Best Free Antivirus
Jan 19, 2011 at 4:27 PM Post #31 of 59
It would cost them MORE to make drivers or software for Windows than for something open-source, so the profit argument is pointless.  Licensing...  The open-source spirit kind of pisses me off a little.  Every time someone shows off something open source or Linux-related it involves like 5 minutes of tinkering in a shell and then some physical device doing something simple...or, you get my drift.  It's not impressive just because it is free and open.  Not everyone wants to be a computer programmer just to make their computer do what they want to.  Who made Linux?  Some Eurpoean.  They have no regard for anything that anyone wants to do.  They create something for their own personal purpose and thinks everyone should adapt their way of thinking to what they've created.  Windows is not lazy, just different.  Windows 7 has been the best so far, and I've had ZERO problems with it.  One name to throw out there that embodies the loser image...Richard Stallman.  No hygiene, no life, uses some dumb little laptop with wget to not leave a footprint?  What a loser.  I prefer to not spend all of my life on the computer.  To spend one's life on the computer to get it to do what you want is the exact embodiment of the lazy attitude, by not having a life.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 4:32 PM Post #32 of 59
Enjoy your opinions and your Windows, my friend. I don't have a life, that I admit. Never did, never will.
Cheers.
 
EDIT: Oh and thanks for mentioning wget. Didn't know what that is. Looks good, though.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 8:56 PM Post #35 of 59
The biggest problem with most of the major GNU/Linux distributions is the high degree of maintenance required to stay up to date with the packages. The other major problem is finding the right package to do the job when there are a ton of similar ones that accomplish parts of a job. There are far fewer software packages available on GNU/Linux than for Microsoft Windows so there is an unfair advantage inherent for Windows users. Lastly, GNU/Linux is not compatible with most hardware platforms especially cutting edge technologies such as nVIDIA Optimus or 4G LTE or 4G HSPA+ USB modems.
 
I run VMWare Workstation 7.1.2 with Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat 64 bit. While it performs much faster than Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, the quality of the operating system as a whole is not as good in terms of hardware compatibility with my ASUS N61JV-X2 notebook PC and the number of software packages is rather paltry.
 
The other major problem with free and open source software packages is that they are not as competitive in terms of features to their commercial and closed source equivalents. Oracle VM VirtualBox is not the same as VMWare Workstation 7.1.2. GIMP is not as good as Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection. OpenOffice is not as good as Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, Project Professional 2010, Visio Professional 2010 and Sharepoint 2010. I own these commercial and closed source software applications.
 
Try getting a job in today's highly competitive IT and IS market with a purely Linux background. It is tougher in an already very tough job market and lagging economy.
 
Those are some of the reasons why I am against GNU/Linux as a whole yet I continue to use it as a hobby.
 
If you lack the funds or if you have a limited skill set and even more limited work experience, then by all means go whole hog into GNU/Linux and good luck trying to get a job and staying employed. The rapid and sometimes dramatic changes that occur with each release of a major GNU/Linux distribution can make you obsolete within one year if you fail to prepare and stay current with the development cycle. I have seen former co-workers of mine lose their jobs because a new feature or package was introduced to Red Hat or Ubuntu that resulted in their termination because it saved their company money from their staffing and healthcare budgets. I will not get into it because these are confidential.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 9:27 PM Post #36 of 59
Thing with Norton, Kaspersky et al's integrated suites is that there's a whole lot of bloat and frequent instability for these 'added-value' (ha) tools that you could find elsewhere.
 
 
MSE is a relatively paper-thin level of protection, but if you're not the mentally / common-sense challenged type who loves saying 'the computer did x' then MSE + Malwarebytes should be all you need. Noscript is a bit of a hassle but I quite like it.
 
 
I don't mind paying for any software that I use and find useful, but the standard of paid-for antimalware in particular just reinforces to me that it should be free (or to put it another way, included in the cost of the OS) and provided by the OS developer. The industry's too big now to go away of course, but let's hope MSE and it's development changes attitudes a lot more. I'm willing Microsoft to get bigger balls on this aspect. I would have no objections to paying Norton, Kaspersky, etc for their wares if it meant that their software wasn't all too often actually the primary cause of instability in my system, and if it actually worked to stop the really good malware... not just act as a way to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
 
 
 
Quote:
3602 said:
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Allow me to say that Windows is for lazy people.

 
Allow me to say only the painfully / irrelevantly nerd say stuff like this. And saying that is someone who has more CentOS / RHEL-running gear than you can shake a stick at.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 10:15 AM Post #37 of 59
Software replacing a person's job isn't something platform-specific.  The whole Linux/GNU world is changing all the time.  It's not like Windows where you can be trained for it and have that information be relevant for a decade or two.  It's constantly being worked on because it is obviously flawed.  Always updating is fine for a hobbyist, but not for a company.  It's downtime and customers get pissed if their data is inaccessible for even a 30 second reboot.  As I said before I don't hate Linux, I just see its limitations and practical uses.  People are capable of making some awesome software for Windows for multimedia stuff, but it isn't so for Linux, and it has nothing to do with companies and drivers.  It's all about people's attitudes of making stuff for their own personal use and not expanding upon that.  It's not immune to viruses or attacks, either.  That kind of rhetoric is just the ignorance of Linux supremacy of people who really don't know a lot about it after all.  Windows is also more vulnerable because mostly everyone uses it.  It is more valuable for a hacker or someone to write a virus to gather someone's personal info from Windows than it would be for a hobbyist OS.  If Linux somehow became what Windows is to the mainstream computer user then people would start writing exploits for Linux.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 3:13 PM Post #38 of 59
There are more exploits written for the Google Android smart phone operating system each day. It will be interesting to see how Google handles the matter. Smart phone technology is the wild west of security right now with all of the major players in the industry focusing their talent pool on developing software to protect critical data. It will be an interesting year to see these product announcements later this year.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 3:16 PM Post #39 of 59


Quote:
There are more exploits written for the Google Android smart phone operating system each day. It will be interesting to see how Google handles the matter. Smart phone technology is the wild west of security right now with all of the major players in the industry focusing their talent pool on developing software to protect critical data. It will be an interesting year to see these product announcements later this year.



A perfect example of how nothing is vulnerable from attack, and the whole "Linux is invincible" is the battle cry of the chronic lifeless nerd who still knows nothing.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:01 PM Post #40 of 59
Any computer can be exploited within the envelope between a few minutes to a few hours regardless of the operating system and security hardware and software packages installed. When people accept this as a truthful fact, then perhaps they will be more humble in acknowledging that they know nothing when it comes to computer security. This is why I chose to pursue my Masters of Science in IT Administration and Security degree program at New Jersey Institute of Technology because my previous Hewlett Packard desktop PC running Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 32 bit was compromised to the point whereby the 10/100 NIC card could not obtain an IP address from the DHCP server from my Verizon FiOS router. The Central Intelligence Agency was the aggressor in my specific case and I have proof because I am under federal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and they sent a letter to my ISP requesting that my Internet activity be monitored. I am telling the truth.
 
I did something years ago which I will not mention in a public forum that prompted all of this to happen.
 
So, I am turning that experience into an educational pursuit to work for the National Security Agency in the near future. We shall see what happens to my future application for employment.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:07 PM Post #41 of 59
Long as we're mixing facts with biases and opinions, why not?
Linux is, for the most part, invincible as of right now. Not everyone at your local Starbucks uses Linux. Some exploits can be done through browser (website scripts) but I don't much in this domain. I don't Internet much.
How many Windows viruses (virii?) are out there now? Linux/UNIX is vulnerable to forks (and decompressions, and tarbombs) and some commands. That's why Ubuntu (cannot speak for other distros) has a huge software database (really kinda like AppStore) and everything in there is verified by Ubuntu (Canonical folks). You can add untrusted PPAs at your own risk, but the most danger really comes to someone telling you to get a tarball and you actually decompress the thing without verifying it (or the source). Same thing as commands. You simply do not download (or copy-paste) a script and run it blindly without going through some basic bash scripting reads. Correct, no system is safe (copyright EA Games). However, do you project that somewhere in the future, Linux distros replace Windows? I can't speak of Mac OS but their hardware are ridiculously priced (personal opinion).
Let's get back to security. Here's how to install a virus on Linux. Software (packages) enter a Ubuntu system (again, cannot speak for other distros although I believe they're all pretty similar) by three ways: Central (software center, trusted), PPAs and pre-made packages (.deb, .rpm. YUM etc, untrusted as in manually added by the user) and source files (tarballs, need to be literally "made" by the user). Through Central there is little, if at all, chance of getting compromised (there is a bit of risk of man-in-the-middle). Pre-made packages are somewhat like your average Setup.exe files, there are downloaded either by you or by adding a PPA. With Windows, a new user with little security knowledge can surf around and click on a bunch of stuff, some good, some useless yet benign, some viruses/trojans. It is the same thing with Linux, only distro-specific pre-made packages are much harder to come by (as you have implied, companies see Linux as unprofitable). So this is a risk, yes, but if you are looking for something specific, there are support forums (and most exist in Central anyway). Several Linux magazines can introduce some pretty good stuff (Eagle Mode, for one) that doesn't exist in Central, not even a PPA. This relies on you and how you think. Do everything that a magazine tells you? I got to know and installed Eagle Mode and XBMC through reading magazines (the latter is already in Central).
The most risk is within tarballs. I do not have much experience with tarballs, but whatever tarball I came across, there is the same (or equivalent) in package form, or better, in Central. If one wants to make a tarball (literally cd directory and make), one should read the files first. Again this demands scripting knowledge, so at least I don't blindly make tarballs.
You do need to be careful for rootkits (although rare). Ubuntu provides rkhunter and chkrootkit. Run them periodically (I have to say, mostly overkill).
Now the virus/malware part is mostly covered, what's left is the Internet part. This I cannot say much. Anyone with a package sniffer can get your transmissions. Again, no system is safe. Windows relies on AV and firewalls; Ubuntu relies on this. There are complicated procedures for setting up port rules and whatnot, a basic line is to enable ufw. However the kernel shipped with Ubuntu is already firewalled (all ports are closed). If you want to go through a lot to set up rulesets for your ports, that makes me ask: What makes you think that you will be targeted in the first place? Do not fear the average Windows user; fear instead the non-average Linux user. But this loops back to Linux is invincible: when do you think that Linux is going to become mainstream? What makes someone develop skills to attack something that so few people uses? There are 500,000 people in Quebec City: to date I count 5 Linux users (three Ubuntu, one METI one Mandriva)  including myself, which I'd say would be 100 Linux users in all of Quebec City (and more in Montreal, of course). Simply go to your local WorstBuy and look at what their computers' OS is.
Then there's always physical attacks. Encrypt your BIOS, encrypt your home folder, backup your data, wrap some chains around your computer, etc etc. But does this apply only to Linux?
Is Linux more secure than Windows right now? Yes. Will Linux remain so in the future? Quite so, until the day 85% of the computer users run Linux. Mac viruses exist; Macs are getting mainstream (or non-conformist like everyone else). Let't wail til the day where there is a Linux section at your WorstBuy, and Linux Stores on 5th Avenue.
 
EDIT: To avoid getting socially engineered, just don't register Failbook.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:10 PM Post #42 of 59
You expect to work for the NSA when the CIA attacked you because of doing something or having information that's unfavorable for the public to find out about?  Why would the FBI send a letter to an ISP to request that your internet traffic be monitored.  An ISP wouldn't have to do that, and the FBI would be able to sniff it out without no one ever knowing.  And how would you find out?  Why would they tell you your internet activity is being monitored?
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:12 PM Post #43 of 59
Furthermore, the US Government is constantly researching exploits and developing attacks for Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and FreeBSD along with Apple Macintosh OS X. They have to do so for national security reasons and that information is highly classified. This is another fact and it is the truth.
 
Over the course of the next two years, there will be an increased demand for more than 1,700 information security professionals by various US federal agencies. The United States is no longer the dominant producer of computer security professionals anymore. The People's Republic of China and the Koreans are rapidly challenging our information security dominance and we are playing catch up because we do not have a coherent information security initiative as a national policy yet.
 
Banks, universities, hospitals, electrical power companies, local, state, federal agencies, software vendors, hardware manufacturers, the entertainment industry are all targets for attacks and exploits because they produce intellectual property, products, and services that have high value to foreigners worldwide. This list is growing as it is relatively easy to create large scale and effective attacks that compromise secure computing facilities with a small but dedicated team of professionals that hail from foreign governments, intelligence agencies, military, and software vendors.
 
If you take a look at the new Chinese stealth fighter jet plane, you will notice that it bears striking resemblances to our F-22 Raptor. This is due to the continuous electronic espionage that is conducted to procure industrial and state secrets by foreign governments and military.
 
Enough said for today.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:14 PM Post #44 of 59

 
Quote:
Furthermore, the US Government is constantly researching exploits and developing attacks for Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and FreeBSD along with Apple Macintosh OS X. They have to do so for national security reasons and that information is highly classified. This is another fact and it is the truth.
 
Over the course of the next two years, there will be an increased demand for more than 1,700 information security professionals by various US federal agencies. The United States is no longer the dominant producer of computer security professionals anymore. The People's Republic of China and the Koreans are rapidly challenging our information security dominance and we are playing catch up because we do not have a coherent information security initiative as a national policy yet.
 
Banks, universities, hospitals, electrical power companies, local, state, federal agencies, software vendors, hardware manufacturers, the entertainment industry are all targets for attacks and exploits because they produce intellectual property, products, and services that have high value to foreigners worldwide. This list is growing as it is relatively easy to create large scale and effective attacks that compromise secure computing facilities with a small but dedicated team of professionals that hail from foreign governments, intelligence agencies, military, and software vendors.
 
If you take a look at the new Chinese stealth fighter jet plane, you will notice that it bears striking resemblances to our F-22 Raptor. This is due to the continuous electronic espionage that is conducted to procure industrial and state secrets by foreign governments and military.
 
Enough said for today.


 
Do not fear the (PR) Chinese long as they can have every official corrupt and put melamine in powdered milk. It's a balloon.
 
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:14 PM Post #45 of 59
Well this thread has gone above and beyond my original expectations.... a lot of the times way over my head as well
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Like I said before, I'm not a computer expert by ANY means. I'm 20-years-old going for my Bachelor or Arts in English then eventually moving onto a career in Journalism. However, I do have decent knowledge of how to operate and properly upkeep a PC. I have had viruses/malware infest my system to the point of almost destroying it. It took me hours of research on forums to fix the problem. But I'm proud to say that the computer which was infested, is the computer which I am using right now to type this message to you
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Computer security is a personal battle. IMO when you have a few experiences with viruses, you learn how to properly combat them which eventually leads to an overall more satisfying computer experience.
 

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