Security Pipeline | News | Survey Finds Linux Hacks Rare

[Price Technology]

On Fri, 2004-08-06 at 00:22, Nifty Hat Mitch wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 29, 2004 at 07:48:09PM -0500, Jeff Vian wrote:
> > On Thu, 2004-07-29 at 19:26, Price Technology wrote:
> 
> > > <URL: http://www.securitypipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=26100437  
> > > >
> > > 
> > > But then, isn't that one of the reasons we use it in the first place ??
> > > 
> > > Joebewan
> 
> > Exactly so!!!
> > 
> > Although I have had one system hacked, it was my own stupidity.
> > Directly connected to the internet with no firewall running and lots of
> > services open for attack.
> 
> This article presents some statistics that show that Linux is more 
> secure to various hacks...
> 
> I wanted to gloat at a couple of levels but that is not in order.
> 
> The vast majority of us are computer literate.  That helps...  and
> alone may cover the fact that so few of the linux boxes had been
> 'hacked'.
> 
> My personal and corp WindowZ boxes (knock on wood) have not had
> trouble but I work at it.  Windows updates are and were a daily
> task... 
> 
> Linux is getting more friendly.  This permits less educated users to
> use it.  As the community grows I suspect our task is to constantly
> improve this tool of ours as well as educate a growing number in how
> to use it safely.
> 
I think you've hit the  nail right on the head.  I too have had no
"hacking" problems on my winders boxes, and as long as my customers
"behave themselves" neither do they for the most part.

I am concerned that when Linux becomes more user friendly and we have a
greater number of less educated users, the statistics may change.

As such we as a community need to do all we can to help new users by
simplifying our explanations and answers.  It doesn't help a newbie much
when we tell him or her to proceed to a command line and / or rewrite a
config file when they're already intimidated enough as it is.  If
there's a gui tool that will get the job done, let's point them that
way.

Joebewan