From: Edmund Blackadder (edmund_at_helmug.gr)
Date: Sun Oct 10 2004 - 14:36:15 PDT
On 10 Oct 2004, at 22:21, Martin Joseph wrote:
>
> On Oct 10, 2004, at 10:58 AM, Edmund Blackadder wrote:
>> I cannot see a virus outbreak for OS X, or any *nix, in general...
>
> Try opening your eyes.
Right open :-)
>
> With the advent of Unix for the masses (AKA OSX/Linux) you will most
> certainly see exploitation of these "secure" system at the user level.
But as i tolf in another thread few days before.. It is not the
popularity of Windows that makes everyone write virii for them.
The majority of servers in this world run some flavour of Unix.. yet,
they are more secure than Windows servers.
>
> In addition to that, there are many vulnerabilities discovered yearly
> for Unixes including serious buffer overflow issues much like the
> windows ones (less frequent admittedly) that can allow remote root
> access.
All OSes have vulnerabilities. NO OS is secure. BUT Windows have faaaar
too many :-). Ask anyone with a computer science degree.. Windows are
insecure fundamentally.
>
> There is NO DOUBT that there will be virus problems for any Unix like
> system that achieves a certain mass of users.
There is a lot of doubt actually...
>
> With regard to script kiddies, ever hear of Applescript?
Of course.. BUT again... Applescript is fundamentally different form
VB. VB is a huge security risk. Applescript not. If you study the
technology of each.. you will understand why..
The fact is: I run my OS X machine with virtually no protection. I had
no incident of malware. My girlfriend runs her Wintel box with all
kinds of protection. She takes care not to open attachments mails etc.
And still gets infected with malware.
If you like to think that in the future Unix will be as insecure as
Windows..thats fine.. But you will dissapointed cause this will not
happen :-)
It is like saying "The Ferraris have fewer engine failures cause they
are not produced in mass numbers, when the Ferraris will be produced in
mass numbers, they will have a engine failure similar to KIA". :-)
And a reminder. It is not a mac-Win issue. It is a Unix-Win issue...
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