Having sourcecode publicly available is a good thing. It allows something called peer review and is one of the reasons bugs get fixed so fast under the open source system. It also says "see? I have nothing to hide - check out my code" Microsoft is very high handed, and does lots of things under the hood that users don't know about - perhaps most don't care, but they should. (much like the lawsuit that was in the news a while back) Microsoft refuses to allow access to their sourcecode, and believe me it has nothing to do with security - knowing how a system secures itself has little to do with how easy it is for you to hack it UNLESS there is a bug, and the bug will be found sooner if users can poke around the sourcecode and tell you whats wrong. This is proven by experience in the open source movement.

There is some truth in the "windows is more popular" argument, but remember that Linus runs the majority of commercial servers out there, and are the more lucrative targets for would be hackers - yet Linux systems have uptimes measured in years, the most secure and stable windows systems don't even come close - most are measured in weeks, and thats only if they're running the latest patched software - earlier versions were lucky to get three days.

I'll assume the trojan comment is serious. A trojen isn't quite a virus. It's a piece of software that promises one thing, but really does something else. Someone could offer you a piece of software doing something useful, but when you install it, it then erases your harddisk or spies on your system sending personal information to the internet, for example.

No, you described a virus and a keylogger.
A trojan is a kind of malicious code that burries inside your PC and allows the hacker who infected you easy access into your system. Some trojans are untargeted, and allow pretty much any hacker anywhere easy access to the infected system, while some work much like Remote Desktop. Trojans are often masked as other programs that require internet access, the most popular ones imitating java, update scheduler and printer ques.

It was sarcasm. Thus the *groan* after it.

[ 10-19-2006, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: SpiritWarrior ]

Not that you can remove it...

Not thoroughly. Well it can but you would lose some intergrated functionality. But then you need to for things like Windows Update.

A trojan (as in "Trojan Horse") is indeed what I described. The fact that it is also a keylogger is inconsequential. I did not describe a virus. A virus is a small program that "hitches a ride" on other software. Trojans are actual stand alone programs that are designed from the ground up to carry a payload.

What you described is not a trojan - you described a backdoor. ;)

Backdoors can be delivered as virii or trojans.

[ 10-19-2006, 05:29 PM: Message edited by: Sir Krustin ]

It doesn't? It occurs to me that you don't quite get what a risk to security ActiveX can be.

If you expect your bank transactions (and your personal info, such as passwords and account numbers) with IE to be private and confidential, then you are mistaken in believing that IE keeps this secure from intruders. (ref: your comment that using anything but IE is a risk to security)

A trojan (as in "Trojan Horse") is indeed what I described. The fact that it is also a keylogger is inconsequential. I did not describe a virus. A virus is a small program that "hitches a ride" on other software. Trojans are actual stand alone programs that are designed from the ground up to carry a payload.

What you described is not a trojan - you described a backdoor. ;)

Backdoors can be delivered as virii or trojans. </font>[/QUOTE]Yeah, reading it now, I see I fumbled. Well, atleast you know what I meant [img]tongue.gif[/img]

*Crwod chants* Fight fight fight fight!

It doesn't? It occurs to me that you don't quite get what a risk to security ActiveX can be.

If you expect your bank transactions (and your personal info, such as passwords and account numbers) with IE to be private and confidential, then you are mistaken in believing that IE keeps this secure from intruders. (ref: your comment that using anything but IE is a risk to security) </font>[/QUOTE]Well you made an incorrect assumption again then. I know how programs can implement themselves via activex. My point was I never mentioned it, you did. That's all.

And this thoughtful "(ref: your comment that using anything but IE is a risk to security)" is another gem. Where'd I write that?