DDos attack (blame Windows users)

[jetter]

Windows and Unix had different design goals.  Windows for a single user and Unix for the network and untrust multi users environment.   Security was always part of Unix.  Linux inherit the design goals of unix.  Windows have improved in security by adopting many of the security features found on Unix.  You know have file permission and user management on Windows vista and Windows 7.  If you always think Windows and Unix has the same level of security then there won't need a need for Windows to adopt any of Unix security scheme.  In another word, linux and unix by default are far far more secure than Windows simply because of the environment and goals these operating came to be.  

I never had a BS in computer science.  But I did take operating system.  I assume your operating system course talk about Windows?  While ours talk about BSD and unix.   Is this why you seem to think every computer is like Windows in terms of security.  I on the other hand compare ever other operating system with unix operating systems.

My bad for assuming you have a bs in cs.  The OS course talks nothing but about unix not even linux; so you can be sure I am not against *nix.  Heck my laptop runs linux, my desktop runs linux, the servers at work run linux, my vps runs linux, I've been running linux since RH 2.0.  I know about linux and where it is use, so you do not have to educate me on that topic.

If everyone were using Linux, we would never have a large scale DDos attack.

Your argument is true about linux and windows now; heck osx runs on *nix; but how does that relate to your original statement when everyone is using linux?  When this happens what then?  Linux will not be targed since everyone is using linux?  What os is the script kiddies/hackers going to play with?

I am just trying to understand your logic here.  I can't seem to understand it except that somehow your mind is set; you are right; thus everyone else is wrong.

if (jbutton says so) {
it is
}
else{
does not matter
}

[jetter]

i remember back in the days me a group of users use to scan linux boxes to find pubs.  Man those were the days, finding open linux pubs and tagging them for the group to release whatever they want.  good time; good times;

but I still don't get jbuttons logic.

[jbutton]

i remember back in the days me a group of users use to scan linux boxes to find pubs.  Man those were the days, finding open linux pubs and tagging them for the group to release whatever they want.  good time; good times;

but I still don't get jbuttons logic.

what are open pubs?  are they open ports? 

Market share can means more attacks.  But it doesn't mean that if Linux has the same market share, it would suffer the same security problems that Windows does.  This is because by nature Linux is more secure.   The old days mac suffer more simply because they were so poorly design in term of security.  It attracted attacks partly because of it is too easy to exploit.  Now there are far more Macs running Mac OS X, yet it is much harder to exploit it.  And so even if people try, the attacks are pretty limited and never the scale that was seen with the old mac operating system.   People simply shift to attack weaker operating systems such as windows.  Even if Linux made up 70 of computers on the market, people will like expolit Windows because it is far easier.  Exploiting Linux on the other hand actually requires a lot more skills.

[jbutton]

Jbuton is so funny.  "by nature"  You talk as if lightning struck the primordial soup and boom linux came about. 

I don't know the right word.  What word do you suggest I use?

[jbutton]

Market share:

the mac users of the 90s were no more stupid than the mac users of today.  In fact, today with the internet everywhere, users are more exposed and more likely to make security mistakes.  The macs of the old days relies on floppies and local apple talk network.  yet, the macs today (running a Unix based operating system) has less security issues than the macs of the 90s (single user system).  a great operating system protects stupid users from themselves (to some extend).  There were virus, trogans, and malware for the old macs but almost none for the new macs.  Why?  Because it's really really hard to write an effective virus for the new macs.  Surely, if it is  market share is all that matter, the new macs should at least have hundreds virus for it like there were for the old mac operating systems.  But there is no known virus that can do much damage on the new macs.

User stupidity:

user's stupidity is even more a thread with shared computers.  you share your Windows pc at home with your siblings.   You can't know what they will do with it. you can't even assume they are smart and will do the right thing when they saw a message like scan your hard drive for virus.  My cousin's little daughter was just playing flash games and barbies online and nude pictures start popping up on their computer.  With Linux, you can feel free about it knowing they could only mess their account, but not the linux installation.  You can even let your sibling act stupid.. be stupid..  of course, if you are stupid, that's another problem.  but I do hope Linux will somewhat protect stupid users with root access from themselves.

we are all glad that Windows have made huge improvement in security.  But there is much is needed.  

[joot]

Every operating system has its flaws...weakne ss....why ?  because it's designed by humans.......

[jbutton]

sun and joot,

You both are right.   but I could imagine how much less DDos attack would be had everyone use Linux.  DDos software still needed to be install on the victim's computer.  This step is a bit harder to do on Linux than on Windows.  Even if users on Linux are stupid, executing a file requires the file having an executable bit set.  But then there are things like ruby script that can download another script and execute it if the user enter the command as told by a wrong doer.  I just feel that stupid users have allow hackers to hijack the internet for spamming to ddos attack.   Linux and unix derivatives are the best options to prevent such thing.