Hi, "... If a Linux-user runs always as root, the security advantage of the Unix model disappears - and it's no safer than Windows. You don't do that, do you?..." No i don't. I use my own user to work. Don't work with root. Marco On Tuesday 02 September 2003 22:54, you wrote:
On Tuesday 02 September 2003 15:33, Marco Oliveira wrote:
Hi there, i have some questions about virus and linux, can you help me ?
1 - I would like to know if linux is affected by windows virus and worms ? 2 - I would like to know it is possible to write and make a virus that somehow works in linux ? 3 - should i fell threatened by virus that possible exists in the internet ? 4 - how many virus exists and works in for the linux ? 5 - What kind of protection could i use (Anti-Virus software) ? 6 - Is linux somehow better developed in a way that is very difficult to write virus and worms?
IIRC, Linux - and Unices in general are less suceptible to viruses than is MS Windows because of the security model.
On a typical Windows box, each user is effectively running as root. An rougue executable running with the priviledges of this user can easily complomise the entire system.
In the Unix-type model, rougue executables can only access/infect the parts of the system to which the user which executed them has access.
If a Linux-user runs always as root, the security advantage of the Unix model disappears - and it's no safer than Windows.
You don't do that, do you?
There are other factors involved, but this is, perhaps the most important.