Full Disclosure mailing list archives
RE: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux
From: "Edward W. Ray" <support () mmicman com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 07:32:33 -0800
What the MS marketing machine fails to understand is that it is easier (IMHO) to make Linux more secure. Pardon me while I illustrate with a personal example: I bought Red Hat v7.1 in April 2001. Having no experience with the OS, I was able to get it up and running rather easily. As I added functionality (DNS, e-mail, SSH, HTTP) I was greeted with a helpful user community and a plethora of on-line documentation on how to make each service more secure, i.e. djbdns instead of bind, postfix instead of sendmail as well as other tools and ideas. I finally bit the bullet a few months a go and hardened my kernel with SELinux. With the exception of the NSA having access, I believe I have a more secure stable system. And I learned a lot from my Linux experience. I have been experimenting with Windows 2003 for about six months now. My goal is to IPSec encrypt my LAN traffic. This can be done, but you would not know it from the conflicting knowledge base articles on the MS web site. Tech support was little help either. Every time I got into a network bind, their solution was to "rebuild." Each time I was able to fix the issue with little or no help from tech support. The supposed "experts", otherwise known as MVPs in the MS newsgroups, were useless. They know the GUI, but they haven't a clue about the code and how it works. From my knowledge of IPSec gleaned from other sources (Linux and OpenBSD user groups and documentation, IPSec newsgroups) I was able to figure out my issues and get it to work properly. My conclusion is this; for a newbie willing to learn and concerned about security and stability, Linux represents a better solution than the unknown that is MS Windows. Other than upgrades from RH v7.1 to v7.3 to 9.0, I have had to reboot the system three times in the past 2.5 years. I just rebooted all of my Windows machines for the umpteenth time last night. Maybe if MS marketing would have let ICF enabled by default instead of Messenger, and Automatic Updates enabled instead of File Sharing, home as well as pro users would have a lot less grief. My $0.02 (and then some). Edward W. Ray SANS GCIA, GCIH, GCFW -----Original Message----- From: full-disclosure-admin () lists netsys com [mailto:full-disclosure-admin () lists netsys com] On Behalf Of Helmut Hauser Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 5:54 AM To: full-disclosure () lists netsys com Subject: [Full-disclosure] Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux And another Halloween from MS, this time a bit too late this year ... http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/11/11/HNmsassault_1.html Hmm today is patch day for Windows or should we call it "Day of Risk" ?! just my 0.002 cents, Helmut Hauser Systemadministration EDV _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
Current thread:
- Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Helmut Hauser (Nov 12)
- RE: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Edward W. Ray (Nov 12)
- Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Valdis . Kletnieks (Nov 12)
- Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Jason Coombs (Nov 12)
- Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Georgi Guninski (Nov 12)
- Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Jeremiah Cornelius (Nov 12)
- Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Gadi Evron (Nov 12)
- [Full-Disclosure] why commcerical software *could* be better [WAS: Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux] Gadi Evron (Nov 12)
- Re: [Full-Disclosure] why commcerical software *could* be better [WAS: Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux] Jeremiah Cornelius (Nov 12)
- Re: [Full-Disclosure] why commcerical software *could* be better [WAS: Re: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux] vb (Nov 12)
- Re: why commcerical software *could* be better Gadi Evron (Nov 12)
- Re: why commcerical software *could* be better vb (Nov 12)
- RE: Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux Edward W. Ray (Nov 12)