Anti-virus for Lindows

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Feb 20, 2003

Lindows teams up with Central Command to sell Linux anti-virus - a step in the right direction, but perhaps not far enough...

Of the Linux distributions, Lindows is possibly the most virus-prone - by default, you are the super-user, therefore you, and any code you run, has the ability to modify any file on the disk.

However, the makers of Lindows have recently announced that they have teamed up with Central Command, manufacturer of Vexira Antivirus for Linux, to offer a modified version of the product, called VirusSafe, suitable for Lindows.

The 'advanced multi-platform virus inspection technology' includes automatic updates, which is surely a good thing. They also have the decency to point out that 'the number of Linux viruses is currently low', although warn that this situation will surely change as more people use Linux on the desktop...

This is a step in the right direction, however the thought of Lindows in its current state ever becoming widely adopted is a worrying one: take a system that deliberately removes security safeguards by making the default user a super-user, add a good deal of misinformation about Linux being impenetrable to computer viruses, sprinkle with the 'raw-socket problem' (which is as applicable to Lindows as it is to XP), and garnish with some human stupidity, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Posted on 20 February 2003 by Virus Bulletin

 Tags

twitter.png
fb.png
linkedin.png
hackernews.png
reddit.png

 

Latest posts:

VBSpam tests to be executed under the AMTSO framework

VB is excited to announce that, starting from the Q3 test, all VBSpam tests of email security products will be executed under the AMTSO framework.

In memoriam: Prof. Ross Anderson

We were very sorry to learn of the passing of Professor Ross Anderson a few days ago.

In memoriam: Dr Alan Solomon

We were very sorry to learn of the passing of industry pioneer Dr Alan Solomon earlier this week.

New paper: Nexus Android banking botnet – compromising C&C panels and dissecting mobile AppInjects

In a new paper, researchers Aditya K Sood and Rohit Bansal provide details of a security vulnerability in the Nexus Android botnet C&C panel that was exploited in order to gather threat intelligence, and present a model of mobile AppInjects.

New paper: Collector-stealer: a Russian origin credential and information extractor

In a new paper, F5 researchers Aditya K Sood and Rohit Chaturvedi present a 360 analysis of Collector-stealer, a Russian-origin credential and information extractor.

We have placed cookies on your device in order to improve the functionality of this site, as outlined in our cookies policy. However, you may delete and block all cookies from this site and your use of the site will be unaffected. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to Virus Bulletin's use of data as outlined in our privacy policy.