> > John, > > I think you did a great job of summing it up. But one thing I have > > never seen talked about as a way to get a virus into a Linux system is > > to include it in an RPM. Lets face it, how many people actualy check > > the scripts that are run when an rpm is installed? Do you check that it > > is signed properly? (I know urpmi will check, but I also remember > > problem with package signitures talked about on the lists...) Remember, > > almost all RPMs are installed by root, so any scripts an RPM runs are > > also run by root. And all that is needed is to hack an update mirror > > site to infect a large number of machines... > > > Which is why you should be extremely careful about any software that does not > come from known and trusted sources. Reputable sources do have checks built > in to make sure they start with safe packages and their boxes are not > cracked. As always, the ultimate check is your own care and common sense. > > Anne
Which is the problem with most users on Microsoft. People either just install any program which offers itself to the user (what I just recently saw with one of our trainees in the office on her private laptop using XP) or they carefully select the programs. What I saw with MS is the threat that programs can easily execute itself over websites, an open port to many PCs and users which trust everyone and everything... "ohh... a program so my pc runs faster, ok I install). It is much more difficult under Linux to get a program installed, especially if the sysop limits the right to execute files to the admin. Basically a PC is only as safe as the user is careful and it doesn't matter if you run windows or linux. And under Linux I am sure that the more user friendly Linux gets, the more people are using it and the more people are not really careful about the programs they install we will see an increase of viruses and especially trojan horses under Linux as well. However, and I am not an it-guy just a "stupid" user of linux (just as joe average ms user), I am sure that the linux community will be able to defend the os from viruses and trojan horses very effectively as long as the community develops the software and not a monopolistic company like MS (which is in my opinion the reason why windows is so vulnerable since ms reacts to slowly to developments which threaten their os). Anyway, what I wrote above might not make sense but I am just an agronomists who got bored with windows and has not that insight into software etc ;) Alex
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