__/ [ BearItAll ] on Thursday 08 March 2007 13:47 \__
> Angelocracy.com wrote:
>
>> http://www.angelocracy.com/
>>
>> Hackers would be able to get into FAA computers and other key
>> systems.
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.angelocracy.com/
>
> "The government needs to place a ban on the Windows operating system and
> use Linux on all desktops and servers."
>
> I wonder what their overall structure looks like. Many links to many places
> no doubt, but high volume secure communications is built in to UNIX, a
> Linux kernel for higher than normal volume comms is all they need to put
> Linux in that possition. Hardly rocket science these days.
>
> Firewalling, what easier firewall and traffic control is they than Linux.
>
> I don't claim to be as clever as the bods at the top of the IT depts
> involved in this, but there must be something perculiar going on for them
> to be having such difficulty.
>
> Even if their users want or demand Windows servers, there is no reason why
> those servers couldn't be wrapped within a protected UNIX/Linux network
> layer. Though really they should be no reason why the users should know
> what sort of server they have.
>
> I think they has to be more involved in this story, perhaps the IT are
> dealing with inherited systems that don't marry well so ends up more
> vulnerable than it should be. Maybe they are not given a choice as to the
> sort of servers they have to include, maybe too they have no choice but to
> allow different connected systems to use what ever means of communications
> their own IT dept stick a pin into.
>
> What ever the reason, it can't really be that hard to whip the various
> networks or systems into a single coordinated system, if they don't line up
> they don't get access. I'll whip the buggers into line, give me the job Mr
> Bush, I only require $tons in pay and a villa in miami (on the beach) and a
> raindeer sausage for breakfast each morning. Do I need a villa in
> California too I wonder, well, just a small one to see if I like it, not
> sure if I'd be keen to live next door to Britney or Tom Cruise, one wears
> no knickers and the other is forever pregnant.
I remember that experiment the OP is referring to:
Homeland Security not ready for Cyber Storm
,----[ Quote ]
| In June, the Business Roundtable issued a report saying that "the
| United States is not sufficiently prepared for a major attack, software
| incident or natural disaster that would lead to disruption of large parts
| of the Internet" and that coordinating a response to such an attack
| or disaster should be turned over to the Department of Homeland
| Security.
`----
http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/18/homeland-security-not-read...
http://tinyurl.com/lwp8y
But there were real incidents (not experiments) recently. Here's a bit of
what I have in store:
Homeland Security sees cyberthreats on the rise
,----[ Quote ]
| To test the nation's response to a cyberattack, the Department
| of Homeland Security plans to hold another major exercise,
| called Cyberstorm II, in March 2008, Garcia said. A first
| such exercise happened early last year.
`----
http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-6157809.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/2dpbmv
Zombie botnets attack global DNS servers
,----[ Quote ]
| Hackers launched a sustained attack last night against key root servers
| which form the backbone of the internet.
|
| Security firm Sophos said that botnets of zombie PCs bombarded the
| internet's domain name system (DNS) servers with traffic.
|
| "These zombie computers could have brought the web to its knees,"
| said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
`----
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2174383/zombie-botnets-attack-global
EveryDNS, OpenDNS Under Botnet DDoS Attack
,----[ Quote ]
| The last time the Web mob (spammers and phishers using botnets)
| decided to go after a security service, Blue Security was forced
| to fold and collateral damage extended to several businesses,
| including Six Apart.
`----
http://securitywatch.eweek.com/exploits_and_attacks/everydns_opendns_under_botnet_ddos_attack.html
'Storm Trojan' ignites worm war
,----[ Quote ]
| Among the multiple second-stage components downloaded to Windows
| PCs compromised by Peacomm, said Stewart, is a DDoS module that
| can be enabled at will by the attacker and aimed at any site. The
| January target list included spamnation.info, which was knocked
| offline for eight days starting Jan. 12. The better-known spamhaus.org
| was an indirect victim, too.
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php?id=743773056&rid=-50
U.S. cyber counterattack: Bomb 'em one way or the other
,----[ Quote ]
| If the United States found itself under a major cyberattack aimed
| at undermining the natio's critical information infrastructure,
| the Department of Defense is prepared, based on the authority of
| the president, to launch a cyber counterattack or an actual
| bombing of an attack source.
`----
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/020807-rsa-cyber-attacks.html
Read the last reference again, if necessary.
To justify the OP's stance:
Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net
,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| the BBC reports.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/
Linux Security: A Big Edge Over Windows
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux is better at locking down a computer than Windows. The Linux OS
| uses configuration settings and user permissions to a much more
| efficient degree than the Windows administrator account. To do
| this, non-enterprise users should seek help from third-party
| security suites that serve as configuration managers, James
| Bottomley, chief technology officer of SteelEye Technology said.
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/54742.html
Security Report: Windows vs Linux
,----[Executive summary ]
| Finally, we also include a brief overview of relevant conceptual
| differences between Windows and Linux, to offer an insight into why
| Windows tends to be more vulnerable to attacks at both server and desktop,
| and why Linux is inherently more secure
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/security/security_report_windows_vs_linux/
Microsoft Windows: Insecure by Design
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34978-2003Aug23?language=printer
If Only We Knew Then What We Know Now About Windows XP
,----[ Quote ]
| You can think of Windows XP as a house with a second floor built of
| spackle, wood filler and duct tape.
`----
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/23/AR2006092300510.html?nav=rss_technology
Why Windows is a security nightmare.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/21/1085120110704.html
Some studies last year estimated cost, but it's probably undervalued.
Study: Billions of dollars spent on security
,----[ Quote ]
| Large U.S. businesses will spend $61 billion on security by the end
| of this year, representing 7.3 percent of total IT budgets in the
| country, according to a new report from Info-Tech Research Group.
`----
http://news.com.com/2110-7350_3-6135989.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
US lost $8 billion to computer crime
,----[ Quote ]
| Consumer reports' latest "State of the Net" survey has revealed that
| US punters lost more than $8 billion over the last two years to
| viruses, spyware and con tricks.
` ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33554
--
~~ Best wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | #FFFFFFF4 ADD &R1, "9999999", &BankAccount
http://Schestowitz.com | Free as in Free Beer ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Cpu(s): 21.3% user, 3.0% system, 0.8% nice, 74.9% idle
http://iuron.com - semantic engine to gather information
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