Virus!!!

[Shylaja]

This is Shylaja here....

I wud like to get suggestions on the foll query....

Open Source OS(Linux) are prevented from virus whereas other OS like
windows are not .... Wat makes it or wat helps the Open Source to be
so which the Windows lack???

Awaitin Reply....

Thanks in Advance!!!

[CuriousCat]

There are many reasons. Some of them are:

1. The architecture of Unix based OSes (Unix like OSes like Linux etc)
support security on file to file basis and are generally more secured
when it comes to exposure to viruses.
2. Not many virus writers write viruses for linux like systems because
there are not many users of linux so they cannot cause a mass
infection etc.
3. Secondary security measures like Firewalls and stuff also prevent
security issues like viruses.

Windows bases systems on the other hand lacked some of these features
in their earlier systems (right from the days of DOS) and most of the
security issues are inherited in the latest windows releases in order
to maintain the backward compatibility (most likely).

I hope it helps.

Regards,
Abhishek

[Shakthi Kannan]

Hi,

--- On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 10:36 AM, Shylaja <slrs...@gmail.com> wrote:
| Open Source OS(Linux) are prevented from virus whereas other OS like
| windows are not .... Wat makes it or wat helps the Open Source to be
| so which the Windows lack???

\--

Free/Open Source Software is like a double-edged sword.

Even if there are bugs, developers will fix it and provide a patch,
because you have the source code.

Developers have commit access to project repositories, while anyone
can check them out. Even if you one intends to write malicious code,
because one has to provide the source code, people will seldom do so.

When one is honest (source code), you have nothing to hide.

SK

P.S.: Please avoid shorthand and SMS in a mailing list. It is
considered very unprofessional to use it. Please also refer (for a
start):
http://www.shakthimaan.com/downloads/glv/presentations/mailing-list-etiquette.pdf

--
Shakthi Kannan
http://www.shakthimaan.com

[Shylaja Narayanan]

thank u.. .. Info is really helpful

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Shylaja CSE,SASTRA

[Shakthi Kannan]

Hi,

--- On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM, CuriousCat <writet...@gmail.com> wrote:
| 1. The architecture of Unix based OSes (Unix like OSes like Linux etc)
| support security on file to file basis and are generally more secured

\--

Agreed.

---

| 2. Not many virus writers write viruses for linux like systems because
| there are not many users of linux so they cannot cause a mass
| infection etc.

\--

Not necessarily true, IMO. There have been viruses for *nix systems
too. But, because, vulnerabilities are reported, and people have the
source code, they are fixed.

SecLists.org have useful mailing lists:
http://seclists.org/

---

| 3. Secondary security measures like Firewalls and stuff also prevent
| security issues like viruses.

\--

Proprietary systems also have "firewalls" :)

SK

[Mosh]

The most basic principle of 'Computer Security' (for public domains)
is to *publish* the algorithms, wait for criticism, refine the
algorithms and repeat the process ad infinitum. Well, this is an
inadvertent feature of anything that is open source [ NOT free
sources ]. All *nix based OSes are (were) mostly being managed and
fixed in the exact same fashion by zillions of programmers from all
around the world.

Microsoft guys are NOT darn idiots to not be able to come up with good
stuff, just that , it is really hard for a couple of thousands of
programmers to compete with zillions (..and still growing) of
programmers which do stuff on opensource.

Crackers, are not biased either, they will screw up a flaw in any *nix
OS as they would on any Windows system. So the gist is the
'evolution' of *nix OSes out-paces that in any proprietary product.

Highly recommended book: The Cathedral and the Bazaar [http://
catb.org/~esr/writings/homesteading/]

Cheers!!!

[Bhargav kanipakam]

hi shylaja,

                

              to my knowledge open source is a highly secured operating system i mean in open source every thing runs on permissions so even as a virus is a program it should also take the permissions of user so with out the user knowledge it wont run and it cant control the system as it doesnt have the permissions to do so and one more thing is it is very difficult for any virus to get control over kernel so as far as i know this is what the reason why open source is much secured than windows.pls suggest me and correct me if i am wrong.

                                        thanks,

                waiting for suggestions or comments ...

bhargav,

sastra-src