Top Vulnerabilities to Windows Systems

In news:4277a613$0$79462$,
Top10 did some thinking and came up with these words:

Top Vulnerabilities to Windows Systems

# W1 Web Servers & Services
# W2 Workstation Service
# W3 Windows Remote Access Services
# W4 Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)
# W5 Windows Authentication
# W6 Web Browsers
# W7 File-Sharing Applications
# W8 LSAS Exposures
# W9 Mail Client
# W10 Instant Messaging

# W11 Users

http://www.sans.org/top20/

;-)

Ron Bogart {} ô¿ô¬
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Lovin life on Mercer Island 8^)
"Life is what happens while we are making other plans."
In memory of a true friend, MVP Alex Nichol (1935-2005)

On Tue, 03 May 2005 20:49:50 -0700, Ron Bogart wrote:

In news:4277a613$0$79462$,
Top10 did some thinking and came up with these words:

Top Vulnerabilities to Windows Systems

# W1 Web Servers & Services
# W2 Workstation Service
# W3 Windows Remote Access Services
# W4 Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)
# W5 Windows Authentication
# W6 Web Browsers
# W7 File-Sharing Applications
# W8 LSAS Exposures
# W9 Mail Client
# W10 Instant Messaging

http://www.sans.org/top20/

If you read the list, the differences between the Linux and Windows
platform is very small - file services, mail services, web services,
database services.


remove 999 in order to email me

Leythos wrote:

On Tue, 03 May 2005 20:49:50 -0700, Ron Bogart wrote:

In news:4277a613$0$79462$,
Top10 did some thinking and came up with these words:

Top Vulnerabilities to Windows Systems

# W1 Web Servers & Services
# W2 Workstation Service
# W3 Windows Remote Access Services
# W4 Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)
# W5 Windows Authentication
# W6 Web Browsers
# W7 File-Sharing Applications
# W8 LSAS Exposures
# W9 Mail Client
# W10 Instant Messaging

http://www.sans.org/top20/

If you read the list, the differences between the Linux and Windows
platform is very small - file services, mail services, web services,
database services.

The comparison doesn't mean that much when you think about it. Of course,
whenever a computer has opened services to the Net, it is going to be more
vulnerable. That's a given. BUT, before one invites the world into ones
computer by way of a particular server, like a web server or a database
server, the admin needs to make sure that server is running securely has
all the latest security updates applied, etc. That is applicable to both
Windoze and Unix servers.

Where you see a significant departure in the 2 systems is that the Windoze
systems have vulnerabilities with client software! The list talks of Web
Browsers, Mail Client and Instant Messaging. You don't see any of these
client applications listed under Unix, do you? And that is the crux of the
problem in terms of security for the ordinary Windoze computer user and by
far, the largest part of the security problems. A Windoze user is
vulnerable just by connecting to the Net as a client. The Unix user is not.
The Unix user simply doesn't run servers open to the Net if the machine is
going to be a client machine. The Windoze user on the other hand can't
really be expected not to use email or web browsing, can he? Well I guess
he can, but that means never connecting to the Net. :-)


ø€º°`°ø,žž,ø€º°`°ø,žž,ø€º°`°ø,žž,ø€º°`°øø€º°`°ø,žž,ø€º°`°ø
Windows is *NOT* a virus. Viruses are small and efficient.
Tired of the insecurity of your Wintendo box? Update to GNU/Linux
STOP the dummying down of America - Move to a REAL o/s.