> > If I may say (nothing here stated against Mr. Johnson or his IT group), > > many ISPs have it in their head that shells are inherently insecure based > > on events like these, whereas an unprotected SLIP/PPP dialup can be equally > > damaging and give hackers a difficult-to-trace entry point to other systems, > > just like a shell prompt. > > For a lot of older systems, a shell account is much more computationally > > economical and efficient than SLIP or PPP.
> A lot of non-university ISPs these days are using MSoft products to > provide their services, so there isn't a un*x shell, and any CLI > access is inherently more dangerous than it could/should be were > something else being used.... If you mean direct CLI access to the *Microsoft* box, I agree with you. And I do think that unprotected *Telnet* is a problem, and anyone with an open telnet port that lets anyone get to a login prompt is asking for trouble. However, this is nothing new or different from any other kind of insecure authentication strategy. Dialup shell, OTOH, should not be the endangered species that it is. Shell access gives you no additional tools that hooking a Linux system up through SLIP/PPP doesn't, and it's very simple to secure a dialup shell system from compromising your own network. Any kind of network connection can be used to subvert someone else's, of course. -- ----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ -- Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Line printer paper is strongest at its perforations. ----------------------- -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
