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General discussion

Linux for security..

by hermes_vb Jul 24, 2008 11:43PM PDT

I'm currently dual booting WinXP and Ubuntu in my computer. I use Ubuntu mostly for secure stuff like Internet Banking and Web purchases. One thing still worries me. If my Windows side gets taken over by a Virus, Trojan, etc., how safe is my information on the linux side? The most important things are on a TrueCrypt file so the only thing that really worries me is wether or not they can access the passwords I have stored in Firefox. Can anyone answer my question?

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2 Posts

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I'm going to use analogy here.

by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 24, 2008 11:59PM PDT

Let's say there are 3 tool sheds. The first one has the door closed. The second has a simple padlock and the last has steel bars and heavy locks.

Let me add to this analogy that it's pitch black so the theft can't see the protection in place much like someone that telnet'd into your machine.

This means that on average one third of the sheds are going to be pilfered and the other two left alone.

-> The problem I have with truecrypt are the owners I've run into that lost it all. They forgot a password or there was some malfunction. In my view the malfunction was "no backup."

Firefox passwords are discussed on the web so let's see if anyone has tools to dump those.
Bob

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Very safe

by white-bread Jul 25, 2008 7:45PM PDT

You only have to worry if you:
have used the ext2 file system for linux, installed the ext2 driver in windows, didn't make your home folder private, installed cygwin with X or Xming leaving it running and unsecured, turned remote login to activate, made linux your default, blah blah.

The analogy given is confusing. It should be that unless you have left your system wide open by making at least two of the things listed above as active, then no, you have nothing to worry about.

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