full-disclosure - Linux (in)security (Was: Re: Re: No Subject)

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From: avalon at caligula.anu.edu.au (Darren Reed)
Subject: Linux (in)security (Was: Re: Re: No Subject)

In some mail from Bruce Ediger, sie said:
> 
> The real questions go something like:
> 
> "Source code for Unix viruses has been available for years, from sources
> almost too numerous to mention.  Why haven't Unix viruses become epidemic
> the way that Windows viruses have?"

How quickly we forget "modern" history...but then my guess is that
most of the people who do IT security today are...<rant deleted>

I found this quickly via google:
http://legacy.eos.ncsu.edu/eos/info/computer_ethics/abuse/wvt/worm/lecture.html

There are numerous differences between that worm and the ones we have
taking out servers left right and centre, today.  If the worm programmers
of today were half as capable as the author of that worm, we'd be in a LOT
more trouble.

But what you've got to realise is this...

the network that makes these attacks possible is the very same network
that miscreants have to use (mostly) to chat with peers, get their daily
intake of warez, porn, music, etc. so to make the 'net unusable is to
also deny themselves some enjoyment (well that's my theory anyway :)

> To extend your "wooden house" analogy a bit:

This was just another bad analogy.  I'd encourage people to stop using
analogies and just exlpain whatever it is in 'native' terms.

Darren