Missing Options

Super2cool · 12. Oct 2009, 08:23 PM

What if I do not use Windows ?

J_L · 13. Oct 2009, 12:25 AM

Well, this site has never started reviewing software for other OS's yet.

Anupam · 13. Oct 2009, 10:08 AM

If people are using Linux/Unix, they don't need such security wizard, because Linux is already very secure, and it does not even require an antivirus, or firewall to run. Although there are some precautions which should taken in Linux too, to keep it secure, but that requires another approach I think.

I don't know about MAC, can't say about it.

chris.p · 13. Oct 2009, 11:47 AM

In the future it will be good if we can include all possible options. But we have to start somewhere. Also perhaps we should be looking at introducing the Mac and Linux sections on the site first. Once that is done, we might have some basis for including security options for them.

As far as I am aware, Mac and Linux have plenty of security issues though perhaps not as many as Windows. I'm talking purely about attack vectors here. But in practice there are only 0.0001% of the numbers of attacks out there, so minor OS users can get away with zero security. That's the only reason - if they had the same size userbase, they would need to take care of this like Windows users. Maybe with slightly less energy but that is a theoretical question that can never be answered.

Remember that a hacker has demonstrated, in public, getting into a Mac via Safari in 11 seconds - it's not as if a Mac or Linux machine is in some magical way vastly stronger so you don't need security.

In theory the issues are pretty much the same no matter what OS, it's just that with a 2% userbase or something, no one is interested in attacking you.

14. Oct 2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris.p

In the future it will be good if we can include all possible options. But we have to start somewhere. Also perhaps we should be looking at introducing the Mac and Linux sections on the site first. Once that is done, we might have some basis for including security options for them.

In theory the issues are pretty much the same no matter what OS, it's just that with a 2% userbase or something, no one is interested in attacking you.

Chris, as you point out, the issues are much the same regardless of which OS you run. Protecting Linux is pretty much a simple exercise but a Mac, sorry, I wouldn't know where to begin.

It wouldn't be difficult to extend the Wizard to include Linux (some page layout and PHP stuff), assuming we could agree on the measures that need to be taken, and Gizmo is okay with it.

Thoughts?

Rik

chris.p · 14. Oct 2009, 03:17 PM

Well, I'm all for it, but let's be honest, my opinion is pretty much worthless here

Maybe you should get a couple of months down the road with the Windows SecWiz first? No doubt that will throw up a few questions that will improve things.

Then if you had Linux guys to assist (or if you are good to go in that department), at that stage you could look at adding to the SecWiz. It just sounds like more work to me, and there was enough setting up the Windows department. But if you've got the energy...

Maybe we should post a new PC out to MC for him to load Linux on and play with, I don't think he's fully occupied at the moment.

Me, I'm a tiny bit busy. Just moved, with all the problems in that. Then the DSL at my new place started playing up, and I've been through 3 routers in 4 days trying to fix it.

14. Oct 2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris.p

Well, I'm all for it, but let's be honest, my opinion is pretty much worthless here

Sorry, not true.

Quote:

Maybe you should get a couple of months down the road with the Windows SecWiz first? No doubt that will throw up a few questions that will improve things.

Yes, good advice.

Quote:

Maybe we should post a new PC out to MC for him to load Linux on and play with, I don't think he's fully occupied at the moment.

MC's been running Ubuntu on his new PC for some time. Me, I'm just upgrading my main PC to the 9.10 x64 Beta (dual boot x64 Windows 7.) Would you believe that 64 bit Windows 7 runs MUCH faster in OpenBox under Ubuntu than the much touted VirtualXP does under Windows 7?

Quote:

Me, I'm a tiny bit busy. Just moved, with all the problems in that. Then the DSL at my new place started playing up, and I've been through 3 routers in 4 days trying to fix it.

I first reported a fault on my phone line on 18 Sept. BT are still trying to fix it, latest is they need to lay a new cable to the road. Glad I'm not paying for it.

Hope you get sorted soon.

Rik

ianjrichards · 14. Oct 2009, 10:23 PM

I think Rik is right. When we have a Mac or Linux freeware section on the site then that's the time to add these options to the security wizard.

A higher priority is to start work on a new wizard - a freeware selection wizard. I'll kick this off as soon as the dust settles on Secwiz.

Gizmo

12. Oct 2009, 08:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Super2cool Full Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: on my own little site Posts: 58	Missing Options What if I do not use Windows ?

13. Oct 2009, 10:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Anupam Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 11,174	If people are using Linux/Unix, they don't need such security wizard, because Linux is already very secure, and it does not even require an antivirus, or firewall to run. Although there are some precautions which should taken in Linux too, to keep it secure, but that requires another approach I think. I don't know about MAC, can't say about it. __________________ Anupam

14. Oct 2009, 03:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
chris.p Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 1,628	Well, I'm all for it, but let's be honest, my opinion is pretty much worthless here Maybe you should get a couple of months down the road with the Windows SecWiz first? No doubt that will throw up a few questions that will improve things. Then if you had Linux guys to assist (or if you are good to go in that department), at that stage you could look at adding to the SecWiz. It just sounds like more work to me, and there was enough setting up the Windows department. But if you've got the energy... Maybe we should post a new PC out to MC for him to load Linux on and play with, I don't think he's fully occupied at the moment. Me, I'm a tiny bit busy. Just moved, with all the problems in that. Then the DSL at my new place started playing up, and I've been through 3 routers in 4 days trying to fix it. __________________ . . . . . . . Web Business Management

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13. Oct 2009, 12:25 AM	#2 (permalink)
J_L Co-Author, Best Free Security List Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,523	Well, this site has never started reviewing software for other OS's yet.

13. Oct 2009, 11:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
chris.p Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 1,628	In the future it will be good if we can include all possible options. But we have to start somewhere. Also perhaps we should be looking at introducing the Mac and Linux sections on the site first. Once that is done, we might have some basis for including security options for them. As far as I am aware, Mac and Linux have plenty of security issues though perhaps not as many as Windows. I'm talking purely about attack vectors here. But in practice there are only 0.0001% of the numbers of attacks out there, so minor OS users can get away with zero security. That's the only reason - if they had the same size userbase, they would need to take care of this like Windows users. Maybe with slightly less energy but that is a theoretical question that can never be answered. Remember that a hacker has demonstrated, in public, getting into a Mac via Safari in 11 seconds - it's not as if a Mac or Linux machine is in some magical way vastly stronger so you don't need security. In theory the issues are pretty much the same no matter what OS, it's just that with a 2% userbase or something, no one is interested in attacking you.

14. Oct 2009, 10:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
ianjrichards AKA "Gizmo" Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,267	I think Rik is right. When we have a Mac or Linux freeware section on the site then that's the time to add these options to the security wizard. A higher priority is to start work on a new wizard - a freeware selection wizard. I'll kick this off as soon as the dust settles on Secwiz. Gizmo