[Fedora] Seeing input on Securing the Linux system from intrusions and attacks.

Ed Greshko Ed.Greshko at greshko.com
Sun Dec 30 09:53:55 UTC 2007


Tim wrote:
> On Sun, 2007-12-30 at 08:03 +0800, Ed Greshko wrote:
>> It was more than a year ago when I attempted to install a Windows 2000
>> system directly connected to the internet.  In fact, before the system
>> was fully updated with security patches it had been compromised.  I
>> didn't time it, but it certainly was less than 30 minutes. 
> 
> That happened to a friend of mine.  It was something like four seconds
> after connecting to his ISP he got infected, despite my warnings about
> putting a firewall on first.  He didn't think he'd need it, he had
> anti-virus software installed, and thought nothing could happen that
> quickly, despite my assurances to the contrary.
> 
> To make matters worse, he couldn't remove the infection - his anti-virus
> software didn't stop the infection, and wouldn't remove it.  So he
> reformatted and re-installed.  An hour or so later he reconnected, and
> got infected just the same way, and in just a few seconds, and couldn't
> undo the damage (the virus was better at protecting itself than Windows
> was).  I nearly fell off the chair laughing at him.

As a side note, the damage was irreversible here as well.  Reformat,
reinstall.  Interesting exercise nonetheless.  I'm not sure why anyone sane
person would have done it a second time.  :-)




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