On Wed, 5 Feb 2003, Bill Stermer wrote: > Hi to all listers, > > We are still trying to get our management to buy off on Linux/390 and commit to a >zSeries upgrade along the way. During the round table talks we were asked about virus >protection and cross platform (Linux to VM) damage possibilities. I have heard about >Linux infections before but had not heard about any mainframe specific virus that >could cross platforms. What about you folks on the list? Any virus mutations that you >are aware of which could be problematic to a newbie?
Some time go, Kaspersky released a desktop AV package for Linux. It was offered as a free download by (I think) zdnet. The announcement was greeted with guffaws and exclamations of "Who needs such a thin?" Well, ever eager to learn, I asked Kaspersky. The first reply was toovague, so I asked again, pressing the point I wanted to know specifically what viruses were around. The list came back with such dreaded names as lion, Ramon and three others so notable I don't recall them. Those I recognised are actually worms, and greybeards at that. None could infect any reasonably up2date system. In my view, the risk of an actual virus getting about infecting Linux machines is fairly slight. Consider; Most Windows viruses spread by using Lookout Express and other office procut APIs. A great way of reducing your risk of infection on Windows is to use some other email client and office suite. MS Office products are not available for Linux. Now, it might be that if everone on Windows used, say, Eudora and SmartSuite then those products would be found to have similar problems. On Linux, there is no predominant email client as there is on Windows. Some use Ximian Evolution, others use Kmail or Mozilla or Balsa. At the moment I'm typing away in Pine, many prefer Mutt. I tried running executale content from Kmail (which I use a lot), and failed. If you manage to do it with any Linux email client, file a bug report and use something else. Linux does not run Windows programs, especially if you don't install Wine or Crossover. Therefore, it's not troubled by Windows Wogs. Even if you did get a Linux virus, the damage it would do is limited to the account of the user that received it. Others would be unaffected. Now, trojan horses are another matter. If I can persuade you to run "this nifty little program" then it can do damage to you (even if it does what I said it does), and if I can persuade you to run it as root, then it can do considerable damage. I don't think AV software will help much with that. And there are worms, programs that search you out like that one that took Korea off the net a week or so ago. They can be serious. While one that infiltrates your webserver won't do anything your webserver can't, that can still be serious, especially if the cracker knows enough about your system to get into your corporate data. Think espionage. I don't think AV software helps there either. Having said that, there is room for AV software on Linux. If you're providing file-sharing and email services to Windows clients, you will want to run AV software on Linux to protect those windows boxes. -- Cheers John. Join the "Linux Support by Small Businesses" list at http://mail.computerdatasafe.com.au/mailman/listinfo/lssb
