On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, Ben de Luca wrote:

> >
> > But how many of those are there?  As the man said (and as anyone with
> > a bit UNIX experience can tell you), it's just too hard.
> >
>
> Im sorry but thats just stupid, its not too hard. There are probably
> just far more bored kids with windows computers.

That have access to pre-rolled virus and worm scripts.  Add a poor
security model and you have an exploit.  On UNIX, the same kids
usually have to work by first principles and they have neither
the will, the patience or the experience.   Those that do
are already sysadmins and probably making money doing something useful.

It is not impossible, but hard.  And it doesn't provide the
same instant gratification kick that windows does.
There's millions of downloads of Linux and Solaris source.
Where are the thousands of exploits?   Even with the source code,
there is not the will.

> http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/6805/articles/morris-worm.html

Everyone mentions the morris worm.  It's a poor example from
an era where most UNIX boxes didn't even have a root passwd.
Security didn't matter then.  It does now, unless you run Windows.

Yes, and how many Sendmail servers are running now, today, that
have been cracked and exploited (spammers not included?!).
Right now? Today?

Sorry - I am going to go away again now.  I have had this argument
far too often.  I will believe what I know by my own experience
and my experience is that the windows security model invites
abuse and it's just too easy.   On UNIX it is not impossible
but takes more effort than the would be cracker will bear, unless they
are determined and have a specific motive in mind, on a single
unprotected host.

-- 
Rachel Polanskis                Systems Admin, University of Western Sydney
V1-37, Kingswood Campus         (+61 2) 47 360 291 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
        "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security,
        deserve neither liberty or security" - Benjamin Franklin, 1759

-- 
SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group - http://slug.org.au/
More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug

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