This is a grat hacking tool

[roger_girardin]

i think knoppix cd is not so good as the win cd to repair the NT os

as we can't write on a ntfs fs partition, what would do ?

nt cd boot has a console to mess what you want on the disc

about security :

my webserver (mandrake 8.1) was hacked 2X , the guy has just change the root pass

lol

when i'll get some free time, i'll try knoppix-std

[johnb]

There are knoppix customised cds that have captive NTFS, allowing read, write. Bit Defender is one that comes to mind. I have recently downloaded it but havent tried it yet(!).
johnb

[counterzone]

Dont you just love these intermate descussions. lol. Brings the world together. How we could hack each other.... hmmm... it's just like being in a Microsoft forum (well it would be if they had any) ..............

[Sigmatador]

How truly secure is a password-protected BIOS? I wouldn't expect to see 99 out of 100 computers outside of a corporate environment secured with a password-protected BIOS, and from what I've seen in some of the corporations, I don't think there are too many there either. So does LINUX have a way to beat the BIOS password? Because now that I have my passwords set in BIOS, what else do I have to do to prevent that from being penetrated?

if your pc is already booted, i just have to flash de mobo before rebooting with knoppix.

i can reset de bios directly on the mobo too.

like it was already said, to be secure, a box has to be physically inacessible.

[eadz]

For those genuanly interested in making your linux computer secure ( because by default it's not very secure in terms of local access ) check out the Securing Debian HowTo

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/se.../index.en.html

[user unknown]

M$ requires more and more things to protect its ever fragile OS's - Firewalls, Virus Protection, Security Patches, etc... Heck, I just found out that you can get a Firewall for Linux. As for the Virus programs, do they ACTUALLY "make" a virus program for Linux?

Well talking about patches: You may get patches for linux (kernel, apache, ssh, ...) every few days or weeks, and lots of them are security-patches.

I don't know, whether there are big security differences from the system-design.
But you have to consider some facts, when comparing the systems:
Most crackers use windows, at least as target-platform.
Most windows-users aren't experienced in OS, Security or Programming issues.
Most linux users are.

The MS-practice, to prefer usabilty over security (executable email-attachments, word-makros, outlook-monoculture) lead to their success in the endconsumer market.

If I get an attachment in my mail-client, I may double-click on it too. Normally a box pops up, asking what to do with a 'my_sister_under_shower.jpg.pif'. I'm not sure what it would do with 'my_sister...rpm - .deb -.sh' -files, but it surely could be configured to execute them.

OpenOffice has a macro-language too - I didn't look what you might do with it, but if it is strong, it may cause damage.

One big security reason of linux is, that there are so many different mail-clients, office-products, and in the average better informed users. I never received an linux virus by email, and it is unusual to change binaries on linux.

If linux would be more common, more linux-viruses would be build, and their chances of being spread will increase. I guess the more teachers praise linux to their pupils, the more viruses will evolve, and I guess we don't have to wait long for the first linux-viruses in the wild.

Well - you ask: 'do they actually make a virus?' who 'they'?
After reading a book on linux-security, in which I was told, that viruses are nearly impossible on linux, I tried to build one on my own, and it worked.
But I didn't put it in the wild of course

[Art McClure]

User Unknown,
Most sensible post about Linux security that I have read lately. As soon as Linux becomes very popular, there will be many patches and issues.

[Orb360]

If you want data to be secure... keep it in your head...

'nuff said

[OErjan]

computers are never 100% secure, just more or less hard to get into and acess info.
some require physical access, some might be accesed over network...
best one can hope for i that it is hard enough to enter that it is not worth /time/trouble/expenses...
if time/trouble/expenses are not an issue... not much is "secure".
even keeping things in your head is not secure, not many can whitstand interrogation if no rules apply.
just look to iraq, and that was not worst case...
otoh information gained under such circumstances is never 100% but...

[Webster]

There have been Linux distros around for ages that fit on a single floppy and hack the administrator password on a win2000-XP system for you.