Re: [Sheflug] The virus question again?

[Seb James <seb [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2004-07-30 at 20:04, J Simpson V21 wrote:
> Hi
> 
> I've finally got an external modem working on my machine I am about to
> change over to Linux.  I have my emails exported and working documents
> waiting for use.

Well done!

> I just really have to understand the virus thing, before I can go on.
> 
> Okay, if there was a virus sent to my machine by disk or over the internet.
> It would not beable to attack my machine's systems because I'm logged in as
> me and not root Super user? 

That's more or less correct. If the virus were compiled to run on Linux,
and you downloaded, then set it to be executable, and then ran it (all
of which you would have to do manually) it could at the worst delete the
data in your user's home directory.

>  So would a virus come to me online and wait
> somewhere until I logged in as root and then get my machine?

You would still then have to manually execute the program as root.

> If my machine can't be attacked as above, when I'm online can others hack
> into my machine and look at all my personal information? 

Quite possibly. If your machine is directly connected to the internet
with no firewall, then it is vulnerable to attack, especially if you
have some software running which is old and has a known hole. Using a
broadband firewall/router drastically improves things as it puts a basic
barrier between all the script-kiddies and your machine.

> So when I am using
> sites with passwords I would continue to look for the padlock before giving
> information?

In general be cautious about what information you submit to a website.
If you see the padlock, then your data travelling in an encrypted form
to the website, but how do you know if the site is who it ought to be?
Exercise caution and common sense.

> At present in Windows I have Norton Internet Security, with its security,
> personal firewall and Norton Antivirus.  The only bit I don't have turned on
> is the parental controls.  I know I'm supposed to have it and I am not fully
> clear what it all does.

Parental controls will check the content of what's coming over the
connection. I expect it looks for sexual content and the like and blocks
that, and maybe has a list of sites to which it won't allow access. Just
guessing, I don't know Norton.

> I've done a little bit of reading online.  I have noticed there are some
> companies out there selling antivirus software for Linux.  I really would
> like to understand this before, I have to clear up the mess of been
> attacked.

Anti-virus for Linux is generally used when you have a Linux mailserver
which is delivering mail to people who are reading it on Windows
machines. The mailserver will run anti-virus and clean any infected
messages up as they pass through. If the Linux machine is a fileserver
for Windows clients, then you may also run anti-virus software.

regards,

Seb

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