cross-platform virus

[John]

Sasha Tsykin wrote:
> Pete Ryland wrote:
> 
>> On Sun, Apr 09, 2006 at 12:05:13 +1000, Sasha Tsykin wrote:
>>
>>> I disagree, it is a very likely future.
>>
>>
>> I meant the existence of trojans like this, and that they will be
>> successful.  Technical users will be savvy enough to avoid them, and 
>> regular
>> non-technical users are not likely to be sudo-ing to root often enough.
>>
>> I too am pretty certain Linux will have a bigger and bigger place on
>> people's desktops in the future.
>>
>> Pete
>>
> Technical users are savvy enough, but not careful enough often. I know 
> btoh windows and Linux very well, and yet I managed to get hit by 
> viruses in windows more often then my completely non-technical mum 
> because I was careless, and installed things without scanning them etc.

Both Windows users and Linux users are vulnerable to trojans. Anytime I 
download stuff for either, I accept there's some risk.

I prefer to get my Linux stuff from my vendor, from recognised add-ons 
for my distro, and sometimes from well-knowmn other sources (eg Adobe), 
but it's not always possible.

Sometimes, it's necessary to go to a driver site such as madwifi.org, or 
other repository or source such as sourceforge, freshmeat, or to a 
project site such as conmicro.cx/hercules  (before Hercules becaume 
well-known). One presumes that sourceforge, fresmeat and the like would 
quickly drop an "evil" project.

The choices for Windows software are different, and dominated more by 
trialware, shareware and other wares sans source, the user base less 
technical, more likely to consume and not notice the poison, so one 
needs to be more precautious or more desperate.

Heck, even Sony's been known to root (anyway you like) users' systems.



> 
> It is true that non-technical users are unlikely to be sudoing, however 

??
Here's my flash new password management system, guaranteed to protect 
against all Internet nasties.
Just download from <here>, click "run," and enter your psssword when 
prompted, click "Ok."


Gotcha.




> there is a middle group who know enough to keep their system up to date 
> but don't knwo enough to be careful for a virus, or fix it if they're 
> caught with one. If they keep their system up to date then they will be 
> sudoing at least once a week.

Mac users are quite used to being asked for their passwords for software 
updates and other aministrivia.