[WEB4LIB] Re: Hacking Linux websites

[Daniel Messer]

	Wow, that's a really good question and something I never pondered. I would
*think* that you're correct. Most of the stuff I've seen involving hacks on
both sides of the OS do tend to be radically different. From what I've seen,
to hack a Windows box, a script kiddie runs a script to try and exploit a hole
in Windows security to gain some kind of administrative access. While on a
Linux box, they tend to exploit a security hole to simply change something.
Most of the time, at least from what I've seen and read, Linux hackers don't
get admin access half as often as Windows hackers. I could be wrong, but this
is what I've seen recently.
	Regardless, you're 100% right on the last point. Even Linux boxes need
patching and I think some admins forget that simply because Linux does offer
better security in most instances. They lose sight of the idea that, an
exploit is an exploit, no matter what the OS. The first thing I did after
installing Linux on one of my home systems was to hit the web and get the
latest updates. And I still tend to do that at LEAST once a week, on both my
Windows and Red Hat computers. You can never be too careful.

Dan

"Andrew I. Mutch" <amutch at waterford.lib.mi.us> said:

> One point that was not mentioned but would be worth someone's time to
> explore is a comparison of the severity of the hack of a Linux box versus
> a Windows box. The typical IIS hack is often indicative of someone who has
> full control over the Windows OS.I doubt that occurs to the same degree
> with Linux simply due to the nature of the OS. But it would be worth
> exploring. What is not new news is that administrators who don't keep
> their servers patched are going to pay for it.
> 
>
-- 
Mondai wa
The subject in question...
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Daniel Messer
Assistant Circulation Manager
Yakima Valley Regional Library
dmesser at yvrl.org
509-452-8541 ext 761
102 N 3rd St  Yakima, WA  98901
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                                         -Hunter S. Thompson
Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect.
                                         -Benny Hill