Re: Linux (in)security (Was: Re: Re: No Subject)

[Darren Reed <avalon () caligula anu edu au>]

In some mail from Bassett, Mark, sie said:
> I don't see where this turned into a personal attack vector.  Sure not
> every *nix user knows what they are doing, I never said they did.  All
> I'm saying is that in my experience, most people who run *nix know what
> the hell they are doing.  I'll have you know I patch systems immediately
> (after fully testing the effects of the patch in my lab) If you don't
> agree with my opinion, that's perfectly fine.  The reason 80% of the
> email in full-disclosure goes straight to my trash bin is because of
> ridiculous personal attacks from people like you.  Grow up.

You still don't get it, do you ?

The success or failure of any worm has almost nothing to do with how good
a system administrator is or isn't and has everything to do with how good
the author is.  In this regard, it makes no difference whether they are
written for XP or Linux or Solaris or OpenBSD.  Albeit, with honeypots
and vendors running them professionally, alongside what appears to be very
good community communication in some places, the chance of something
significant happening seems somewhat lessened (and there's no thanks to
DHS in the USA there.)

And no, this isn't a personal attack.  It's more general disbelief
about what you said.  If you take that as a person attack, then that's
your problem.  If you get them too often in your inbox directed at
yourself, or feel like you do, maybe you should think about what that
means.

Darren

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darren Reed [mailto:avalon () caligula anu edu au] 
> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 5:55 PM
> To: Bassett, Mark
> Cc: Paul Schmehl; full-disclosure () lists netsys com
> Subject: Re: Linux (in)security (Was: Re: [Full-disclosure] Re: No
> Subject)
>
> In some mail from Bassett, Mark, sie said:
> > I think something we are also forgetting is that statistically *nix
> > users are people who are computer geeks.  Average joe #1 buys his pc
> > from Best buy pre-loaded with windows XP and has no clue how to
> install
> > it.  Currently vendor pre-loaded *nix machines aren't very popular,
> > which means in order to have linux on your machine, you must
> > download/purchase it and load it yourself.  Most people don't want to
> > mess with the hassle of the whole thing, aside from the fact that it
> > doesn't play new game #1313413.  All this means is that the *typical*
> > *nix user knows what they are doing and therefore knows to keep the
> > machine updated. 
>
> Cripes, just you far down in the sand do some of you have your head ?
>
> If someone discovers a new hole in say IIS plus apache/sendmail, and
> writes a worm/DoS that takes advantage of it, properly, you won't know
> about it until 'every' host on the 'net is infected or it stops.
>
> Darren
>
>
> ************************************************************
> Omaha World-Herald Company computer systems are for business use only.
> This e-mail was scanned by MailSweeper
> ************************************************************
>
> _______________________________________________
> Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
> Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html

_______________________________________________
Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html