Personally I would use a Linux box because if a hole is found you can bet its
fixed soon and at least have option of using latest nightly etc to update to
and fix the hole. I can't say the same for Microfsoft's 1 month patch cycle
which keeps me open to hole or forces me to disable a service or feature just
to be conforted a little until they get around to it. Yes I agree no OS is
safe, depends on the user and how much effort they put into configuring it and
patching it on time. All OSs in general can be considered unsafe unless they
are properly setup. Yes some are more safe out of the box, but most have
uneeded services as you said that can be the different of being safe and being
owned.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Schmehl" <pauls@utdallas.edu>
To: full-disclosure@lists.grok.org.uk
Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] What is wrong with schools these days?
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:26:55 -0500
CrYpTiC MauleR wrote:
All you had to say was Microsoft =oP
That's hilarious. The number one defaced website OS is Linux.
(See Zone-H.org if you don't believe me.)
The number one problem I have here is unix boxes. You know why?
Because a lot of open-source bozos run around claiming unix is more
secure than Windows. So a lot of clueless people think that, if
they just set up a RedHat box, they won't have anything to worry
about.
Ask them what that little red ball with the X in it is - you know -
the one flashing up there in the taskbar- and they'll say I dunno.
No OS is secure by default. No OS can remain secure if it's not
properly configured and maintained. Look at your box right now.
How many of you have inetd or xinetd running? Why? What services
does it provide that you need? Do you even know what chargen or
rpc.statd is? If not, why are they running (if they are)? How many
of you have a workstation running with more than just ssh enabled
and *no* firewall running?
You name the OS, and I can tell you of at least one incident of
hacking. We haven't had a Windows box hacked in a long time. The
last five were two Macs and three RedHat boxes. Does that mean
Macs and RedHat are insecure? NO! It means, until the general
public understands the problem and knows what the solution is,
hacking will continue apace with no sign of letting up.
The real problem is ignorance.
-- Paul Schmehl (pauls@utdallas.edu)
Adjunct Information Security Officer
The University of Texas at Dallas
http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/security/
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