OFB Community Mailing Lists

[Frank Bax]

Legatus wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 23:02, Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
>> Can Linux be next?
>>
>> Fred
>> ________________
>>
>> Macs will eventually have malware
>>
>> Macs will eventually have malware Adam O'Donnell: Even though a posting
>> that recommended Macs use antivirus was retracted, people who believe
>> that the fundamental design of Macs will prevent them from being an
>> attractive target for viruses are dead wrong.
>>
>> http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=72829769-f09aff1f3240c763b781087d83996fa3-bf&brand=ZDNET&s=5
>>
> Yea, they probably will, but that doesn't mean that it compromises a
> machine. You can't stop stupid users, but you can put them in a cage,
> so they don't affect everyone else using the machine.
> 


If the user enters admin password; then malware  WILL affect everyone 
else by compromising the machine (on any platform).  If the malware 
pretends to be something the user wants; the user WILL enter the 
password.  In a corporate environment, users seldom know admin password; 
but elsewhere security gets in the way of getting the job done; so users 
often know the admin password.

I think that (at the moment) most Linux users know enough not to enter 
the admin password; but if we ever see the year of Linux on desktop; 
that will change.