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Re: [PLUG] Windows security -- Was: X11 server for Windows
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windows server guis are easy to use
active directory works fine for te enterprise
finally have some decent scripting available.
AND MOST IMPORTANT
i can train/teach a windows admin cheap
deficiencies are overcome by manpower.
we expect to work one sunday a month at 2 am TO INSTALL PATCHES!!!
Ron Kaye Jr
914-7294734
Aug 22, 2010 01:26:23 PM, plug@lists.phillylinux.org wrote:
>Art,
>
>I absolutely agree with you overall, but some comments:
>
>> In my experience, Windows greatest vulnerability is its preference for
>
>> complexity where simplicity would do a better job. I don't think this
>
>> is a matter of poor engineering so much as the difficult goal of
>> satisfying both users and marketers.
>>
>Yes, I prefer to see simple solutions to simple problems, and
>ideally even simple solutions to complex problems. The last
>resort is a complex solution to a complex problem. Too many
>Microsoft solutions are complex solutions to simple problems.
>This IS poor engineering.
>
>> In order to make Windows easier to use and to include some whiz-bang
>> features in its application products, MS creates some intentional
>> security holes.
>>
>> For example, even though I may not have permissions to a certain
>> directory, an instance of Outlook which I run may have permissions to
>> write to it. Contrast that with Linux aged my processes do not have
>> greater permissions than I have directly.
>>
>Good point, but bad example. It is common practice in Unix/Linux
>for you to be able to run a program that has more privileges than
>you do directly. See:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setuid
>
>--Fred
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>Fred Stluka -- mailto:fred@bristle.com -- http://bristle.com/~fred/
>Bristle Software, Inc -- http://bristle.com -- Glad to be of service!
>Open Source: Without walls and fences, we need no Windows or Gates.
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>Art Alexion wrote:
>>
>> In my experience, Windows greatest vulnerability is its preference for
>
>> complexity where simplicity would do a better job. I don't think this
>
>> is a matter of poor engineering so much as the difficult goal of
>> satisfying both users and marketers.
>>
>> In order to make Windows easier to use and to include some whiz-bang
>> features in its application products, MS creates some intentional
>> security holes.
>>
>> For example, even though I may not have permissions to a certain
>> directory, an instance of Outlook which I run may have permissions to
>> write to it. Contrast that with Linux aged my processes do not have
>> greater permissions than I have directly.
>>
>> Add to that, the fact that in order to create some of these backdoors,
>
>> MS engineers had to create a system that was more complex than
>> otherwise necessary, and complex systems tend to be more vulnerable
>> than simpler systems.
>>
>> --
>> Art Alexion
>>
>> On Aug 19, 2010 1:24 PM, "Edmond Rodriguez" <erodrig97.list@gmail.com
>> <mailto:erodrig97.list@gmail.com>> wrote:
>> > On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 5:05 PM, JP Vossen <jp@jpsdomain.org
>> <mailto:jp@jpsdomain.org>> wrote:
>> >
>> >> "Microsoft Tax" = the additional hardware & yearly
>fees for the add-on
>> >> software required tlo protect Windows from its own poorly designed
>and
>> >> implemented self, while the overhead incidentally flattens Moore's
>Law.
>> >
>> > I am all for Linux and have been using it almost exclusively. I have
>> > used XP quite a bit.
>> >
>> > At a Central meeting once I brought the Windows vulnerability thing
>up
>> > and asked what some of the vulnerabilities were. I know there is all
>> > the buffer overrun stuff that comes up all the time. I sometimes get
>> > security advisories in email similar to the buffer stuff for Linux
>> > software. Don't most of the problems come from people trying to
>trick
>> > users into running various exe files or installing software?
>> >
>> > I ask the question, if Linux were as highly used as Windows, would
>we
>> > feel threatened? Would people write software to try and trick us
>> > (especially a novice user)? Like trying to run some binary file from
>> > some web dialog box made to look like a system dialog box or other
>> > trickery to get an exe to run.
>> >
>> > One person responded that a major problem with Windows vulnerabilities
>> > is that many people run as administrator by default. I never thought
>> > of that before, but it does seem true.
>> >
>> > So I guess I am wondering, other than it's popularity causing
>people
>> > to want to do harm, what are the major vulnerabilities of Windows?
>> > How much of the vulnerability is because of it's popularity (not
>> > design) as compared to Linux?
>> >
>> > Again, I prefer Linux, and it's performance and ease, but that
>is
>> > another topic.
>> >
>> >
>> > Edmond
>> >
>> ___________________________________________________________________________
>> > Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
>> > Announcements -
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>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> ___________________________________________________________________________
>> Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
>> Announcements -
>target="_blank">http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
>> General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
>>
>___________________________________________________________________________
>Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
>Announcements -
>target="_blank">http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
>General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
>
___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
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