Comments for Does Linux really want Windows users?

I only chose to reply because articles like this show how little you, and people like you, really know about technology.

Linux is not a silver bullet that can and will solve every computer issue relating to hackers, exploits, and botnets; to name a few. Windows is the primary target of botnet creators simply because it has the largest userbase! A userbase that is less technically inclined than the average *nix userbase. If everyone moved to *nix you could bet there would be far more exploits in that arena to shift the tide.

Mainly because SPAM is a very very profitable business. That profit motive will keep them exploiting people's computers.

Also, remember the majority of malware that runs these botnets on people's computers got there because people INSTALLED them. Not through some random network exploit, but piggybacking on some seemingly legitimate application. Users won't become any smarter on *nix! Why not? Most people simply DO NOT CARE about computers. The majority of users are NOT geeks like us. They won't care about learning how to master a firewall and determining and application's legitimacy. If they want their smiley faces then they want them!

The sooner we start blaming users and not computers for our lapses in security the better off we will all be...

Next time do us all a favor and write an informed article.

The problem with that statement is that the gains would be short lived, if at all.

Like I said, the problem isn't really the OS or security exploits. The problem, at its root, is users!

The majority of Malware installations occur, like I said, piggybacking on some seemingly legitimate program. If people get a pop up telling them they can install some app that will let them see smiles on their screen or have some silly fish screen saver and they want to install it no level of security by the OS will stop it. The user will get that app installed if they want it installed.

The not running as root architecture makes it safer, but not totally secure. The same can be said about the similar setup used in Windows Vista. Let me continue with the example of the user installing some random smiley pack he saw in some random banner ad. All "secure" OSs will let the application install for startup on that users login (not system wide) and the user might get a prompt related to the OS's firewall. The application will be nice enough to give the user pictures of what to click to enable the proper firewall permissions for incoming and outgoing connection while telling the user it will allow them to get updates. The user lacks the technical knowledge to know which is legitimate or what implications the changes being made will have on his system. The user also doesn't know what to check for to see if the application is operating safely.

One only has to look to Windows to see how fast and simple the best intended security measures can be undermined by users and exploit authors. With Windows XP SP2 MS hardened IE preventing ActiveX controls from running pretty much with free reign. As quickly as they did that almost every ActiveX hosting site, including legitimate and non-legitimate ones, started showing users how to do the two clicks to let their control run. None offered additional information to explain to the user when to accept and when not to. They just told the user "want to get _____ working do this". The same has spilled over to Vista with programs explaining to just hit continue for UAC. As well as just hit unblock for the Windows Firewall.

The root of good network security and the solution to our spam, and similar, problems rely heavily on users. The problem is educating those users is, imho, an impossible task. Simply because once they learn how to protect themselves from A those who profit from this stuff will move on to B and users simply don't care enough to think proactively about the connection from A to B and onward.

So, like I said previously, Linux or any other OS isn't the solution to the problem. If the user wants to install a program no OS can stop them from doing that. As well, the majority of these exploits are legitimately installed by the users! Even the majority of Viruses spread by USERS opening files directly.

People are stupid until proven smart - Me

No offence but people in general are stupid. We hardly think about what we are doing or consider the consequences of our actions. The only way to fix spam is through education. Personaly I think its to late for the current generations we'll have to try and teach our children now so they can grow up with less spam etc.

I my self am guilty of being stupid. I rutinly tell my wife to hit next until it says finnish. I then later whine when she installs toolbars (mysearch google yahoo live they are all annoying) and other bundled guarbage.

As for linux its obvious some distros are geared towards "freeing" windows users. Personaly I think Linux should steer clear of windows users. This goes back to my quote people are stupid. The larger the Linux userbase gets the dumber it gets. Soon the smart users will be so outnumber by stupid ones Distros will have to make changes to keep all the retards. That will make linux more like windows and less like linux and the spammers will find ways to get their bots into every linux pc owned by a stupid person.

Hi Oli,

I'm trying to teach my friends a bit about protecting everybody and themselves from more SPAM... (don't you just love it when they forward a joke or something with your e-mail in TO or CC field, and then somebody else does it again and again...)

So I'd like to know if you could tell me the source of that pie chart showing the percentage and sources of SPAM, please...

Thanks Oli!