[Info-vax] Anti-virus ?

[Dave Froble]

On 8/11/2023 1:35 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2023-08-11, Jan-Erik Söderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> wrote:
>>
>> When it comes to the usage that is relevant for the topic
>> at hand, Linux is more like Windows. That is, has a lot of
>> single user systems having the usual tools like mail and
>> web browsers that are target channels for virus threats.
>>
>> So I understand that this is a concern around Linux users.
>>
>> But VMS does not have these envoronments with single user
>> systems running tools for mail or web browsing.
>>
>> Information targeting Linux is not always relevant for VMS.
>>
>
> Linux is mainly a server operating system as is VMS.
>
> Many attacks occur through server-based components in addition to
> client-based components.
>
> The difference is that Linux has various industry-standard protections,
> including the third-party protections mentioned, that VMS does not.
>
> Oh, and BTW, judging by the fact Eisner has needed to be rebooted multiple
> times over the years due to various services locking up presumably due to
> attacks, I have little confidence that VMS in general would be robust
> within an actively hostile environment.
>
> Simon.
>

Ok, I'm not about to declare VMS "hack-proof".  I doubt anything is.

However, I'm going to call "bullshit" on Simon's statements.

Having had VMS "lock up" in the past, not due to any attacks, Simon's snide 
commend about Eisner is just plain bullshit.  Too many times I've seen "resource 
wait mode" that never recovers.  Only a re-boot would clear the problem.  Was 
that "an attack"?

None of Simon's "industry standard protections" protects against anything other 
than some (not all) attacks.  I wish he'd stop insinuating that they solve all 
problems, and that there must be problems without them.

Even if Linux is used as a "server OS", there are also plenty of desktop Linux 
systems.  Attacks against such sort of mean that the server OS systems just 
might also be vulnerable.

Maybe it is a good thing that there is no VMS desktop environment.  Less for 
potential hackers to attack.  Sorry Philip.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
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