However, writing software without defects is not sufficient. In my experience, it is at least as difficult to write software that is safe - that is, software that behaves reasonably under adverse conditions.
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Other Quotes by "Wietse Venema"

Coming back to the topic of computer security, the TCP Wrapper is an example of such a safety net. I wrote it when my systems were under attack by someone who appeared to walk through walls.
Tags: safety, who, someone, walk
I don't expect an overnight change of all desktops to what the US Military used to call B3 level security. And even that would not stop users from shooting themselves into the foot.
Tags: shooting, security, stop, change
My reply is: the software has no known bugs, therefore it has not been updated.
Tags: therefore, been, software, reply
In a previous life I wrote the software that controlled my physics experiments. That software had to deal with all kinds of possible failures in equipment. That is probably where I learned to rely on multiple safety nets inside and around my systems.
Tags: software, physics, safety, life
One bug in an SMTP server can open up the whole machine for intrusion.
Tags: whole, machine, up, open
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