LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Glen Turner <glen.turner@aarnet.edu.au>
  To  : Alan Kennington <akenning@topology.org>
  Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 14:57:05 +0930

Re: Code Red media roundup

> Conclusion:
> The Code Red thing is not helping at all to publicise the
> benefits of non-MS software.
> Only the BBC even mentioned non-MS software.
> No one seems to be blaming MS.

I know this sounds obvious, but the best way to get into the
news is to issue a news release.  A lot of the Code Red news
in the media outlets today was driven by a CERT news release
from yesterday.

So how about drafting something under a title like "Linux
safe from Code Red" with suitable quotes. I present the
text below as a start.


LINUX SAFE FROM CODE RED

2001-07-31

With the Code Red worm poised to strike again tomorrow, LinuxSA
convenor Geoffrey Bennett today told reporters that Linux was safe
from the Code Red worm.

"The Code Red worm effects only machines running Microsoft Windows and
the Microsoft Internet Information Server [a web server].  Most Linux
distributions use the Apache web server and none use IIS."

"Windows users have suffered from a slew of security holes in
Microsoft products in the last year.  Users of Microsoft products IIS,
Outlook and Exchange are luckly to have a month pass without a major
compromise of their software.  Code Red is merely the latest in a long
line of web and e-mail worms that have effected Microsoft products."

Mr Bennett attributed the high level of security in Linux to its Open
Source development model.  "The Linux operating system is
Internet-hardened from Day One.  When the operating system and its
applications are being designed on the Internet, and not behind
fortress doors in Redmond, most security problems are found early and
are fixed before the programs are released into general use."

"Microsoft Windows is not an Internet-ready operating system.  It is
designed to be used in the safe harbour of Local Area Networks and
fails in the rougher seas of the Internet.  Windows is too naive and
too poorly designed -- just too insecure for the world beyond the
firewall."

Mr Bennett continued to outline other advantages of Linux.  "Software
available with an Open Source license is spin-proof.  Users need not
rely exclusively upon vendor advice for determining their security
exposure.  If people want to see if Code Red is as bad as Microsoft
says what independent person can they turn to?  With Linux software
people can consult with any programmer.  With Microsoft software
people can consult only with Microsoft PR hacks.  Even when Microsoft
releases source code to people, the people who see the source aren't
allowed to talk much about it."

"The Code Red worm shows that IIS needs a thoughout security audit.
With Open Source software a sufficiently concerned company can pay for
that audit.  With IIS that company must wait until Microsoft does the
audit and take their word on the result.  That's an extraordinary
state of affairs that would not be tolerated in any other industry."

"Finally with Open Source software people have the source.  When
installing the software they can disable obscure features like the
ISAPI feature that Code Red exploits.  If a hole is found they can fix
it, or pay someone to fix it.  A computer consultant can fix Linux
software.  With Microsoft software that consultant can only say 'too bad'
and work around the problem as best they can.  'Too bad' if that problem
has a major business impact."

"Code Red again demonstrates that Linux-based products are the best
choice for providing Internet services."


CONTACT

Geoffrey Bennett
LinuxSA convenor
Tel: 
E-Mail:


ABOUT LINUXSA

LinuxSA is one of over 30 Linux user groups in Australia.  LinuxSA
meets monthly in Adelaide to listen to a guest speaker and give people
new to Linux hands-on help.  The LinuxSA mailing list is very active,
with participants in a number of countries.  Further details are at:

  http://www.linuxsa.org.au/


ABOUT LINUX

The Linux operating system kernel was written by Finnish student
Linus Torvalds in 1991.  Linux was released in 1994 under the GNU
General Public License.  This Open Source license allowed the Linux
source code to be distributed for free and freely modified.  Many
people made further contributions to the kernel until it matched the
facilties and performance available on commercial UNIX systems.

To make installation of Linux, the oinstallation of operating system
components, and the installation of applications simpler Linux
'distributors' collected together the software from Linux, GNU,
XWindows and many other Open Source software projects onto a single
easy-to-install CD-ROM.  Popular Linux distributions are Red Hat Linux
and Debian GNU/Linux.

For more infomation see the Linux International web site at

  http://www.li.org/


ABOUT MICROSOFT

Microsoft Corporation are the developer and distributor of the Windows
operating system, the Exchange e-mail server, the Outlook e-mail
client, the Internet Information Server and many other products.

The firm dominates the market for personal computer software.  The
methods of acquiring and retaining this dominance are currently under
judicial review in the USA and Economic Union.

  http://www.microsoft.com/



-- 
 Glen Turner                                 Network Engineer
 (08) 8303 3936      Australian Academic and Research Network
 glen.turner@aarnet.edu.au          http://www.aarnet.edu.au/
--
 The revolution will not be televised, it will be digitised

-- 
LinuxSA WWW: http://www.linuxsa.org.au/  IRC: #linuxsa on irc.linux.org.au
To unsubscribe from the LinuxSA list:
  mail linuxsa-request@linuxsa.org.au with "unsubscribe" as the subject