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Ahhh, but which Unix
Personally I agree with the larger installed base theory of virus writers. A poor analogy but suppose a virus evolved that only infected humans with red hair. How far and fast do you think it would spread? Same with computers. For a virus to be successful there has to be a critical mass of computers in contact with each other to spread the infection. A virus isn't going to make the headlines infecting a few hundred systems but a few million it will. And it's the news headlins virus writers like to see. That and having a large installed base of infected machines for some other nefarious purpose. I know there's more than a few hundred Mac's out there but I'm considering the potential infection rate of a Mac virus that would stop spreading when it hit a Windows machine. Same way a Windows virus stops when it hits a Mac or Linux box.

Also, if a hacker would set his sights on cracking into Unix, and it does happen, which flavor should he set his sights on? Solaris? HP-UX? AIX? One of the BSDs? You see there is no single Unix to hack. Each no doubt has systems out there with unpatched vulnerabilities, but a single flaw doesn't always affect each version of Unix and the hacker would have to create a specific attack for each version.

Now as to a hacker taking out the Unix backbone of the internet, not all that likely. The major Unix systems are run by competent administrators that keep their systems patched. Which gets us back to the real story here. An OS X installation has some flaws. Granted no big surprise here, it was software created by humans after all, but the point is to make sure people know the flaws were found and a patch is available. Install it. If one of the machines you're responsible for is one that you don't usually visit, possible because it performs some automated functions, now you know you have to.

Acknowledge the problem, patch and move on. Just like you have to do with ANY OS.
Posted by: PA-ITGuy   Posted on: 09/08/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.  gfeier | 09/07/04
Huh, what's that?  Squawkbox | 09/07/04
Oh but wait  prong@... | 09/07/04
You said it, not us  hayesk | 09/08/04
There's a lot to see here  Qbt | 09/07/04
Where did I say...  gfeier | 09/07/04
All that time...  Qbt | 09/07/04
Where did I say...  gfeier | 09/08/04
MS invented FUD!  MacGeek2121 | 09/08/04
which has nothing to do  eLurker | 09/08/04
SpyWare  nikoli | 09/08/04
Are you insane?  Rick_K | 09/07/04
kerberos is an app? (nt)  eLurker | 09/08/04
I don't use Mac OS X, and probably never will  Monkey_MCSE | 09/07/04
Well I guess you missed my point  Qbt | 09/07/04
If I were a virus writer I wouldn't go after Microsoft  Linux User 147560 | 09/08/04
Ahhh, but which Unix  PA-ITGuy | 09/08/04
You just made a point for me that  Linux User 147560 | 09/08/04
Re: You just made a point for me that  PA-ITGuy | 09/08/04
your point...  ryusen | 09/08/04
You are exactly right and if security is a principle  mlindl | 09/08/04
i guess  eLurker | 09/08/04
But Petey!  Linux User 147560 | 09/08/04
Sorry but I can not agree with all your statements.  computer_man | 09/08/04
I am aware of key loggers  Linux User 147560 | 09/08/04
Then you must be aware of what they can do.  computer_man | 09/08/04
They ARE flaws in Windows  KSchaefer | 09/08/04
Microsoft...  Qbt | 09/08/04
The only flawed logic...  MacCanuck | 09/08/04
Yes, not the best analogy  Qbt | 09/08/04
but there are 30 million juicy often rich Apple users on the net  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
ummm it's the same kerberos in MS  Monkey_MCSE | 09/08/04
Trying SO hard...  Qbt | 09/08/04
apparently, MIT said differently, but you knew that right?  Monkey_MCSE | 09/08/04
Re:apparently, MIT said differently...  Qbt | 09/08/04
unreasonable inference from flawed logic  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
oddly enough  eLurker | 09/08/04
Windows NOT vulnerable  Qbt | 09/08/04
And neither is Mac OS X  Richard Flude | 09/08/04
In the Real World...  Qbt | 09/08/04
Really?  Richard Flude | 09/08/04
Entry Barrier  Jkirk3279 | 09/08/04
Correction  d_jedi | 09/07/04
Zdnet, don't report any Apple news that could be deemed negative  FilledOut | 09/08/04
but  eLurker | 09/08/04
the dreaded False Dichotomy defence boringly so  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
you have made a dreaded incorrect assumption  eLurker | 09/20/04
This cannot be!!!!  James T. Kirk | 09/08/04
Look at the scoreboard  Fred Flintsone | 09/08/04
Enough already!  MacVet | 09/08/04
En0ugh already!  wiskowst | 09/08/04
small correction  eLurker | 09/08/04
easier is the key, not bigger  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
no, both are the key  eLurker | 09/20/04
I agree with your first paragraph, maybe you should read it  bnordberg | 09/09/04
Message has been deleted.  Outside T. Box | 09/08/04
I'm Looking!  MacGeek2121 | 09/08/04
*nix CANT CATCH a VIRUS - EVER!  Roger Ramjet | 09/09/04
*nix CANT CATCH a VIRUS - EVER!  Roger Ramjet | 09/09/04
market share  doh123 | 09/08/04
actually like this  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
Apple Applications  Jkirk3279 | 09/08/04
Wow, this forum just gets better and better  FilledOut | 09/08/04
GOS2  nomorems | 09/08/04
what about  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04
Good day  FilledOut | 09/10/04
you mean apple didn't force new features  V Sanders | 09/08/04
Re: force new features  alterego_z | 09/08/04
Maybe they silently turned off iTune features  FilledOut | 09/08/04
I guess this leaves Linux as the only perfect OS?  Prognosticator | 09/08/04
well it's alright even if Linux had 20 times as many exploits as windows  hipparchus2000 | 09/08/04

What do you think?

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