NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: PHIL HOCHMUTH ON LINUX 11/17/04 Today's focus: Mailbag: Linux vulnerability study prompts patch talk, strategies
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * More reader comments regarding mi2g's study * Links related to Linux * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Intel IT Productivity; Increasing ROI Learn how to effectively measure employee productivity, manage IT investments and reduce the Total Cost of Ownership in enterprise data management. Visit Intel's IT Productivity center. Click here to download white papers, books and IDC Research. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=88389 _______________________________________________________________ DOWNLOAD INDUSTRY WHITE PAPERS NOW NW Fusion's White Paper Library is your source for the latest industry white papers. Recent additions to the library include white papers on WLAN Security; IT Documentation; protecting the internal network from worms, Trojan horses, and other malware threats; measuring employee productivity and more. Click here to download: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=88306 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Mailbag: Linux vulnerability study prompts patch talk, strategies By Phil Hochmuth Today, we're presenting more reader comments regarding last week's newsletter about mi2g's study. The study found Linux to be the most-attacked operating system for PCs attached to the Internet. While the research firm showed Linux was the operating system in 65% of the 240,000 hacking incidents it studied, this figure did not bear out with readers' actual experiences. "I have been using Linux since fall 1997 as my only desktop," said one reader. "I have not had a single instance of anyone getting into this machine. Under no circumstances is Linux anywhere near as open as [Microsoft Windows] to be infiltrated by hackers." Another reader wrote: "I've used Linux since 1995, with no breaches. Of course, that may be due to updates, patches, and an external hardware firewall. As for my home Windows computers, I can't say that - [it's] more like a couple-of-thousand times, if you count ad-ware, viruses, and worm attacks. I'm not trying to discount the report in your article, just putting emphasis on patching and firewall updates ... but, I think you already did that." Other readers had similar thoughts about the issues of patching and updating Linux for security reasons. "I appreciated your Linux breach read, especially since my wife's laptop hard drive suddenly became inoperable yesterday. I gave her a laptop without patching my old SuSE 9.0." But another reader said the issue goes beyond just patching and updating software. "I'm going to stick my neck out and say that it isn't even patching or updating the software that matters most - it's configuring your firewall and services correctly to begin with," this person wrote. "When we first setup our Linux server, we used a very helpful book titled 'Hacking Linux Exposed,' which gave an awful lot of info on what to do and why. Without information of that caliber our server would have been a zombie within a week, patches or no patches." Sound advice (if not a free plug for "Hacking Linux Exposed"). RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Novell bets on Linux desktop suite Network World, 11/15/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/111504-novell-linux.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Phil Hochmuth Phil Hochmuth is a Network World Senior Editor and a former systems integrator. You can reach him at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Intel IT Productivity; Increasing ROI Learn how to effectively measure employee productivity, manage IT investments and reduce the Total Cost of Ownership in enterprise data management. Visit Intel's IT Productivity center. Click here to download white papers, books and IDC Research. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=88389 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Breaking Linux news from Network World and around the 'Net, updated daily: http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/linux.html Archive of the Linux newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/linux/index.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE NEW! Website dedicated to Networking for Small Business now available The editors of NW Fusion and PC World have combined all their expert advice, authority, and know-how into a powerful new tool for small businesses, the new Networking for Small Business website. Get news, how-to's, product reviews, and expert advice specifically tailored to your small business needs. Find help with Security, Broadband, Networking, Hardware, Software, and Wireless & Mobile technology at: <http://www.networkingsmallbusiness.com/> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2 International subscribers click here: http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx> To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Preferences.aspx> To change your e-mail address, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx> Subscription questions? 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