Hi there James,

I am just wondering why only NT boxes get hacked according to Dale and =
not  the *nix boxes. Maybe , just maybe=20
the hackers is all *nix guys and they have to prove something to the =
world or=20
maybe because most of the servers out there is NT boxes or
maybe because it is not fun hacking *nix boxes anymore because it is so =
easy to hack and NT boxes gives them
the adrenalin shot they need.

According to my experience any piece of software is hackable you just =
need the time to=20
find the loophole that the programmers of the systems left intentionally =
or unintentionally:-)

regards=20

Nic

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Newton, webhost [mailto:jamesnewton@PICLIST.COM]
> Sent: 31 October 2002 07:23
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: [OT]: Workspace Pictures
>=20
>=20
> source=3D=20
> http://www.piclist.com/postbot.asp?id=3Dpiclist\2002\10\30\105848a
>=20
> You're being hard on yourself Dale. I've worked on 7 NT=20
> servers over the
> past 12 years and not one has ever been hacked into. I've=20
> worked with 3 *nix
> boxes in that same time and all three were hacked within a year of
> operation. The other two *nix boxes were admin'd by guys who=20
> told me "I've
> NEVER had a *nix box hacked." I wasn't admin on all of those=20
> NT boxes, just
> 3 of the NT servers and 1 of the *nix.
>=20
> Getting that "your box was used to attack my box" email is NOT fun.
>=20
> The key point is that somebody has to know HOW to "properly=20
> configure" the
> *nix boxes and that is not a simple thing. Microsoft may be=20
> issuing multiple
> hole plugs, but any idiot can install them and they are=20
> then... plugging the
> holes... see? You don't have to know anything, just run=20
> windowsupdate on a
> regular basis.
>=20
> At the office, I run a firewall and I use a little program called
> "WallWatcher" to log and report ever inappropriate port=20
> request and report
> it to
> http://www.dshield.org Believe me, most of the ports I see=20
> people trying on
> are *nix based port, NOT NT.
>=20
> My guess is the bulk of the Windows based hacks are via email=20
> attachments or
> backdoors in viruses or other such "social hacking" attacks.
>=20
> Anyway, maybe I've just been lucky (knock wood) but I just=20
> don't have time
> to learn all the in's and out's of *nix. I offer a stable (so=20
> far) safe (so
> far) web server and I spend my time keeping the content up,=20
> not the server.
>=20
> ---
> James Newton: PICList.com webmaster, former Admin #3
> mailto:jamesnewton@piclist.com  1-619-652-0593 phone
> http://www.piclist.com/member/JMN-EFP-786
> PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com
>=20
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
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>=20
>=20
>=20

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