Trojan Discovered in Linux Version of UnrealIRCd

[Rob Williams]

The reasons one might choose to use an alternative OS varies depending on the person, and their goals, but one of the more common arguments made towards using a non-Windows OS is overall PC security. It's a good one, too. Microsoft's Windows, as a market-leading OS, has been the target of crackers and less-than-reputable beings for many years, and at this point, you really need to be careful about what you do in the OS - and not to mention lace yourself up with lots of protection.

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You can read the rest of our news post here, and then discuss it here!

 

[thehailo]

I find that this just reinforces the point that EVERYONE should be running AV software. I recently installed Symantec onto my girlfriends Macbook (she got a free OS X edition of their AV for free from school, so why not?) and actually found four infected files. Sure, her system itself wasn’t infected, but acting as carrier she could have easily passed along the PDF files to a Windows box and infected someone else. I’ve argued Linux users should run AV for this very reason for years, but as OS X and Linux specific viruses slowly trickle out it only further reinforces this point.

On that note, WOW the OS X Symantec AV is absolutely horrible. It doesn't even update or scan by default, you have to schedule both. Furthermore, the app itself is basically a "Scan" and an "Update" button, and it doesn't have any profiles (Quick, Full, etc.) pre-built, so you're just adding a file path and letting lose. I'm fine with it, but I doubt the average Joe Apple User is. If this is the state of modern Mac security software (I also noticed her firewall was off by default?!) I think Mac users are in for a world of hurt as they gain more market share and appeal more to attackers.