[wellylug] Re: Microsoft FUD at work (Linux fud too?)

[Wellington Assassin]

Afternoon List,

I think a few realities have to be seeked out here...

1) Open source is not more secure than microsoft. Take away the worms
that caused major havoc because certain MCSE +I's failing to run a
simple patch (flipside, apache / openssl worms anyone?), more linux /
UNIX boxes are hacked / cracked / DOS'd each day than any other OS.
Open source does have a down side. Bugs are found, exploited and NOT
disclosed as much as people would like to think. A couple of prime
examples of this are the SSHD and Apache bugs discovered during 2002.
However, linux and open source allows more flexability within your
business. You are not bound to 'dirty' license agreements, but more
flexable agreements for your business. You have the ability to
customise software to fit your companies needs. And naturally, there
are steps one can take as with any platform for improved security.  

2) If its "0day" and public, chances are it's been known to private
individuals for at least a year. 

3) Most banking servers (talking web / exposed servers not AIX boxes
in the background) still run on NT4 / NT2000. Why? Patched microsoft,
and properly maintained microsoft is solid and secure. 

4) GNU is not UNIX. You would have to hire a linux geek, not a UNIX
geek ;) 

5) Support. We need to point out to people asking the question of
linux in business different support options. This is a companies
infrastructure they are playing with, not a home desktop machine. 

If you read this and think "My Lord! He's a windows advicate" please
reread and rethink the above content, however, a certain reality that
many Linux users / groups / companies around the world are looking
past, is that not all businesses are in a postition to take the plunge
into open source. Not to mentain, Linux itself is only just touching
on being a solid, reliable business tool. 

My $1.25 worth.

--------------------------------------------
http://www.rapturesecurity.com

"You have zero privacy anyway-get over it." 
Scott McNealy, CEO, Sun Microsystems 


--- In wellylug at yahoogroups.com, Ilia Pavlenko <ip at g...> wrote:
> 
> 
> On Wed, 4 Dec 2002, Shroeder wrote:
> 

> The only protected system is an unplugged/powered off :)
> If you read some "1337 SITEZ" (boy cracker sites) you'll notice that
some
> of them are proud of "Zero day crackz" - the software gets cracked
on the
> day of release. The good point in Open Source is "Zero day fixes" -
the
> patch usually comes up almost instantly after vulnerability
announcement.
> 
> 
> Comparing with reports about micros~1 holes: a lot of the reports
mention
> something like "this vulterability has been pointed to microsoft 2
month
> ago, but no reply was received and still no patch available".
> 
> Yes, your business will have to maintain virus and security
protection
> independently of OS you run. Ignorance is not an excuse :)
> 
> The difference is that instead of that MSC* boy you'll have to
employ
> a proper Unix Geek :)
> 
> Ilia
> 
> 


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