[ILUG-BOM] Marketing point for LINUX. Can Windows / Linux be made totally safe for WIFI

[jtd]

On Friday 08 Aug 2008 09:41, Erach wrote:
> Hi,
> Can Windows / LINUX ever be made totally safe for WIFI ?
> After reading the fact that government wants WIFI security before
> getting WIFI computers all over Mumbai, I was asked by a friend
> whether WINDOWS can ever be made totally safe for WIFI all over
> Mumbai.

You cant make anything safe from ALL attacks except at enormous costs. 
You have to define the threat and then design your system to mitigate 
this threat.
However Windows is plagued by all sorts of threats. Exploits are dime 
a dozen reigning from kernel vulnerabilites to userland problems. 
These stem from not having even a sembleance of seperation between 
user and kernel spaces. Infact this lack of seperation is a touted 
feature.

> What about LINUX ?

Linux has a well defined sepration between kernel and user spaces. 
Therfore the type of vulnerabilities common on windows are non 
existent.

Having stated the above, IMO there is no new vulnerability caused by 
merely using wireless. One can tap into  a wire with equal ease, save 
the headache of relative physical proximity.

The type of stupid investigations carried out by our cops are not 
worth commenting on and betrays their utter lack of any sleuthing 
abilities when dealing with a slightly more sophisticated attack than 
sticks and stones.
We are singularly lucky that we dont have a blast a day, given the 
massive vulnerabilities in every area of public access.

The case of cyber vulnerability is a stupid distraction or even a nice 
broken stick for the cops and authorities to lean on.

-- 
Rgds
JTD