Writing Viruses

[mbigboss21]

i was about to say i think theres more viruses on windows cause people dont like Bill Gates

[Monica]

It's not because OF Microsoft that there are viruses on the Windows OS.

It's because OF the USERS. Inexperienced Windows users are susceptible to such malicious objects.

[bigfish]

but with linux being open source anybody making viruses for it has all the code there... and can see exactly how to break it...

so it should be easier to make viruses for them..

[AtlasDark]

In theory, yes; however, deploying malware against the most widely used OS will get more exposure than, per se, someone that found out how to remote exploit a specific Linspire distro.

[r-ID]

1) Viruses are not a problem. Viruses are really rare campared to worms. Worm are not virus!!!
2) Every nix is different, and an exploit should be written for every distro. This is the most important reason.
3) Processes with network access in nix does not run as root. WTF do you need to run it as root?
4) fixes for bugs are public at the same day as exploit cames out. And you don't need to wait a few weeks or few months till ms publishes it.
5) Windows is really, really insucure. Try to use windows xp with default configuration and with network access for 1 day If you have an external ip you will get atleast 5 different worms. By the information of one site, it takes less than 5 minutes to get windows compromized in such case.
6) I do remember old windows xp privilege management. You run a program who starts a service, and all services gets SYSTEM provileges, even if you run a program as Guest. What kind of privilege management is that?
7) How to secure windows: None of antivirus software protects you! None. I was using 2 most popular antivirus software for few months and my system was compromized. Firewall is the solution! i used firewall for 3 years without any antivirus software, and my system was secure. You just have to configure it right: enable communication with ISP and to give access to the programs you are using, irc client, browser etc. every else including stupid requests to 137 135, pings and other should be disabled. Find a program which informs you about every packet.

[YayPython]

1) Viruses are not a problem. Viruses are really rare campared to worms. Worm are not virus!!!
2) Every nix is different, and an exploit should be written for every distro. This is the most important reason.
3) Processes with network access in nix does not run as root. WTF do you need to run it as root?
4) fixes for bugs are public at the same day as exploit cames out. And you don't need to wait a few weeks or few months till ms publishes it.
5) Windows is really, really insucure. Try to use windows xp with default configuration and with network access for 1 day If you have an external ip you will get atleast 5 different worms. By the information of one site, it takes less than 5 minutes to get windows compromized in such case.
6) I do remember old windows xp privilege management. You run a program who starts a service, and all services gets SYSTEM provileges, even if you run a program as Guest. What kind of privilege management is that?
7) How to secure windows: None of antivirus software protects you! None. I was using 2 most popular antivirus software for few months and my system was compromized. Firewall is the solution! i used firewall for 3 years without any antivirus software, and my system was secure. You just have to configure it right: enable communication with ISP and to give access to the programs you are using, irc client, browser etc. every else including stupid requests to 137 135, pings and other should be disabled. Find a program which informs you about every packet.

1) Okay.
2)What? How's that a reason? lol
3)I think that's a contradiction there.
4) I know, that's awesome. That's a very good thing about Linux.
5) My computer has no antivirus software, default configuration, and no viruses/worms. Do you have proof to that statement?
6) That's another thing wrong with Windows. Also, installers have complete control.
7) Yeah, try explaining that to the majority of computer illiterate Windows users.

[AtlasDark]

Reason 2 was valid due to the fact that every distro makes modifications to the stock kernel - why do you think Linux is ubiquitous, rather than just a consolidated OS? It's because the system itself is open-source and subject to modification and rerelease.

[Tentra]

but with linux being open source anybody making viruses for it has all the code there... and can see exactly how to break it...

so it should be easier to make viruses for them..

This also allows anyone in the world to help fix bugs and vulnerabilities instead of a small development team.

The efforts almost cancel out between the two groups (Virus writers and OS devs). So its not that big of a deal.

[haha01haha01]

It's not because OF Microsoft that there are viruses on the Windows OS.

It's because OF the USERS. Inexperienced Windows users are susceptible to such malicious objects.

This.
A very basic rule in security\hacking is that the user is always the biggest vulnerability of a system.

[AtlasDark]

Problem: Computer not functioning normally
Solution: Remove end user