[vox-tech] linux and viruses

[jim stockford]

    seems to me that there are linux viruses. Linux
viruses cannot affect Windows or Mac hosts.

    Any host can transmit data that has some kind
of virus attached, although there are very few
malware programs that can work on more than
one OS: maybe a Perl-based program might
be able to cause damage on Mac, Win, Lin,
FreeBSD hosts. (My usage of "malware" includes
viruses.)
    Your Linux box could conceivable be a middle
man transmitting an email message that carries
a virus or other malware.

    A reasonable argument on his side is that no
"alien" machine, regardless of OS, should connect
to his net.
    If he allows "alien" windows laptops, he's much
more at risk that allowing "alien" linux or mac or
freebsd boxes, given that his data is all stored on
win boxes.

    so say i; potshots welcome.


On Feb 23, 2006, at 6:31 PM, Cylar Z wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Hope this isn't too inappropriate for this list...feel
> free to chastise me if it is.
>
> Here's the skinny. I'm trying to get my systems
> administrator (at work) to let me connect a laptop to
> his network so that I can surf the web at lunchtime.
> Now, the sysadmin is strictly a Microsoft man and
> knows nothing at all about Linux. He has balked at my
> request because while he is worried that I might
> inadvertently bring viruses/spyware/malware onto his
> network. It turns out that he was not even aware that
> Linux can speak TCP/IP and supports DHCP client
> networking functions.
>
> I tried telling him that my laptop will be running
> some flavor of Linux (most likely Fedora Core 4) and
> that Linux is virtually impervious to viruses. It
> hasn't swayed him.
>
> I guess my question to you all is this: Did I make a
> true statement? Is Linux really virus-proof? If so, is
> it just because of its relatively small share of the
> OS market, or is there a more technical reason for
> this? If so, what? If I told him one, it might get
> through to him.
>
> And what about malware? Is Linux resistant to that as
> well?
>
> Think of this as an opportunity to further infiltrate
> Microsoft's domain. Help me explain to my admin why
> attaching a Linux client won't hurt his network.
>
> Thanks, Matt
>
>
>
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