RE: bill gates' claim about security vulnerabilities per LOC inUnix versus Windows

From: Cobus Neethling (cobus_at_cknet.co.za)
Date: 11/05/03

  • Next message: Preston, Tony: "RE: Buffer Overflow" 
    To: <secprog@securityfocus.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 08:41:27 +0200

    In stead of raising my own oppinion I am quoting a news item from
    viruslist.com run by Kaspersky Labs. You can find the article online at
    http://www.viruslist.com/eng/index.html?tnews=1008&id=56937

    Here goes...

    VirusList.com Virus Alerts & Virus News. Thursday, October 03, 2002
    ******************************************************************

    1. Linux Gets A Reality Check
    2. How to subscribe/unsubscribe

    ****

    1. Linux Gets A Reality Check
    It may not be a surprise that as Linux diligently plods forward with a 30%
    annual increase in usage it is being targeted more and more by hackers,
    however, what may be a surprise is that Linux is proving to be at least as
    vulnerable as Windows products. While Linux has long basked in its
    reputation as a secure and stable platform, Microsoft's Windows is famously
    maligned for its bugs (what Microsoft terms "issues") and security
    vulnerabilities. It now appears that more than a few, especially virtually
    every proponent of the Linux open source revolution, may owe an apology to
    the Redmond, Washington software "monster", though presumably Bill Gates and
    his team are not holding their collective breath. Seemingly Microsoft's
    biggest crime was its popularity.

    Attacks:
    MI2G reports attacks on Linux is on the rise -
    5,736 attacks in the whole of 2001, but the first half of 2002 already shows
    7,630. While attacks on Windows systems running Microsoft's IIS Web server
    fell by 20 percent, from 11,828 during the first six months of 2001 to 9,404
    over the same period this year. These figures do not include viruses and
    worms.

    Bugs and Vulnerabilities:
    The firm, Internet Security Systems last year, 2001, identified 149 bugs in
    Microsoft software and a surprising 309 for Linux. This year, 2002,
    continues this trend with a whopping 485 bugs attributed to Linux and a more
    sober, but still "way-too-high" 202 for Microsoft. More recent Microsoft
    offerings, such as Windows XP are indeed harder to crack than previous
    Windows products and may also offer a partial reason why Linux is now more
    often a target.

    Notes:
    XP may indeed be more secure than older Windows products, however, it should
    be noted that many networks run older Windows versions as well, thus
    mitigating the security improvement brought by XP.

    Another notable trend is the emergence of hybrid viruses that attack
    multiple platforms. One such example is Nimda, which, besides its preferred
    victim Windows, also managed to infect AS/400 and Solaris machines.

    Statistics and trends aside, the most important thing is that users follow a
    sound security policy and regularly update anti-virus and other security
    software.

    **

    2. How to subscribe/unsubscribe

    If you would like to subscribe to other news blocks or to unsubscribe from
    this news block, you can do so by visiting
    http://www.viruslist.com/eng/maillist.html

    If you experience any problems with this procedure, please contact us at:
    news@kaspersky.com

    ****

    Best of Luck,

    Kaspersky Lab News Agent

    -----
    10 Geroyev Panfilovtcev St., Moscow, 123363, Russia
    Telephone./Facsimile: +7 (095) 948 43 31
    WWW: http://www.kaspersky.com, http://www.viruslist.com
    FTP: ftp://ftp.kasperskylab.ru
    E-mail: info@avp.ru

    Cobus Neethling
    Web Developer
    CKNet Internet Services (PTY) LTD
    Tel: +27 11 314 0171

  • Next message: Preston, Tony: "RE: Buffer Overflow"

    Relevant Pages

    • no audio/video on cnn site
      ... I too, as I expect several million other linux users are also, am not getting ... any audio or video from the news story itself AFTER that ugly, ... with windows falling in popularity by our numbers as people switch to ...
      (Fedora)
    • Linux Security cds (Was Windows XP SP2 and Security Tools)
      ... > to a Linux box on VMware in the DMZ. ... > Are you looking to do pen-testing from a Windows box???? ... Windows XP SP2 and Security Tools ... Up to 75% of cyber attacks are launched on shopping carts, ...
      (Security-Basics)
    • Re: Viruses
      ... understand, basic precautions. ... technically savvy than Windows users, I ... assure you that there are idiots even among Linux geeks. ... the different types of possible attacks. ...
      (rec.photo.digital)
    • RE: bill gates claim about security vulnerabilities per LOC inUnix versus Windows
      ... Linux Gets A Reality Check ... > vulnerable as Windows products. ... > Microsoft terms "issues") and security vulnerabilities. ... > MI2G reports attacks on Linux is on the rise - ...
      (SecProg)
    • Re: Discuss Bill Gates Statement
      ... I'd say windows is *far more* secure than Linux. ... > at this point is way better in terms of how few defects we have. ... So we need to make sure these attacks can't ...
      (comp.os.linux)