[AusNOG] (bad) cyber security and ideas coming out of the woodwork?!

[phil colbourn]

Sean,

What sort of *nix do you run and in what ways have they been compromised?

Re the AusCERT emails, are you referring to the vulnerability alerts or
actual compromises? If compromises, how do they find out about them?

Phil

On Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 2:12 PM, Sean K. Finn <sean.finn at ozservers.com.au>wrote:

> I have to butt in here, hosting one metric ** tonne of servers, it's the
> *nix ones that get compromised more often than our windows ones. (I know,
> because AusCert sends me emails every time one is compromised.).
>
> The Windows Vs Linux Debate is dead. Both are as bad as one another for
> compromises.
>
> Home users running Windows get targeted, and server farms running *nix get
> targeted just as easily.
>
> Before someone starts bashing the macs-are-safe bandwagon, BSD and Mac OsX
> Servers are just as likely to get attacked / rootkitted / compromised / dial
> home to a botnet.
>
> Having a software dependant package installed on ANY machine that is
> considered the target is just bad karma. It just doesn't work, and unless it
> stays ahead of the pack, the software will be specifically targeted and
> disabled as part of any smart malware attack.
>
> S
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net [mailto:
> ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net] On Behalf Of Mark Newton
> Sent: Thursday, 24 June 2010 1:25 PM
> To: Zane Jarvis
> Cc: ausnog at ausnog.net
> Subject: Re: [AusNOG] (bad) cyber security and ideas coming out of the
> woodwork?!
>
>
> On 24/06/2010, at 12:15 PM, Zane Jarvis wrote:
>
> > If everyone in Australia switches to *NIX (or anything else) then the
> > criminals will just spend more resources targeting that.
>
> You think?  I reckon most botnet operators couldn't care less where
> their targets are physically located, and they'll just keep attacking
> windows boxes in other jurisdictions instead. :-)
>
> (my burglar alarm doesn't prevent my stuff from being stolen, but the
> stickers on the windows make my next door neighbours' houses more
> attractive targets :)
>
> Interesting thought experiment, though.;
>
>  -  mark
>
>
> --
> Mark Newton                               Email:  newton at internode.com.au(W)
> Network Engineer                          Email:  newton at atdot.dotat.org (H)
> Internode Pty Ltd                         Desk:   +61-8-82282999
> "Network Man" - Anagram of "Mark Newton"  Mobile: +61-416-202-223
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Phil

http://philatwarrimoo.blogspot.com
http://code.google.com/p/snmp2xml

"Someone has solved it and uploaded it for free."

"If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to look."

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke - Who does magic today?
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