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Is Linux as Secure as We'd Like to Think?

man_of_mr_e asks: "With all the recent brouhaha about Blaster and Sobig, there's been a lot of talk about how poor Windows security is, especially compared to the Linux we all know and love. But is this really true? The website defacement archive at Zone-h shows that Linux accounts for 61% of the defacements in the last 24 hours (note, this figure changes, so it might be different when you view it). An analysis of the last few weeks of their archive shows a similar percentage of exploited Linux systems. Note also that the 'Unknown' category is rather high, and certainly contains at least some Linux systems, further increasing the percentage. Why is this? Are we just deluding ourselves about our own security? Could there be a Linux 'Blaster' just waiting to happen?" While "defacements" don't necessarily mean "root level break-in", sometimes getting your foot in the door is enough. If this happens, wouldn't Linux then be just as exploitable as Windows? Are there other reasons why the likelihood of a "Sobig" or an "ILUVYOU" would be lower for Linux than Windows?

7 of 1,091 comments (clear)

  1. it's called MSBlaster, not Blaster. by rokzy · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    understand the reason and you'll answer your question.

  2. Re:Something to think about: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    have been reviewed by huge amounts of different kinds people.

    Prove it.

  3. Re:Something to think about: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    If you can prove that anything like millions of eyeballs have seen the linux code, I'll suck a dick. It's an absurd statement. I'd be shocked if thousands had, and that's no better than closed software from a big company like Microsoft.

  4. Re:Short answer No, Long answer Maybe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    When I run into one of those, I just tell them "and that's why you won't get root either".

    Your dick sort of throbs from the feeling of power you get when you say that, right?

  5. Re:Here's my rant on human stupidity... by SonOfThor · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    As a technical person who communicates well with non-technical people, I have to say that the failure of communication is almost always with the technical person.

    Being more concerned with being seen as smart and informed than actually providing coherent information, spending too much time on irrelevant details instead of providing step-by-step instructions on what has to be done, geek inferiority complexes leading to arch, grating deliveries, a failure to listen and understand the end-users needs - I've seen it all. And I've almost never met an end-user type whose technical behaviour I wasn't able to amend for the better.


    People like you are rare treasures and should be put to use in the best possible way: HELP DESK!!!

    BUBHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

    Kinda makes me glad that I'm not as gifted as you are.. I might be a little saddened to realize that my best fit is a job at a help desk.

    Toodles.

  6. Re:Psychology plays a role by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Wow! You are so smart. I laugh at the retards who failed to appreciate your brilliance as you tried patiently to guide them through setting up their XP firewalls. What incurious dullards!

    Next year, when you are old enough to get your driver's license, you should drive around and tutor the useless dummies that surround you. You could teach them the way of "paragraphs" and "punctuation" while you're at it.

  7. Linux is no less secure, jesus you are dense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Um... hello, are your brains on or what. We find TONS of security holes every month in our beloved linux. The difference is that since our OS of choice is not nearly as 'in the face' of the public (home and office workstations) it gets barely any press when a hole is found. Our very own nature as a community of geeks precludes us to patch first, patch often also.

    I would also like to point out an embarassing fact that people in our community love to overlook, which by extension is condoning it. We are at majority fault for the creation of most of these viruses and the disclosure of numerous security holes in MS products. I am not condoning the holes by MS (shoddy work) nor dismissing the script kiddies. But face it, our community has an inbuilt hate for Gates and MS and we do everything in our power to dis it, attack it, and obviously more... if you bother to read, the majority of virus toolkits, nasty custom written viruses, and security leaks on holes like the RPC one recently originate in our community. Shameful as hell if you ask me.