[sf-lug] addendum to " update from computer newbie"

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Asheesh Laroia (asheesh at asheesh.org):

> It's more frequently than that.  But those attacks are script kiddie / 
> organized crime types doing standard attacks against Windows machines. 
> It won't harm the Linux machine he's setting up.  Windows machines get 
> 0wned fast (*).

Second.  There's a syndrome we see all the time on Linux mailing lists
and newsgroups:  Somebody hooks up a Linux box and runs something like
logcheck, which e-mails you reports based on anomalies in the system
logfiles.  And then, one day later runs shrieking onto Linux forums
saying "Oh no!  My system's had three portscans and ten people
attempting to ssh into my machine using common username/password pairs.
I'm being _attacked_."

And the rest of us turn to the new guy and gently say, "Welcome to the
Internet.  Relax.  Worry only about significant things."

> It's important to understand the security threats you face.

Immodesty alert:
http://security.itworld.com/4352/LWD000829hacking/pfindex.html
http://linuxgazette.net/issue98/moen.html
http://linuxgazette.net/118/weatherwax.html#1
http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Security/breakin-without-remote-vulnerability.html

See also:
http://kmself.home.netcom.com/Rants/spyware.html#cultural