Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

rubicon · 10-05-2003, 01:45 PM

The "monoculture" and security articles have dominated the IT news last week. I think the points made about Windows are accurate.

What the article doesn't speak to is the virus writer. How many of those 40,000 Windows viruses are actually "well written" programs? I get the feeling that many of the Windows viruses, especially the macro viruses, are propogated by script kiddies. As long as there's a kid with a misanthropic attitude and loads of free-time, easy-to-write viruses will continue.

Linx may be easier to use today, but is it any easier to write programs for? Since there is no Visual Basic for Applications in Linux, there is no easy way to write viruses, thus why would the script kiddies bother? They'd actually have to _know_ something about C and the Linux kernel. That would be too much bother and wouldn't leave enough time for l33t and fragging noobs.

10-05-2003, 01:45 PM	#12 (permalink)
rubicon Stop. Think. Question. Location: Redondo Beach, CA	The "monoculture" and security articles have dominated the IT news last week. I think the points made about Windows are accurate. What the article doesn't speak to is the virus writer. How many of those 40,000 Windows viruses are actually "well written" programs? I get the feeling that many of the Windows viruses, especially the macro viruses, are propogated by script kiddies. As long as there's a kid with a misanthropic attitude and loads of free-time, easy-to-write viruses will continue. Linx may be easier to use today, but is it any easier to write programs for? Since there is no Visual Basic for Applications in Linux, there is no easy way to write viruses, thus why would the script kiddies bother? They'd actually have to _know_ something about C and the Linux kernel. That would be too much bother and wouldn't leave enough time for l33t and fragging noobs. __________________ How you do anything is how you do everything. Last edited by rubicon; 10-05-2003 at 01:48 PM..