On The Insider: Britney's Bikini-Clad Top 10
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 20 of 84:
Next »
« Previous
Point taken
Agreed, they could still install programs as long as those programs only wanted to put themselves in the user's space. What I should've said was they would never be able to install any system apps (meaning apps available to any user on the system). Then again they would never be able to install system patches either, so that doesn't exactly make for a safe system. Also any malware that did install itself into their userspace would be just as good as one installed in the system since that's obviously the only username they could ever login as. Kind of hard to create a new user account without root privileges.

It wasn't so much users having root/admin passwords I was commenting on. It was naive user's in general and people who think Linux will be able to protect them. For a system to be acceptable as a home computer to the average user who doesn't want to be a system admin it will have to give the user the ability to install software as root/administrator. And that's all that's required for most viruses. A user that's willing to launch an attachment and say 'Yeah, install that.'
Posted by: PA-ITGuy   Posted on: 04/04/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

How many times to we have to worry about Worms/Viruses  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
Do you honestly believe...  PA-ITGuy | 04/04/05
this virus/worm code does NOT EXECUTE IN LINUX  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
NWOR  PA-ITGuy | 04/04/05
I hear Jack Nicholson....  Xunil_Sierutuf | 04/04/05
No You Just Have to Worry About Your Linux Worms!  kdaulton | 04/04/05
When someone makes one  jrepin | 04/04/05
can anyone say rootkit  net2dave | 04/04/05
Only if..  Patrick Jones | 04/04/05
sorry... try again  kergan | 04/04/05
Foot in Mouth  golowenow | 04/04/05
this virus/worm code does NOT EXECUTE IN LINUX  dogman01@... | 04/04/05
We heard the same thing  lengua99 | 04/05/05
Maybe they will...  PA-ITGuy | 04/05/05
I believe...  Patrick Jones | 04/04/05
So that would mean...  PA-ITGuy | 04/04/05
No..  Patrick Jones | 04/04/05
common end-user installation  net2dave | 04/04/05
No, I don't..  Patrick Jones | 04/04/05
Point taken  PA-ITGuy | 04/04/05
Root Schmoot  osreinstall | 04/04/05
User accounts  Linux User 147560 | 04/04/05
I would image just in case of hard drive failure.  osreinstall | 04/04/05
RAID  Linux User 147560 | 04/04/05
There is still a single point of failure  Hugh Jass | 04/04/05
Very Recent  osreinstall | 04/04/05
Imaging is a WinBlows solution  lengua99 | 04/05/05
Whatever you say Marc  osreinstall | 04/05/05
A subtle difference  Sxooter_z | 04/04/05
A good, active,  bony tryan | 04/04/05
FWIW  PA-ITGuy | 04/04/05
No worries on Linux  jrepin | 04/04/05
Linux is not the all inculsive answer.  djcanter | 04/04/05
quick books  Sxooter_z | 04/04/05
QuickBooks  djcanter | 04/04/05
Here..  Patrick Jones | 04/04/05
Quickbooks alternatives..  widge_z | 04/04/05
and to think all the CPA firms i work with...  Monkey_MCSE | 04/04/05
No problem runing bussines with Linux  jrepin | 04/04/05
HERE HERE!!!  mdsmedia | 04/04/05
Agreed and NEVER will be  golowenow | 04/04/05
never used a Mac recently have you?  Monkey_MCSE | 04/04/05
I know I shouldn't feed the troll, but  whogoesthere | 04/04/05
First off  lengua99 | 04/05/05
there are lots of Applications for Linux  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
Linux is not the all inculsive answer.  richdave | 04/04/05
Linux provides all the computing needs  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
Did you try to use  lengua99 | 04/05/05
What ???  GetReal-mac.com | 04/04/05
*cough Lion, Slapper cough* (NT)  Loverock Davidson | 04/04/05
Lion and Slapper?  Zogg | 04/04/05
The answer is ten!  cdgoldin | 04/04/05
The switch to Linux saved at least 35%  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
RE: The answer is ten!  Linux User 147560 | 04/04/05
How many times...?  Wolfie2K3 | 04/04/05
So we should all switch to Linux?  strask | 04/05/05
Don't be silly.  TysonZwicker | 04/15/05
From on insecure MS application to another..!  Xunil_Sierutuf | 04/04/05
Mac OSX!  Reverend MacFellow | 04/04/05
RE: Mac OSX!  richdave | 04/04/05
What is this "great" OS  T25 | 04/04/05
Re:What is this "great" OS  richdave | 04/04/05
Linux viruses hardly exist because:  osreinstall | 04/04/05
RE: Linux viruses hardly exist because:  Linux User 147560 | 04/04/05
I knew you would post to this.  osreinstall | 04/04/05
Set a trap, eh?  Hugh Jass | 04/04/05
Not what I was driving at  osreinstall | 04/04/05
IM Worm's  southern 2 | 04/04/05
This is interesting  Linux User 147560 | 04/04/05
Windows Viruses/Worms can cost you $90,000  matrixdomain | 04/04/05
Yeah yah..  Wolfie2K3 | 04/04/05
LOL!!! Hysterical!  whogoesthere | 04/04/05
Why don't you Linux freaks go crawl in ur box and hide?  zookeeperz@... | 04/04/05
I use w2k as well  JasonL31 | 04/04/05
"downgrade"?  CobraA1 | 04/05/05
I do not use MSN - so nope, not a worry here  JasonL31 | 04/04/05
ms biggest problem  JasonL31 | 04/04/05
IM Virus  soulcircus | 04/04/05
this worm did some things I tell you  Sakkara1331 | 04/05/05
Bounty on Virus writers and other malicious software creators  patrickthered | 04/05/05
You said it!  Roger Ramjet | 04/05/05
Shoot the Messenger  Songirl15@... | 04/05/05
What about other clients?  jcgcompute | 04/06/05
Well we all knew it was comeing  jwick | 04/14/05

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement
  • Smart Tech Expert advice on innovations in healthcare and the green technologies that make it happen. Find out more
  • Smart Business Discussion and advice on management issues that revolve around making your world smarter and more useful. More Smart Advice
  • Smart People The best and worst moves in the management and strategy trenches. Learn More