Ask Slashdot: Is GNU/Linux Malware a Real Threat?

New submitter m.alessandrini writes "I've been using Debian for a long time, and I'm not a novice at all; I install system updates almost daily, I avoid risky behaviors on Internet, and like all Linux users I always felt safe. Yesterday my webcam suddenly turned on, and turned off after several minutes. I'm pretty sure it was nothing serious, but I started thinking about malware. At work I use noscript and other tools, but at home I have a more relaxed browser to be used by other family members, too. Here I'm not talking about rootkits or privilege escalation (I trust Debian), I think more of normal user compromise. For example, these days much malware come from malicious scripts in sites, even in advertising banners inside trusted sites, and this is more 'cross-platform' than normal viruses. So, what about non-root user malware? How much could this be real? And how can you diagnose it?"

Comments

Re:Linux's Biggest Threat is Human Engineering

[postbigbang]

Sudo, hell.

Most non-civilian Linux users run as root. They don't want no stinking user space hassles. They are coders. They are immortal.

Mod me as flamebait ONLY if you don't run as root consistently. And don't lie.