Published at LXer:

LXer Feature: 13-August-2013Given the recent Hand of Thief-news, in which RSA's Limor Kessem explains how a Linux malware-kit is sold on Russian websites, I have been contemplating about Linux security again.Not only that, after I switched to Ubuntu, I also noticed how easy it is to add new repositories for some cool new programs not in the official repository yet. Sure, while doing so you think "Hmm, there could always be a virus in it, but I think those people are thrustworthy. If there's malware in it, other people might already have noticed it in the source code". At least, that's what I usually hope.Besides, the OS is becoming more and more "unimportant" for crackers; nowadays the browser is taking over lots of roles from the OS. These days, it's all about Javascript, Adobe's Flash and - to a lesser degree - Java, all of them full of potential security shoot-through holes. Linux users are quite lucky Adobe's PDF reader is no common tool on Linux, besides Flash and Java waning in importance. It saves minor headaches, but the main ones remaining.Throw into the mix some easily exploitable Linux routers, and Googles lax behaviour with Android security to make me reach for the paracetamol again.

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