Return-Path: <python-python-list@m.gmane.org>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.002
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'anyway.': 0.04; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'binary': 0.05; 'indexing': 0.07; 'meaningful': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'files.': 0.13; 'wed,': 0.15; '(file': 0.16; '>on': 0.16; '>they': 0.16; 'encryption': 0.16; 'file).': 0.16; 'index;': 0.16; 'latter,': 0.16; 'message-id:@4ax.com': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'retrieving': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.16; "wouldn't": 0.16; 'string': 0.17; 'detect': 0.18; 'skip': 0.18; 'tend': 0.18; 'url:home': 0.18; 'prevent': 0.20; '(or': 0.21; 'am,': 0.23; '2015': 0.23; 'thus': 0.24; 'header:X -Complaints-To:1': 0.26; 'room': 0.27; 'data,': 0.27; '-0500,': 0.29; 'expose': 0.29; 'question:': 0.29; 'themselves': 0.29; 'waste': 0.31; 'supposed': 0.31; "d'aprano": 0.33; 'recipient.': 0.33; 'steven': 0.33; 'file': 0.34; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.35; 'primarily': 0.35; "isn't": 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'text': 0.36; 'data.': 0.36; 'turn': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'charset:us- ascii': 0.37; 'delete': 0.37; 'received:org': 0.38; 'stuff': 0.38; 'doing': 0.38; 'someone': 0.38; 'things': 0.39; 'whatever': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'data': 0.40; 'even': 0.61; 'avoid': 0.61; 'here.': 0.61; 'more': 0.62; 'goal': 0.64; 'incorporate': 0.66; 'subject:Data': 0.66; 'virus': 0.68; 'protect': 0.74; 'smith': 0.76; 'basket': 0.84; 'drive.': 0.84; 'it"': 0.84; 'contents,': 0.91; 'dennis': 0.91
X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/
To: python-list@python.org
From: Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Pure Python Data Mangling or Encrypting
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:33:37 -0400
Organization: IISS Elusive Unicorn
References: <mailman.10.1435130890.3674.python-list@python.org> <558a9649$0$1675$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <558AF4D7.1070205@tnr.cc>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: adsl-108-79-222-44.dsl.klmzmi.sbcglobal.net
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 6.00/32.1186
X-No-Archive: YES
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20+
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.39.1435196032.3674.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 34
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1435196032 news.xs4all.nl 2865 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:49385
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.stben.net!border1.nntp.ams1.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed8.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:93112

On Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:20:07 -0500, Randall Smith <randall@tnr.cc>
declaimed the following:

>On 06/24/2015 06:36 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>> I don't understand how mangling the data is supposed to protect the
>> recipient. Don't they have the ability unmangle the data, and thus expose
>> themselves to whatever nasties are in the files?
>
>They never look at the data and wouldn't care to unmangle it.  The 
>purpose is primarily to prevent automated software (file indexers, virus 
>scanners) from doing bad things to the data.
>

	Which leads to the question: what is "doing bad things".

	File indexers and virus scanners just read files. In the case of the
latter, if they detect a virus they tend to quarantine the file (or even
delete it depending upon settings). You want viruses to NOT BE detected?
Indexers read the file looking for strings to incorporate into the index;
they often skip known binary file types (what are the odds of finding
meaningful text in a JPEG file). And encryption isn't going to stop the
scanners from looking at the file anyway.

	If the goal is to avoid an indexer retrieving "classified" string
contents, the main solution is to turn off indexing on that drive.

	I still don't see anything /I/ would call a "recipient" here. "They
never look at the data and wouldn't care to unmangle it" describes junk
tossed into a waste basket -- stuff comes in but is never used again, and
when the basket is full someone has to empty it to make room for more junk.
-- 
	Wulfraed                 Dennis Lee Bieber         AF6VN
    wlfraed@ix.netcom.com    HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/