, barriers can only resist, not
> prevent, attack. They are imperfect and costly. Computational barriers
> can be perfect and cheap.

I would add:

* In the physical world, outside influence is natural and unavoidable.
  In the computational world, outside influence is artificially
  created and can be suppressed (for example by education and
  improving living conditions), even perfectly.

Thanks,
Marcus