hiero, I commend you for a very well written response. I've been using Linux for quite a few years as my only OS and I learned a few things.
Thanks, Scott On Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at 3:47 PM, hiero <[email protected]> wrote: > Most of what I know has already been posted by other repliers. However, > there are a couple of things I believe are worth saying twice. > > Don't run as root. Take the time to create a user. > Linux has fewer problems, at present, than other OS, but that does not > mean they can not or will not happen. > > Let me ask you this - do you use a browser? Do you use the internet in a > gui environment? Viruses today are old hat in the malware business. While > the server admin who posted has a point that his machines are on 24/7, most > exploits today arrive at your machine via your browser. Infiltration is > done using various techniques - but primarily through your browser. Since > the servers are not, or should not be, using a browser, they are immune to > this type of attack. Take the time to look up pwn2own. This is an annual > contest. Notice that Macs have been the first to fall every year except > one, if memory serves. Macs use OSX - which - like linux - is derived from > unix and has the same inherited tamper-resistant architecture. But a major > part of that architecture is user rights. People will tell you Linux > doesn't get busted. But that is because nobody tries - there is no money to > be had for breaking into Linux (yet). Those guys breaking into Macs and > Windows at pwn2own are making a lot of money - the contest is a pittance in > comparison. So, linux is safer, at the moment, in part because of > obscurity. Fine - it is still safer. > > As is pointed out, viruses tend not to work well on Linux, if they work at > all. You could design a virus that would recursively write to the hard > drive - but it could only fill the partition it resides on at worst. This > could crash the OS, but you could recover using a boot disk. Unless you > were running as root, in which case it could overwrite every file on the > hard drive. Malware, on the other hand, can be designed to work on linux. > Rootkits are known - and rootkits would fall in the malware category. > > Back to running as root - do you ever use wireless? Do you ever use your > computer away from home? Do you have a wifi router in your home? Do you > have a street that runs by your house? Maybe you live in an apartment > complex? How many people could "see" your router's wifi signal? Wireless is > still vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks - and if you sit down at your > local Starbucks and log on, and you are running as root, you have just > opened up your box to any competent hacker who wants in. But maybe you say > "No", all you ever use is a wired network, at home, or at work. Good, that > cuts down on one entry possibility - but like I said - most of the exploits > in the real world today get in through your browser. When you are running > as root, an exploit would not need the extra step of escalating it's > privileges to be successful. > > So, there ya go. 2 messages. Viruses are not a worry on Linux - but I > think some have actually been written. Malware is not a particular worry > yet, but it could be. Rootkits do exist, and there are rootkit detection > programs. Nothing on Linux will stop social engineering exploits, and I > believe "man-in-the-middle" attacks could also be successful to grab any > transmitted data. Some of the other guys here will assuredly have more > knowledge than I about that. There are good gui firewall appliances for > free, and they should be used. I use no-script with Firefox, and Chrome now > has a similar utility. You can buy a firewall/AV package, I suppose, but > on Linux I do not see why. The Linux anti-virus packages I know of are to > detect Windows viruses. > > And, as far as security is concerned, if you are concerned about security, > running as root is like leaving your front door open. > > Those are my thoughts. > > > > > > Sudo and su are too easy once you have set them up. > > On Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:27:35 PM UTC-4, Fujiwara Kaito wrote: >> >> I have heard that Linux computer viruses exist, but I have never had to >> deal with any, I also do not know of anyone who has had the problem. >> >> (I have never even read reports of a virus infecting Linux) >> >> I use the root account for everything, so I had avast! for Linux for >> awhile. (recently got rid of it when cleaning up) >> >> Has anyone ever here ever had any problems with Viruses in Linux, or had >> any removed by any of the various anti virus utilities for Linux? >> >> It really doesn't seem like anything to worry about, but some "experts" >> try to push anti virus utilities on Linux. (it seems they just want people >> to use their product) >> >> Thoughts? >> > > On Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:27:35 PM UTC-4, Fujiwara Kaito wrote: >> >> I have heard that Linux computer viruses exist, but I have never had to >> deal with any, I also do not know of anyone who has had the problem. >> >> (I have never even read reports of a virus infecting Linux) >> >> I use the root account for everything, so I had avast! for Linux for >> awhile. (recently got rid of it when cleaning up) >> >> Has anyone ever here ever had any problems with Viruses in Linux, or had >> any removed by any of the various anti virus utilities for Linux? >> >> It really doesn't seem like anything to worry about, but some "experts" >> try to push anti virus utilities on Linux. (it seems they just want people >> to use their product) >> >> Thoughts? >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Linux Users > Group. > To post a message, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit our group at > http://groups.google.com/group/linuxusersgroup > References can be found at: http://goo.gl/anqri > Please remember to abide by our list rules (http://tinyurl.com/LUG-Rulesor > http://cdn.fsdev.net/List-Rules.pdf) > -- <>< Scott Vargovich <>< ------------------------------------------ OpenPGP Key ID: F8F5DC7E ------------------------------------------ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Linux Users Group. 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