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Linux is more secure ONLY when ...
it is properly administered.

Fortunately Linux (most distros) now comes secure out of the box with all ports locked down, but it is still possible for administrator stupidity to make Linux vulnerable. I keep all ports locked down and apply all patches as they appear on all of my internet exposed machines, a fairly easy routine that has resulted in a charmed life.

The huge problem with Windows is that when you have to reload the OS as OFTEN happens with Windows (even with XP!), you have to go on the net UNPATCHED to even get to Windows Update, thus exposing yourself to every hack in the book on the way. And with all the home users out there still running Win95 and Win98, this presents a huge opportunity for hackers and crackers and virus writers. A Windows user suffering from a virus infection can reload and be reinfected before he can even update over his 56K modem link. And this is just one of the built in vulnerabilities of Windows.

With Linux on the other hand, you seldom have to reload from scratch, and if you do you have all your cumulative patches on hand AND an OS that is less than six months old to start with. No doubt about it, in knowlegable hands, Linux is more secure.
Posted by: George Mitchell   Posted on: 06/02/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Linux IS more secure  ONEstar | 06/02/04
Although some corporations...  ShadeTree | 06/02/04
regardless  stephen732@... | 06/02/04
Anybody who trusts a desktop is delerious  oldskool | 06/02/04
Get your facts straight.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
Which facts?  bgoss@... | 06/02/04
Linux is more secure ONLY when ...  George Mitchell | 06/02/04
I Agree about the properly admin part.  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
A great many of the world's largest corporations also use Windows  Stewart Cannon | 06/02/04
my dear watson...  ONEstar | 06/04/04
For now it is more secure  voska | 06/02/04
IS Linux more secure?  mwagner@... | 06/03/04
Get a clue....  tgrady | 06/03/04
depends on what you want to do...  ryusen | 06/03/04
exactly  ONEstar | 06/04/04
No need for a clue here....  ONEstar | 06/04/04
He did get one thing right  bidemytime | 06/02/04
Novell Netware?  James Schroer | 06/02/04
good question  Hanover Phist | 06/02/04
advice  toadlife | 06/02/04
Virus writers and graffiti artists?  Squawkbox | 06/02/04
CEO = Head Bean Counter  Chad_z | 06/02/04
Thing to differentiate...  mabricen | 06/02/04
Just found out  mabricen | 06/02/04
And fixed in the KB article  Confused by religion | 06/02/04
MS security problems are DESIGN INTENT - they built it that way!  oldskool | 06/02/04
It's a myth-take!  jellyclock | 06/02/04
Its not a myth - Think about it.  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
Speaking of myth  Chad_z | 06/02/04
That's not a myth either  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
True, but....  tgrady | 06/03/04
security by obscurity  avdp | 06/02/04
Listen to your own arguement.  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
and this is why...  ryusen | 06/02/04
re: security by obscurity  toadlife | 06/02/04
bang on jelly ... you can hide a barn behind a hanky if its far enough away  oldskool | 06/02/04
Faulty Logic  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
Faulty Logic?  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
Of course  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
and what happens when...  ryusen | 06/02/04
Lovebug  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
your firewall routes traffic to a bug ridden, flawed design called WINDOWS  oldskool | 06/02/04
I got your logic... RIGHT HERE!!  Ployd_Farker | 06/02/04
I could be misinformed....  tgrady | 06/03/04
More Crap...  Da-Man | 06/02/04
you obviously don't understand forced perspective  oldskool | 06/02/04
Please step away from the fantasy world  toadlife | 06/02/04
ahem...  ryusen | 06/02/04
I agree  toadlife | 06/02/04
my main point  ryusen | 06/02/04
WRONG, Again!!!  Da-Man | 06/02/04
Quit trolling your sales pitch  toadlife | 06/02/04
Learn to READ!  tgrady | 06/03/04
Hellllooo!  toadlife | 06/04/04
Do you UNDERSTAND it, or did you just READ it?  tamuhockey | 06/04/04
...a 2nd hand account?  lildog7 | 06/07/04
Platform is rock solid...  Mike Cox | 06/02/04
If Symantec is so expert...  Anton Philidor | 06/02/04
I disagree..  Patrick Jones | 06/02/04
Symantec is thinking a lot about Linux these days ...  George Mitchell | 06/02/04
Thanks for the interesting post!  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
Symantec market research  Yagotta B. Kidding | 06/02/04
Very interesting indeed!  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
CEO is supposed to focus on strategic vision not marketing  oldskool | 06/02/04
scary this CEO's depth of understanding of attack vectors  oldskool | 06/02/04
You misread the comment.  Anton Philidor | 06/02/04
its the MS experience that creates VIRII, not the hackers  oldskool | 06/02/04
Problem?  rapson | 06/02/04
Some admins have a dream...  Anton Philidor | 06/02/04
No, I'm saying MS made bad choices whcih can not be overridden  oldskool | 06/02/04
Windows *is* secure... Oh and buy our products!  prime21 | 06/02/04
not true, security admin is complex, LINUX could use easy tools too  oldskool | 06/02/04
Linux virus free? Since when?  tgrady | 06/03/04
Wow, seems the ABM crowd is in usual form.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
Huh?  bgoss@... | 06/02/04
The reason  rapson | 06/02/04
Do you mean like the Apache attacks?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
There're always a few  rapson | 06/02/04
Cumon Carl, admit that Windows admin is less technical than *NIX  oldskool | 06/03/04
Nope  rapson | 06/03/04
OK, build a Windows servedr without NTFS and MS's TCP/IP stack for starters  oldskool | 06/03/04
Do you mean Apache on WIndows attacks?  B.O.F.H. | 06/02/04
Yes ax  Protector | 06/02/04
Apps vs. OS  libertyaikido | 06/02/04
Why?  j.m.galvin | 06/02/04
because they are irrational...  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
re: because they are irrational...  bgoss@... | 06/02/04
lol  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
That doesn't explain...  rapson | 06/02/04
Various reasons  rapson | 06/02/04
you are making assumptions...  ryusen | 06/02/04
Possibly  rapson | 06/02/04
differing motives.  ryusen | 06/02/04
I would press the button  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
btw2  PA-ITGuy | 06/02/04
re: btw2  bgoss@... | 06/02/04
agreed  PA-ITGuy | 06/02/04
agree also  bgoss@... | 06/02/04
yep  PA-ITGuy | 06/02/04
Hacked by someone actively poking  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
Ax never has the facts.  bjbrock | 06/02/04
HERE's YOUR FACTS!  Da-Man | 06/02/04
do you facts have details?  ryusen | 06/02/04
ghs tries to sell RTOS with posix interface to defence= competitor to linux  hipparchus2000 | 06/05/04
Facts are facts, myth propogation is marketing  ONEstar | 06/02/04
FACTS, YOU PEOPLE WANT FACTS!!! Read Message  Da-Man | 06/02/04
go read my reply to one of your posts...  ryusen | 06/03/04
Strangely, Symantec profits from the "myth"  Robert Crocker | 06/02/04
one fact you ignore  ryusen | 06/02/04
Message has been deleted.  jellyclock | 06/02/04
I had a loyal MSDN type show me how to bypass all MS security once ...  oldskool | 06/02/04
And now I know your full of it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
so you never got the secret handshake, eh?  oldskool | 06/02/04
You're a L0ser...  Da-Man | 06/02/04
New ID!  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
too bad you needed to change the topic  oldskool | 06/02/04
ghs sell RTOS with posix intergface = competitor to linux  hipparchus2000 | 06/05/04
I find that message deletion very telling  jellyclock | 06/02/04
Just re-post it.  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
Get over yourself, no one cares anyways...  Da-Man | 06/02/04
wow look.. a new troll... (nt)  ryusen | 06/02/04
Same troll new name  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
No, he's different.  Linux_Developer | 06/03/04
it_cxristian and southern pride, etal...  ryusen | 06/03/04
An example of someone not connected with reality  Arrg | 06/02/04
I am constantly amazed by some folks here...  Confused by religion | 06/02/04
An excellent point.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
Great post the URL or IP Address  sa_z | 06/02/04
Yes you can  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
Of course.  sa_z | 06/02/04
back at you  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
back at you  sa_z | 06/02/04
To sa  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
Re: To sa  Linux_Developer | 06/03/04
Re: RE: to SA  tamuhockey | 06/03/04
an admin should know however...  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
Superior admin skills  Yagotta B. Kidding | 06/02/04
Here you go.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 06/02/04
A question  Robert Crocker | 06/02/04
Thought so!  sa_z | 06/02/04
cant protect against DOS attacks....  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
yes you can  tamuhockey | 06/02/04
somehow i doubt....  JoeMama_z | 06/02/04
You aren't an admin, obviously.  tgrady | 06/03/04
linux is a major platform in server os market  hipparchus2000 | 06/05/04
Request for more info...  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
Excellence stories  michael-t | 06/02/04
You're kind of amazing at times yourself, Milly  FederalistPaperBoy | 06/02/04
Pure wisdom from the initiated....  michael-t | 06/02/04
Sigh...  Confused by religion | 06/02/04
I would much rather  michael-t | 06/02/04
Made me laugh!  tgrady | 06/03/04
Made me sad  michael-t | 06/03/04
the fault in your argument...  ryusen | 06/02/04
Not really...  Confused by religion | 06/02/04
in one sense, yes, but...  ryusen | 06/03/04
From Symantec, the we rely on the misfortune of others  FilledOut | 06/02/04
Thompson IS A LIAR  RobertoSalazar | 06/02/04
Can you PROVE he's wrong? (NT)  PA-ITGuy | 06/02/04
He Only Works on Windows Systems  MoYoToSoTo | 06/02/04
Are you sure?  PA-ITGuy | 06/03/04
WRONG Again!!!  Da-Man | 06/02/04
"Facts"? How about "truth"?  Linux_Developer | 06/03/04
Support for Windows and EAL4 (don't hook it up to the Internet!)  B.O.F.H. | 06/02/04
Nuts and Bolts from Keys and Locks  ParadigmOdyssey | 06/02/04
BZZZT!! Nuts and Bolts was a McAfee Product  Confused by religion | 06/02/04
That is very original  michael-t | 06/02/04
THIS IS SO SIMPLE!!!!!  Protector | 06/02/04
And no, grandma doesn't have a firewall  Protector | 06/02/04
what about attachments dude  hipparchus2000 | 06/02/04
clicking on an attachment  hipparchus2000 | 06/02/04
...  Protector | 06/02/04
if you were using linux  hipparchus2000 | 06/02/04
Riddle Me This Then:  swbobcat | 06/02/04
Because their idi0ts?  Da-Man | 06/02/04
greenhills sells a competitor to linux called integrity RTOS  hipparchus2000 | 06/02/04
Without Microsoft, There would be no Symantec  claytonmuhler | 06/02/04
Without Microsoft there would be no YOU  Da-Man | 06/02/04
Misguided little boy!  Linux User 147560 | 06/02/04
Da boy  ONEstar | 06/03/04
Symantec  ctperimeter | 06/02/04
This is true.  robhare | 06/03/04
where do you get 94%?  hipparchus2000 | 06/05/04
any system that  V Sanders | 06/03/04
If The Tables Were Turned  ginseng37 | 06/03/04
Foolishness  scifirules@... | 06/03/04
A "mith" against unbiased, factual information?  solyom@... | 06/03/04
One question...Where does Symantic make the bulk of its MONEY?  Laff | 06/03/04

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