-=> MARK LEWIS wrote to MARTIN ATKINS <=-

MA>> I welcome input from anyone regarding security but before you
MA>> put in your two penny worth could you at least do a little
MA>> research an not waste my time.

ML>> research on what? i gave examples of critters that move and
ML>> infect without using SPAM as their avenue of attack... i'm making
ML>> that point because you specifically are limiting your statements
ML>> to SPAM and how you dump it in the trash... my point is that SPAM
ML>> is only one avenue of infection... there are others that are
ML>> already being exploited and i'm positive there are a whole passel
ML>> of others just waiting to be discovered...

MA> You have given me exploits that only infect the Windows
MA> environment.

ML> yeah? so? not knowing your level of expertise, i reached into the hat
ML> that most would know... besides, it is not their target that i was
ML> expounding on but their method of egress and expansion...

That's true. One of the reasons Windows is vulnerable is because it 
is homogeneous. Most Windows users will probably be using IE and
Outlook Express, it makes them an easy target.

MA> They only infect the local machine as far as i know. Charles
MA> has said that by operating as root when using Linux i am a
MA> danger to other internet users.

ML> yes... take one of the above types of critters and it'll be using your
ML> system, connection and bandwidth to attack others with...

You keep saying this stuff but how are Windows viruses going to
take over a Linux operating system? Do you have a documented instance?

MA> The research you need to do is what if any exploits i am
MA> liable to fall foul of by operating as root in the Linux
MA> environment and in what way they would make me a menace
MA> to other internet users.

ML> any time there is a chance that you may be more open to infiltration
ML> one must be extremely wary... there's no telling what some hacker may
ML> stumble upon while developing win oriented critters... IIRC, there are
ML> some critters that can get on to other OS' but whether they do any
ML> damage is another matter... i know for a fact that some 16bit win
ML> critters have been known to get in to OS/2 systems and infect files but
ML> that was the extent of their activity... they never got executed once
ML> in... their infection was done getting in and then stopped there...

I fail to see what this has to do with operating as root when i use 
Linux.

MA> You may wish to follow this in the Linux echo as taking
MA> up Charles's challange i have thrown my hat in the ring. ;)

ML> that is quite alright... i'm tired of all the petty bickering,
ML> bitching, whining and crying... i'm about to start turning off echos so
ML> that i can read something that actually interests me and that i can
ML> enjoy... LINUX is one of those things but i'll shut it down, too, if
ML> that mess starts up in there...

The Fido is a public forum. If you express a view in a public forum it 
is best you first learn to take criticism

ML> once again, some of this comes from not knowing your level of
ML> expertise... your "sudden" appearance and the level at
which "you"
ML> "speak" can put others on "edge"... in other
words, many have seen a
ML> lot of inexperianced folk come out of no where espousing that there is
ML> no harm from doing such'n'such when, in fact, there can actually be
ML> real harm...

What harm? Unless you can specify what harm i have done, your 
observations are just speculations. You have not yet pointed out to me
what could really go wrong. You are attributing Windows weaknesses to
a Linux system.

L8r. :)
 
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.46