trojan problem

[Mike Kenny]

>
> i don't know about the latest MS-windows versions but in the past
> the difference between admin (root) and normal users was non-existing
> in MS-windows, which is one reason that viruses can take down a whole
> MS-windows machine
>
> in linux there has always been a very strict difference between root
> and normal users, if a user would come across a virus it would not take
> control over the whole machine
>

If you are using a windoze box at home for internet, then to be secure you
should create a non-admin account that you use. This should (I am no expert
on this) give a decent level of security. The security problem arises after
about the twentieth time that you have had to close all of your apps, logout
and log back in again to execute some command or install that requires admin
privileges and then repeat the whole process again to get back to who you
were.

Eventually people will either give themselves admin privileges or just sign
in as Administrator. This does not happen so much on linux partly because
linux users probably have a better understanding of the dangers but mainly
IMO, because of the availability of su, sudo and the GUI equivalents.

So we don't get hit by viruses or trojans as frequently, not because linux
is inherently more secure (which I believe it is) and not because we are
such superior computer users, but because it is easier for us to obey the
rules.

mike
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