Got sent this email article today... Interesting.... Could this be because Microsoft are now starting to taking security seriously or are Linux distros becoming sloppy?
Redhat 7.2/7.3 and now 8 have come out very quickly... Does not give much time to test your code?? Just a thought... VirusList.com Virus Alerts & Virus News. Thursday, October 03, 2002 ****************************************************************** 1. Linux Gets A Reality Check It may not be a surprise that as Linux diligently plods forward with a 30% annual increase in usage it is being targeted more and more by hackers, however, what may be a surprise is that Linux is proving to be at least as vulnerable as Windows products. While Linux has long basked in its reputation as a secure and stable platform, Microsoft's Windows is famously maligned for its bugs (what Microsoft terms "issues") and security vulnerabilities. It now appears that more than a few, especially virtually every proponent of the Linux open source revolution, may owe an apology to the Redmond, Washington software "monster", though presumably Bill Gates and his team are not holding their collective breath. Seemingly Microsoft's biggest crime was its popularity. Attacks: MI2G reports attacks on Linux is on the rise - 5,736 attacks in the whole of 2001, but the first half of 2002 already shows 7,630. While attacks on Windows systems running Microsoft's IIS Web server fell by 20 percent, from 11,828 during the first six months of 2001 to 9,404 over the same period this year. These figures do not include viruses and worms. Bugs and Vulnerabilities: The firm, Internet Security Systems last year, 2001, identified 149 bugs in Microsoft software and a surprising 309 for Linux. This year, 2002, continues this trend with a whopping 485 bugs attributed to Linux and a more sober, but still "way-too-high" 202 for Microsoft. More recent Microsoft offerings, such as Windows XP are indeed harder to crack than previous Windows products and may also offer a partial reason why Linux is now more often a target. Notes: XP may indeed be more secure than older Windows products, however, it should be noted that many networks run older Windows versions as well, thus mitigating the security improvement brought by XP. Another notable trend is the emergence of hybrid viruses that attack multiple platforms. One such example is Nimda, which, besides its preferred victim Windows, also managed to infect AS/400 and Solaris machines. Statistics and trends aside, the most important thing is that users follow a sound security policy and regularly update anti-virus and other security software.
