'Linux Ignored, Not Immune,' Says Hacker Contest Sponsor

[Osiris]

People shouldn't read anything into the fact that of the three laptops set up for last week's 'PWN to OWN' hack challenge, the only one left standing was running Linux,</I> said the security expert who oversaw the contest. "There was just no interest in Ubuntu," said Terri Forslof, manager of security response at 3Com Corp.'s TippingPoint subsidiary, which put up the cash prizes awarded at the contest last week at CanSecWest. "A contest such as this is not a measure of relative security between operating systems. It's not an accurate barometer."

'Linux Ignored, Not Immune,' Says Hacker Contest Sponsor

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

if a fraction of hackers that crack M$ dedicated their time to cracking linux, there would be problems with linux as well.

but hey, patch don't crack the open source right......

 

[alexsabree]

if a fraction of hackers that crack M$ dedicated their time to cracking linux, there would be problems with linux as well.

but hey, patch don't crack the open source right......

You can't compare linux to windows.. its completely different. I get around 100 updates A DAY with linux.. windows? likely 1 every 2-3 weeks. Linux is always changing and if anything is found wrong it gets fixed quickly.

Windows.. meh, it gets updated by maybe a few hundred very talented people. Linux on the other hand, is updated and improved by anybody that wants to help. Talk to anyone that knows much about linux and they could easily explain to you why linux is a far better OS in terms of how it works. But I'm not an expert so "meh"

 

[KSoD]

Windows gets updated every 2nd tuesday of the month. This is the cycle that they have done for a while now. It is jsut easier to roll them out all at once rather than roll out a update today and then another 2 tomorrow then another one the 3rd day. I use Ubuntu and at times find it very annoying that when i am working on something to get a update notice and have to restart in the middle of my work.

But you are right. Linux and Windows are 2 very different beasts. Plus if you are getting 100 updates a day. That is not saying much compared to getting 5 or 10 updates a month. Shows that there is more work to be done on the distro before it should be released rather than pushing it out and getting updates done on the fly.

But that is just my opinion. I am sure that with the 3rd party support with nonfree flash isntalled on the Linux box it could have been hacked jsut as easily as the Windows box since they went thru flash.

 

[alexsabree]

Yeah, no operating system is "immune" to hackers. If ubuntu or OSX was as popular as windows they would be hacked easily too...

I still think ubuntu would perform much better then its competition though. Hey, but if it wasnt for java's bug linux wouldn't have been (possibly) hacked.. its not a fault in the OS, its a fault from the program running on linux. Strip all the OS's to there knees and compare their security. Thats the only real way to test the operating systems security.

 

[KSoD]

Well it was already tested that way. The first day of that contest way just to find a OS flaw. Not a single person tried. All 3 system were left untouched when it came down to jsut OS flaws. So yes Linux fared well on that aspect. But at the same time OS X and VIsta have some tight security on their kernel to prevent a straight up OS hack. But then again so does Linux.

The only dis advantage Linux has is that if a hacker wanted they could get all the source code for the distro they wanted and find the flaws easily.

I love Ubuntu and think it is great. Honestly it has turned me onto Linux. But i am still a hard core Windows guy. Cant help it after so many, many years.

 

[Nitestick]

The only dis advantage Linux has is that if a hacker wanted they could get all the source code for the distro they wanted and find the flaws easily.

in my humble opinion that's actually it's greatest strength. due to all the old software hackers (hack in the general sense) out there tinkering away with the source, potential exploits get found promptly, disclosed and the solution is discussed and implemented. i guess it does pose a problem for those who do not keep an up to date system, being that the flaws have been identified and are well known.

 

[Jayce]

Windows gets updated every 2nd tuesday of the month. This is the cycle that they have done for a while now. It is jsut easier to roll them out all at once rather than roll out a update today and then another 2 tomorrow then another one the 3rd day. I use Ubuntu and at times find it very annoying that when i am working on something to get a update notice and have to restart in the middle of my work.

But you are right. Linux and Windows are 2 very different beasts. Plus if you are getting 100 updates a day. That is not saying much compared to getting 5 or 10 updates a month. Shows that there is more work to be done on the distro before it should be released rather than pushing it out and getting updates done on the fly.

But that is just my opinion. I am sure that with the 3rd party support with nonfree flash isntalled on the Linux box it could have been hacked jsut as easily as the Windows box since they went thru flash.

Getting more updates doesn't necessarily dictate that you have a less superior operating system, but it definitely does show that there are people on the backbone working to secure it better. I don't really see how this is an arguable point, as I'm a heavy XP and Linux user (moreso XP considering my job) and I still far prefer Linux due to its robustness, security, features, usability, etc.

Oh, and you don't always have to restart RIGHT when the update goes through. I always let it sit there till I'm done, then I reboot. Oh, and Windows does the same thing, too. So, again, it's not a valid statement to hold against Linux only.

 

[Ste]

I feel as though this is a "we Know" thread.

Kind of obvious information, same goes for OSX.

 

[KSoD]

in my humble opinion that's actually it's greatest strength. due to all the old software hackers (hack in the general sense) out there tinkering away with the source, potential exploits get found promptly, disclosed and the solution is discussed and implemented. i guess it does pose a problem for those who do not keep an up to date system, being that the flaws have been identified and are well known.

You are right Nitestick. Iwas jsut stating that if a hacker really wanted to get at Linux everything that they could want to know about the OS and the things that make it tick are widely available. Not that the people working on it are any less at securing the OS. It is nice to see that it does get updated so oftento prevent any issues.

Getting more updates doesn't necessarily dictate that you have a less superior operating system, but it definitely does show that there are people on the backbone working to secure it better. I don't really see how this is an arguable point, as I'm a heavy XP and Linux user (moreso XP considering my job) and I still far prefer Linux due to its robustness, security, features, usability, etc.

Oh, and you don't always have to restart RIGHT when the update goes through. I always let it sit there till I'm done, then I reboot. Oh, and Windows does the same thing, too. So, again, it's not a valid statement to hold against Linux only.

I never said it was any less of a OS for the fact it it more. I was stating the fact ath Windows gets updated on a regular schedule. Nothing mroe nothing less. You are reading way to much into my post.

The fact you like Linux is very much a opinion. As there are things you can do in XP much better than Linux. Robustness? Come on. There is a whole website and community dedicated to making XP more customized just like there is for Linux. Not to mention all the apps that are out for Windows that you can not use on Linux. Windows can do movies conversion easily thrua GUI. I have not found anything like that on Linux.

Pl;us i did not say that i had to restart Right away. I said i had to restart in the middle of my work. that is 2 totally different things. My work takes a little more time to do than just a few mintues. I can be working on a project for hours on end. To keep getting restart prompts and get my focus taken off of my work is annoying.

Dont get me wrong. I love mu Ubuntu. I use it as much as possible. But the palin and simple fact is Linux is not attacked even 1% as much as Windows. That is the main reason why it is so much more "secure" than Windows. OS X is finding out the hard way. They used to use this very arguement about their OS. Now look. OS X was hacked first, and there are patches ipon patches being put out every couple weeks for OS X or other Apple products.

When hackers change their focus to Linux, they will feel the pressue as well. Windows has felt the brunt of the attacks for years now and have been lamb basted for it. Talks of Windows being so insecure. Turns out that everything is open for attack. Even OS X is getting Virus software written for it after all these years. Do people really think Linux will be secure forever?