Re: [OT] Ping No Stop

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Galen wrote:
In news:pan.2006.11.22.04.36.22.95087@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
arachnid had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:16:39 -0500, Galen wrote:

In 7rG8h.344559$5R2.335271@pd7urf3no">news:7rG8h.344559$5R2.335271@pd7urf3no, NoStop had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Correct. And you won't find any defrag routine either, as Linux
filesystems
don't require defragging. Counter to what Leythos states.

I think it must be time to take specifics about GNU/Linux away from this
Windoze newsgroup or we'll overstay our welcome. :-) As I said earlier,
if you want to communicate directly with me ... irc.bcwireless.net ...
#linuxtalk

Cheers.
Snipped and my own feelings are contrary. A firewall and antivirus - even
for Linux - are good ideas. While there are not many out there for Linux
there are some bits of malware and there certainly are plenty of exploits.
What Linux viruses making the rounds would an antivirus program protect me
from?

That's a tough question to answer - while Linux is compatible from build to build at the source level they aren't always binary compatible thus you end up with different packages for different versions. It's a fairly common misconception that there isn't any malware for Linux but, well, that's not entirely accurate and many of the applications that are installed need to be constantly updated as new vulnerabilities are found quite frequently. Another confusing term these days is "virus" as there really aren't that many straight viruses left these days. Most of them are blended threats with the emphasis being on data theft and/or financial gain. The anti-virus vendors have adapted their strategy to suit, with Windows I'd recommend a mixture of antivirus, antispyware, and maybe even antitrojan software, that's much harder to do with Linux. The specialized applications just don't seem to be there. The truth is that the threat isn't nearly as high with Linux - there simply isn't as much activity from the bad guys there. To say that there's no threat would be crazy, there is plenty.

Here are a few links that you might find interesting:

This one seems to cover just viruses. Viruses, in a traditional sense, seem to be dwindling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_computer_viruses

This one is vendor-based so surely more inclusive than it probably really is.
http://www.viruslist.com/en/find?search_mode=virus&words=linux

A fun one was released in sample code (April of this year) that is cross platform.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125348-page,1-c,linux/article.html
(Probably little or nothing will come from that.)

I hate to use Symantec for anything but, well:
http://searchg.symantec.com/search?as_sitesearch=www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp&entqr=0&hitsceil=100&access=p&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&client=symc_en_US&charset=utf-8&q=linux&ud=1&site=symc_en_US&context=gbh&y=3&oe=UTF-8&proxystyle***=symc_en_US

(That link may well break - you didn't want Symantec's site either. If it does work, well, keep in mind they're Symantec.)

As you just asked about viruses I've limited it to that but...

http://nvd.nist.gov/nvd.cfm
Search for Linux

Specifically I'd recommend KAV having had the chance to work with it in the past;
http://www.kaspersky.com/anti-virus_linux_file_server_and_workstation

I regret that I had to plonk someone earlier but, well, life's too short to respond to those who refuse to listen and come to the table certain their ill-conceived beliefs are law. I am, however, glad you asked this question. The reality is that exploits abound in any OS, any software, and any network. They're certainly fixed quickly with open source software but the number of updates required is insanely high and as more people move to Linux in the home they're going to go there with a belief that their OS is now secure because of anti-proprietary code warmongers, media hype, and general fans spreading of misinformation.

Here's a nice quote:

"Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux Workstation is designed to detect all types of malicious code, including Java applets and ActiveX controls for workstations operating under the Linux / Unix platforms. Virus protection for file servers is an essential part of any full-scale information security system, which is included in this antivirus solution for Linux / Unix systems."

I enjoy that quote - it rings true. Sure, it's full of vendor-speak but the points made are real. The idea that security is anything other than a process is patently absurd, it is a layered defense to mitigate known and unknown risks while striving to satisfy your needs. An operating system, a stack on top an OS, and obscurity are not methods to ensure security though they make a good start. Switching to a different OS doesn't make one secure - it only makes them need to relearn the process.


I don't know if it makes any difference but all my computers are behind a Nat router.

Alias
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