Kaspersky Lab updated the most dangerous 50 malwares. The data was based on Kaspersky Lab report 5th to 12th August 2010
Below are the list from Kaspersky Lab based on numbers of attacks directed to Kaspersky Security Network :
----------------------------------------------------
Nama Malware Hits
----------------------------------------------------
Packed.Win32.Katusha.o 33.6842%
HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic 18.9474%
Trojan-Banker.Win32.Banker.ubf 4.2105%
Backdoor.Win32.Agent.awhk 3.1579%
Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Delf.ejv 2.1053%
Net-Worm.Win32.Kido.ih 2.1053%
Trojan.Win32.Refroso.bojv 2.1053%
Exploit.Win32.DCom.ad 2.1053%
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Relevant.p 2.1053%
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Relevant.q 2.1053%
Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Clons.hpx 2.1053%
Trojan-Spy.Win32.Ardamaxer.a 2.1053%
Trojan-Dropper.MSIL.Agent.ate 1.0526%
Packed.Win32.Black.d 1.0526%
HackTool.Win32.Flooder.z 1.0526%
HEUR:Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Generic 1.0526%
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Agent.edla 1.0526%
Trojan.NSIS.StartPage.bb 1.0526%
Trojan-PSW.Win32.Dybalom.bkn 1.0526%
Backdoor.Win32.Aimbot.cg 1.0526%
Trojan.Win32.Agent.defn 1.0526%
Trojan.Win32.Buzus.fbur 1.0526%
Backdoor.MSIL.Agent.ju 1.0526%
Trojan.Win32.Agent.efdi 1.0526%
Trojan-GameThief.Win32.OnLineGames.wzfj 1.0526%
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Rabio.xt 1.0526%
HackTool.Win32.Kiser.mc 1.0526%
Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Delf.fny 1.0526%
Backdoor.Win32.Bifrose.ceow 1.0526%
Trojan-Dropper.Win32.Delf.cjc 1.0526%
Trojan.Win32.Refroso.aavu 1.0526%
Packed.Win32.Krap.ae 1.0526%
Backdoor.Win32.Surila.ck 1.0526%
Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.alpq 1.0526%
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Linux is More Secure than Windows
Five Linux's superior security:
1. Privileges
Linux systems are by no means infallible, but one of their key advantages lies in the way account privileges are assigned. In Windows, users are generally given administrator access by default, which means they pretty much have access to everything on the system, even its most crucial parts. So, then, do viruses. It's like giving terrorists high-level government positions.
With Linux, on the other hand, users do not usually have such "root" privileges; rather, they're typically given lower-level accounts. What that means is that even if a Linux system is compromised, the virus won't have the root access it would need to do damage systemwide; more likely, just the user's local files and programs would be affected. That can make the difference between a minor annoyance and a major catastrophe in any business setting.
2. Social Engineering
Viruses and worms often spread by convincing computer users to do something they shouldn't, like open attachments that carry viruses and worms. This is called social engineering, and it's all too easy on Windows systems. Just send out an e-mail with a malicious attachment and a subject line like, "Check out these adorable puppies!"--or the porn equivalent--and some proportion of users is bound to click without thinking. The result? An open door for the attached malware, with potentially disastrous consequences organizationwide.
Thanks to the fact that most Linux users don't have root access, however, it's much harder to accomplish any real damage on a Linux system by getting them to do something foolish. Before any real damage could occur, a Linux user would have to read the e-mail, save the attachment, give it executable permissions and then run the executable. Not very likely, in other words.
3. The Monoculture Effect
However you want to argue the exact numbers, there's no doubt that Microsoft Windows still dominates most of the computing world. In the realm of e-mail, so too do Outlook and Outlook Express. And therein lies a problem: It's essentially a monoculture, which is no better in technology than it is in the natural world. Just as genetic diversity is a good thing in the natural world because it minimizes the deleterious effects of a deadly virus, so a diversity of computing environments helps protect users.
Fortunately, a diversity of environments is yet another benefit that Linux offers. There's Ubuntu, there's Debian, there's Gentoo, and there are many other distributions. There are also many shells, many packaging systems, and many mail clients; Linux even runs on many architectures beyond just Intel. So, whereas a virus can be targeted squarely at Windows users, since they all use pretty much the same technology, reaching more than a small faction of Linux users is much more difficult. Who wouldn't want to give their company that extra layer of assurance?
4. Audience Size
Hand-in-hand with this monoculture effect comes the not particularly surprising fact that the majority of viruses target Windows, and the desktops in your organization are no exception. Millions of people all using the same software make an attractive target for malicious attacks.
5. How Many Eyeballs
"Linus' Law"--named for Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux--holds that, "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." What that means is that the larger the group of developers and testers working on a set of code, the more likely any flaws will be caught and fixed quickly. This, in other words, is essentially the polar opposite of the "security through obscurity" argument.
With Windows, it's a limited set of paid developers who are trying to find problems in the code. They adhere to their own set timetables, and they don't generally tell anyone about the problems until they've already created a solution, leaving the door open to exploits until that happens. Not a very comforting thought for the businesses that depend on that technology.
In the Linux world, on the other hand, countless users can see the code at any time, making it more likely that someone will find a flaw sooner rather than later. Not only that, but users can even fix problems themselves. Microsoft may tout its large team of paid developers, but it's unlikely that team can compare with a global base of Linux user-developers around the globe. Security can only benefit through all those extra "eyeballs."
1. Privileges
Linux systems are by no means infallible, but one of their key advantages lies in the way account privileges are assigned. In Windows, users are generally given administrator access by default, which means they pretty much have access to everything on the system, even its most crucial parts. So, then, do viruses. It's like giving terrorists high-level government positions.
With Linux, on the other hand, users do not usually have such "root" privileges; rather, they're typically given lower-level accounts. What that means is that even if a Linux system is compromised, the virus won't have the root access it would need to do damage systemwide; more likely, just the user's local files and programs would be affected. That can make the difference between a minor annoyance and a major catastrophe in any business setting.
2. Social Engineering
Viruses and worms often spread by convincing computer users to do something they shouldn't, like open attachments that carry viruses and worms. This is called social engineering, and it's all too easy on Windows systems. Just send out an e-mail with a malicious attachment and a subject line like, "Check out these adorable puppies!"--or the porn equivalent--and some proportion of users is bound to click without thinking. The result? An open door for the attached malware, with potentially disastrous consequences organizationwide.
Thanks to the fact that most Linux users don't have root access, however, it's much harder to accomplish any real damage on a Linux system by getting them to do something foolish. Before any real damage could occur, a Linux user would have to read the e-mail, save the attachment, give it executable permissions and then run the executable. Not very likely, in other words.
3. The Monoculture Effect
However you want to argue the exact numbers, there's no doubt that Microsoft Windows still dominates most of the computing world. In the realm of e-mail, so too do Outlook and Outlook Express. And therein lies a problem: It's essentially a monoculture, which is no better in technology than it is in the natural world. Just as genetic diversity is a good thing in the natural world because it minimizes the deleterious effects of a deadly virus, so a diversity of computing environments helps protect users.
Fortunately, a diversity of environments is yet another benefit that Linux offers. There's Ubuntu, there's Debian, there's Gentoo, and there are many other distributions. There are also many shells, many packaging systems, and many mail clients; Linux even runs on many architectures beyond just Intel. So, whereas a virus can be targeted squarely at Windows users, since they all use pretty much the same technology, reaching more than a small faction of Linux users is much more difficult. Who wouldn't want to give their company that extra layer of assurance?
4. Audience Size
Hand-in-hand with this monoculture effect comes the not particularly surprising fact that the majority of viruses target Windows, and the desktops in your organization are no exception. Millions of people all using the same software make an attractive target for malicious attacks.
5. How Many Eyeballs
"Linus' Law"--named for Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux--holds that, "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." What that means is that the larger the group of developers and testers working on a set of code, the more likely any flaws will be caught and fixed quickly. This, in other words, is essentially the polar opposite of the "security through obscurity" argument.
With Windows, it's a limited set of paid developers who are trying to find problems in the code. They adhere to their own set timetables, and they don't generally tell anyone about the problems until they've already created a solution, leaving the door open to exploits until that happens. Not a very comforting thought for the businesses that depend on that technology.
In the Linux world, on the other hand, countless users can see the code at any time, making it more likely that someone will find a flaw sooner rather than later. Not only that, but users can even fix problems themselves. Microsoft may tout its large team of paid developers, but it's unlikely that team can compare with a global base of Linux user-developers around the globe. Security can only benefit through all those extra "eyeballs."
11 Free Linux Apps for Your Business
1. Office Productivity: OpenOffice
OpenOffice.org 3 (also known as OO.o) is a fantastic open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. With components for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more, it is available in many languages and works on all common operating systems, including Linux, Mac and Windows. All data gets stored in an international open standard format, and the software can read and write files from Office as well. Perhaps best of all, the interface is so familiar and intuitive that you might not even realize you're using anything new. You can download and use OpenOffice free of charge.
2. Accounting: GnuCash
GnuCash is a personal and small-business financial-accounting software package that's also available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. Both powerful and flexible, GnuCash lets you track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. As quick and intuitive to use as a checkbook register, it is based on professional accounting principles to ensure balanced books and accurate reports. Among GnuCash's key features are double-entry accounting, small-business accounting, invoicing and more. Data can be imported from programs such as Microsoft Money and Quicken, while it can be exported to spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel. Once again, this free software's interface is so intuitive and familiar that if you've used other accounting programs before, this one will be no problem.
3. Desktop publishing: Scribus
Scribus is a free program that offers professional page-layout capabilities for Linux, Mac OSX and Windows desktops. Scribus supports professional publishing features including CMYK color separations for both press-ready output and PDF creation. I've found the software can do just about anything the paid packages can, and it's comparable to InDesign or Publisher, for instance.
4. E-mail: Zimbra
Zimbra Desktop is free e-mail and calendar software that runs on any Linux, Mac or Windows computer. The tool offers e-mail, contacts, calendar and document capabilities all in one application, and it lets users read e-mail from any POP or IMAP e-mail account, including Gmail, Hotmail or business e-mail. Owned by VMware, Zimbra works both online and off, and there's no limit to the size of your e-mail storage. As an added bonus, it's also available in 20 languages.
5. Web page editing: KompoZer
Much like Microsoft's old FrontPage, KompoZer is a tool for anyone who ever works with a Web page. Downloadable for free and compatible with Linux as well as the usual other alternatives, KompoZer is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, meaning that you can edit Web pages visually as well as by working with the raw HTML code. The free software is extremely easy to use, making it ideal for nontechnical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking Web site without necessarily needing to know HTML.
6. Graphics: GIMP
GIMP, which stands for "GNU Image Manipulation Program," is a free and open source alternative to Adobe's pricey PhotoShop product. With an interface very similar to PhotoShop's, GIMP offers capabilities including photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. I believe GIMP will satisfy all but the highest-end professional graphic designers. It's perfect for making Web graphics, retouching product photos and creating marketing materials, and any images created can be saved in an array of common formats, including PSD Photoshop.
7. Backup: Amanda
Amanda is a backup and recovery solution that lets you set up a single master backup server to back up multiple hosts to a single large-capacity tape or disk drive. The software can back up a large number of workstations running multiple versions of Linux, Mac OS or Windows. Currently, it's used to protect more than half a million servers and desktops around the world. A sister service to Amanda, meanwhile, is Zmanda, which provides paid backup in the cloud.
8. HR management: OrangeHRM
OrangeHRM is a free package for human resources management. With modules for personnel information management, benefits, recruitment, employee self-service, leave, and time and attendance‚ the software also offers optional paid services including training, support and customization.
9. E-mail campaigns: phpList
If your business runs e-mail campaigns, phpList can be a great tool. The software is free to download, install and use, and it's easy to integrate with any Website. Ideal for newsletters, publicity lists, notifications and many other uses, phpList is designed to manage mailing lists with up to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. A Web interface lets you write and send messages and manage phpList over the internet.
10. Project management: OpenProj
OpenProj is a free project-management package that substitutes nicely for Microsoft Project but works with Linux and Mac as well as Windows. With more than a million users, OpenProj's installed base is second only to that of Microsoft Project itself--which, of course, costs a heck of a lot more. Gantt charts, PERT charts and all the other capabilities offered by Microsoft's software are in OpenProj as well, and existing Project files can be easily imported.
11. Antivirus: ClamAV
Even if you're running Linux, it's still a good idea to use some kind of antivirus software. Originally designed for Unix, ClamAV is a nice package that's now available for Linux as well as for Windows and a number of other platforms. The tool offers built-in support for almost all mail file formats as well as popular document formats including Microsoft Office, HTML, RTF and PDF. With a virus database that's updated multiple times per day, ClamAV is, of course, also free.
OpenOffice.org 3 (also known as OO.o) is a fantastic open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. With components for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more, it is available in many languages and works on all common operating systems, including Linux, Mac and Windows. All data gets stored in an international open standard format, and the software can read and write files from Office as well. Perhaps best of all, the interface is so familiar and intuitive that you might not even realize you're using anything new. You can download and use OpenOffice free of charge.
2. Accounting: GnuCash
GnuCash is a personal and small-business financial-accounting software package that's also available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. Both powerful and flexible, GnuCash lets you track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. As quick and intuitive to use as a checkbook register, it is based on professional accounting principles to ensure balanced books and accurate reports. Among GnuCash's key features are double-entry accounting, small-business accounting, invoicing and more. Data can be imported from programs such as Microsoft Money and Quicken, while it can be exported to spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel. Once again, this free software's interface is so intuitive and familiar that if you've used other accounting programs before, this one will be no problem.
3. Desktop publishing: Scribus
Scribus is a free program that offers professional page-layout capabilities for Linux, Mac OSX and Windows desktops. Scribus supports professional publishing features including CMYK color separations for both press-ready output and PDF creation. I've found the software can do just about anything the paid packages can, and it's comparable to InDesign or Publisher, for instance.
4. E-mail: Zimbra
Zimbra Desktop is free e-mail and calendar software that runs on any Linux, Mac or Windows computer. The tool offers e-mail, contacts, calendar and document capabilities all in one application, and it lets users read e-mail from any POP or IMAP e-mail account, including Gmail, Hotmail or business e-mail. Owned by VMware, Zimbra works both online and off, and there's no limit to the size of your e-mail storage. As an added bonus, it's also available in 20 languages.
5. Web page editing: KompoZer
Much like Microsoft's old FrontPage, KompoZer is a tool for anyone who ever works with a Web page. Downloadable for free and compatible with Linux as well as the usual other alternatives, KompoZer is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, meaning that you can edit Web pages visually as well as by working with the raw HTML code. The free software is extremely easy to use, making it ideal for nontechnical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking Web site without necessarily needing to know HTML.
6. Graphics: GIMP
GIMP, which stands for "GNU Image Manipulation Program," is a free and open source alternative to Adobe's pricey PhotoShop product. With an interface very similar to PhotoShop's, GIMP offers capabilities including photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. I believe GIMP will satisfy all but the highest-end professional graphic designers. It's perfect for making Web graphics, retouching product photos and creating marketing materials, and any images created can be saved in an array of common formats, including PSD Photoshop.
7. Backup: Amanda
Amanda is a backup and recovery solution that lets you set up a single master backup server to back up multiple hosts to a single large-capacity tape or disk drive. The software can back up a large number of workstations running multiple versions of Linux, Mac OS or Windows. Currently, it's used to protect more than half a million servers and desktops around the world. A sister service to Amanda, meanwhile, is Zmanda, which provides paid backup in the cloud.
8. HR management: OrangeHRM
OrangeHRM is a free package for human resources management. With modules for personnel information management, benefits, recruitment, employee self-service, leave, and time and attendance‚ the software also offers optional paid services including training, support and customization.
9. E-mail campaigns: phpList
If your business runs e-mail campaigns, phpList can be a great tool. The software is free to download, install and use, and it's easy to integrate with any Website. Ideal for newsletters, publicity lists, notifications and many other uses, phpList is designed to manage mailing lists with up to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. A Web interface lets you write and send messages and manage phpList over the internet.
10. Project management: OpenProj
OpenProj is a free project-management package that substitutes nicely for Microsoft Project but works with Linux and Mac as well as Windows. With more than a million users, OpenProj's installed base is second only to that of Microsoft Project itself--which, of course, costs a heck of a lot more. Gantt charts, PERT charts and all the other capabilities offered by Microsoft's software are in OpenProj as well, and existing Project files can be easily imported.
11. Antivirus: ClamAV
Even if you're running Linux, it's still a good idea to use some kind of antivirus software. Originally designed for Unix, ClamAV is a nice package that's now available for Linux as well as for Windows and a number of other platforms. The tool offers built-in support for almost all mail file formats as well as popular document formats including Microsoft Office, HTML, RTF and PDF. With a virus database that's updated multiple times per day, ClamAV is, of course, also free.
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