Why moving to Linux to avoid Microsoft spying is impossible for most people

Discussion in 'Linux' started by roga, Aug 29, 2015.

  1. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

    Aug 18, 2012
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    #121 manix, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2015
    Sometimes it's better to pay for employee training and for a complete Linux transition than to have all of your confidential data being exposed to Microsoft and their advertising partners.
    In fact, I predict that we will begin to see more and more businesses and governments transitioning to Linux just because of privacy concerns. Governments shouldn't be using Windows anyway, you can't have the computing sovereignty of your country in the hands of a foreign company.
     
  2. nosense

    nosense MDL Senior Member

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    Nope, they will just stay on windows 7 or windows xp.
     
  3. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

    Aug 18, 2012
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    But Windows 7 is already becoming 10 with the wave of telemetry updates.
     
  4. nosense

    nosense MDL Senior Member

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    What? Any admin on any network working with windows 7 machine can control what gets updated on any windows 7 computer.
     
  5. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

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    No chance. Various British Government departments have tried Linux in pilot studies, and to my knowledge have all run away screaming. I've personally worked on the Windows re-rollouts.
     
  6. MS_User

    MS_User MDL Guru

    Nov 30, 2014
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    android phone is a lot easier to learn than a comp OS specially to a regular end user.
     
  7. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

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    I would be pretty surprised if anything that handles sensitive data works with Windows. The various administration departments are probably on Windows, that's not the point.
     
  8. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

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    Well then prepare to be surprised. Sensitive data all over Windows systems. Health Service Systems. Police & Criminal Evidence. Civil Service. Social Security. Forensic Science. I've worked on them all as a contractor, and I used to be a Police Officer.

    The tinfoil hattery over Windows is getting hysterical. If it's properly secured by people who know what they're doing, then no dramas.
     
  9. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

    Aug 18, 2012
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    It's not that, it's just that leaving your entire country's IT infrastructure in the hands of a private foreign company is, well... bad. It's not a good decision and it can never be. Every country needs to have full control over it's own IT infrastructure.
     
  10. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

    Mar 2, 2012
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    We do. You're missing the point.
     
  11. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

    Aug 18, 2012
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    No you don't, that's a closed source system, you have no idea what is actually happening under the hood.
     
  12. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

    Mar 2, 2012
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    My dear chap. Her Majesty's Government pay some very clever people awfully big salaries to find out EXACTLY what is happening under the hood. Trust me on that.
     
  13. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

    Aug 18, 2012
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    It doesn't work like this, it takes 1 line of code to expose the system to a potential vulnerability and you have no way of detecting that without the source code.
     
  14. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

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    Buddy, I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
     
  15. manix

    manix MDL Junior Member

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    #135 manix, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Again, you literally have no idea what you are talking about.
    In 2003 there was an attempt to introduce a backdoor in the source code of Linux. Do you know what it was ?
    Code:
    if ((options == (__WCLONE|__WALL)) && (current->uid = 0))
            retval = -EINVAL;
    
    Can you see the problem ?
    And if you do see it, you would realize that a backdoor like this is 100% undetectable in a closed source software environment.
     
  16. ashmicro

    ashmicro MDL Junior Member

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    Calling me stupid makes you look like a dick, not me.
     
  17. nosense

    nosense MDL Senior Member

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    Any sensitive data should be protected at a network level first and foremost.
     
  18. Michaela Joy

    Michaela Joy MDL Crazy Lady

    Jul 26, 2012
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    #138 Michaela Joy, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 30, 2015
    @ashmicro: When it comes to the enterprise (LTSB) edition of Windows 10, I'd have to say that I would agree with you. It's been pretty much locked down solid. For Windows 10 home edition, I disagree.

    :MJ
     
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  19. Michaela Joy

    Michaela Joy MDL Crazy Lady

    Jul 26, 2012
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    #139 Michaela Joy, Aug 30, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    @Mannix: Please stop calling other members stupid. You're only asking for trouble.
    Also, introducing a tiny sliver of C / C++ / C# code like that which shows no context at all is unfair. Is it the exception that you're waiting for because MS didn't implement SEH? Is there a point that the code jumps to?
    None of that is clear here.

    I understand that emotions are running high, but let's keep it civil. :)

    @ashmicro: I know that you were slighted, but I'm asking you to please let it go. :)

    P.S. Will one of the Linux programmers correct me if i'm wrong, but does this code prepare a huge buffer for a buffer overrun exploit?
     
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  20. Skaendo

    Skaendo MDL Addicted

    Sep 23, 2014
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    I know what the error is. :D
     
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