[NBLUG/talk] Vulnerability of Linux to virus attacks

[Bob Blick]

Steve Bursch wrote:

> My question is this:  if Linux machines were to become the target of
> a concentrated effort to infect them with viruses, how vulnerable
> would these machines be?  As the popularity of Linux increases, it
> seems to me that there would be an increased probability that Linux
> machines would become targets.  Are they vulnerable?  If so, where do
> the vulnerabilities lie?

Linux machines are a target of concentrated attacks. I remember RedHat
6.2 and what a pile of crap that was. Tons of those boxes got rooted.
But Linux today is hella-tough.

Linux machines sitting alone attached to a network are probably less
vulnerable than Windows machines.

I would say the biggest problems are of the pebkac type. There again,
Linux machines are probably less vulnerable because Windows users are
more likely to either be running as admin or to grant admin privileges
to a malware app. Again, a pebkac issue. The lowest common denominator
of users run Windows. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebkac

There have been plenty of studies done on this, and it basically comes
down to "what do you want the answer to be".

Windows is popular. It lowered the bar to computer use. If Linux ever
became more popular than Windows, I probably would no longer be
interested in Linux, because it would have to appeal to people I do not
identify myself with in the slightest. How about you?

Cheerful regards,

Bob