On Sun, 18 May 2008 14:22:26 +0100 (BST) Srdjan Todorovic todorovic.s@googlemail.com allegedly wrote:
The think that gets me is that although Windows boxen are allegedly easier to break into, I feel they don't really offer much in terms of power after you break into them. A Unix-like system wil probably offer more power to a cracker. Anyone have experience of this? What kind of tools does Windows malware install? And what tools does Linux malware install?
I'm sorry, but that depends entirely on what you mean by power. Do some research on botnets.
The really scary part about windows machines at the end of always on high bandwidth DSL connections is the damage they can do when harnessed in bots of tens of thousands in size. They have enough power to completely hose most ISP backbone connections let alone one or two hosts.
And I only pick on windows machines because of their prevalance in the market. MS has done a good job of putting standardised (I use the word advisedly) easy to use systems into the hands of users who don't have to care how the systems work. Given this huge monoculture in relatively unskilled hands it is hardly surprising that infection is easy to spread.
Current incarnations of viruses and trojans are now used not by script kiddy types, but by serious organised crime groups interested in money. You want to take down Amazon? Hire a botnet. You want to extort money from a commercial website? Hire a botnet. You want to send 100 million spam emails? Hire a botnet.
And without wishing to get into any sterile argument about the prevalence or otherwise of linux (or MacOS) viruses or trojans, the main thing protecting us at the meoment is that we are a minority. Why bother to write a complex piece of software to compromise a very few Linux desktops when the real money is in windows.
Mick
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