[clug] Anti-Virus Software

[Ivan Lazar Miljenovic]

Sam Couter <sam at couter.id.au> writes:

> Ivan Miljenovic <ivan.miljenovic at gmail.com> wrote:
>> greater in-built security (since hardly anyone
>> uses root as their day-to-day account)
>
> This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions with regards to Linux
> security.
>
> root only owns system files like installed software. That can be
> replaced off any old install CD. You're probably running your browser
> with the same user privileges as all your really important stuff, like
> your photos, documents, source code, projects, etc. That's the data
> that's valuable, and it's most vulnerable.
>
>> + fewer random exes to download
>> and execute in the wild
>
> A function of popularity. If Linux becomes more popular, more random
> software will be available for download, and it will carry random
> malicious payloads. Then we'll have many of the same problems Windows
> systems have.

What I meant was this: with that UnrealIRCd example I gave earlier, in
Gentoo at least it is run as a separate user by default.  As such, it
can't affect your system or your user files.

-- 
Ivan Lazar Miljenovic
Ivan.Miljenovic at gmail.com
IvanMiljenovic.wordpress.com