Re: Linux is much more secure than MS

From: Robert Newson (ReapNewsB_at_bullet3.fsnet.oc.ku)
Date: 09/22/05 

Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 17:12:56 GMT

Erik Funkenbusch wrote:

> On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 18:45:25 -0600, ray wrote:
>
>>As bad as the security is with Linux, it's much worse with MS. Computer
>>experts assert that the average MS computer will be online about 15
>>minutes before it is compromised. I have seven Linux systems online via
>>DSL 24/7/365. Been running that way for over a year and NO system
>>compromises. The fact is that many security 'holes' are discovered in all
>>OSs - anyone who claims otherwise is simply ignorant of the facts or
>>intentionally trying to distort it. BUT whereas most MS flaws are not
>>fixed for weeks or months, giving ample opportunity for exploits, most
>>Linux flaws are fixed within hours or days - before anyone has the chance
>>to exploit them.
>
> Can you show me any of these "fixed in hours" vulnerabilities?

Most, if not all of them have been fixed "within hours"...in fact, I'd argue
that all of MS's fixes have also been done "within hours" - just that the
number of hours that are required to fix a MS vulnerability from initial
finding (_not_ reporting/admitting [by MS]) are probably in the order of
1,440 hours (or more); similarly *nix fixes, though they're probably more of
the order of 700 hours (or less).

However, if you want to go by averages, then *nix is miles better: there are
bugs (vulnerabilities?) that MS has said it will never fix; ergo their fix
time is infinite, ergo the average MS fix time is also infinite.

> Not a single "hours", and the fastest fix I can find in a quick perusal is
> 10 days.

Single "hours" would be "hour". However, 10 days is 240 hours, thus the
quickest one you've found was fixed "within hours" - 240 of them. ^_^

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