[69794] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: The Uneducated Enduser (Re: Microsoft XP SP2 (was Re: Lazy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Scott McGrath)
Tue Apr 20 13:14:14 2004
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 13:13:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: Scott McGrath <mcgrath@fas.harvard.edu>
To: nanog@merit.edu
In-Reply-To: <033901c426f6$33a4dfb0$2a5b8b42@clickdoug.com>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
Operating systems bundled with a retail computer _should_ be reasonably
secure out of the box.
OS X can be placed on a unprotected internet connection in a unpatched
state and it's default configuration allows it to be patched to current
levels without it being compromised.
On the other hand Win2k & XP will be compromised in under 5 minutes if
connected to the same unfiltered connection (The record here is 35 seconds
for time to compromise)
I am not saying that OS X is the paragon of all things good. But it's
basic settings take into account the average user's skill level and
ability to secure the OS if you want less security the user needs to
_specifically_ configure the machine to allow the reduced level of
protection.
Whereas the desire for chrome on WinXXXX has made a platform which is
virtually impossible for the average user to secure.
I use both on a daily basis as well as Solaris and Linux so I consider
myself somewhat agnostic on OS choices as each does something better than
the others and I use it for that function.
Scott C. McGrath
