Kill Facebook? or Why I Can't Use My Printer

On 13 September hackers got into the Linux Foundation's servers and stole the personal details of people who had logged on and downloaded Linux applications. They reportedly used a malware-infected PC to gain access to the site. The Linux Foundation took down its sites and is still in the process of re-serving everything. Hence my printer is still without the requisite drivers because they only download from the Linux Foundation.

Linux malware? Yes it exists. But unlike Windows viruses these usually require to be user-activated: that is like the proverbial spam message screaming Nak3d Ph0T0zzzzz! they require to con the user into clicking a link or unzipping an archive to gain control/eat up disk space with huge amounts of junk eg tarbombs). The hack attack didn't affect Linux the OS which remains secure, only services provided by the Linux foundation, and only to those who had logged in.

Even so, attacks on Linux are worrying. Note also that by a supreme irony the bits of Linux that are the most vulnerable are the bits that require to interface with Windoze: the document and media viewers and editors, for example, because in today's environment these have to be compatible with windoze applications and thus take on some of their flab and holes.

As Linux becomes more popular, and desktop versions like Ubuntu become more complex and function-rich, we can expect to see more of this. Till now, Linux has been protected by its minority status and its transparency: you can see everything the system is doing, and there is nowhere for viruses to hide. Hackers want fame and widespread panic attacks: a tiny bunch of obsessive geeks don't present a tempting target. However, the new Unity desktop, while adding huge quantities of cool to Ubuntu, might just open up spaces for viral activity.

Apparently November 5 (Guy Fawkes' Day, remember?) has been singled out by hacktivists as 'Kill Facebook Day'? What do hacktivists have against Facebook? Well, they say Facebook stores personal data and slips it to security firms that deal with totalitarian countries. This seems a little far-fetched to me. Closer to home, Facebook is an ad-funded service (like most newspapers) and attacks on it would compromise the investments of millions of companies. Yes, but many of those companies are one or two person outfits that could ever afford print ads: Facebook is a low cost way for them to reach thousands of potential customers (okay, some of them are biggies too). This kind of ddos (distributed denial of service) attack usually penalises the small business, individual  and less well funded outfits rather than the big ones.

Which brings me to another point: who gains most if Linux goes down? Microsoft, of course, the Evil Empire. We hear reports that Windows 8 will use UEFI firmware recognition to prevent anyone booting Linux or older Windows OSs on the hardware it is bundled with, even more than Macs are wedded to the Mac OS. In other words, if you want to run Linux, you will have to assemble your own machine to do it. Laptops will be stuck with Windows 8. Most geeks have at least one 'I hate Bill' t shirt in their wardrobes. Are we looking at the next level of corporate warfare, hack attacks deniably funded by big corporations on small ones, or on open source charities and individuals? Not a nice prospect.

FAcebook has said they don't expect it to go down today even for a few minutes. So I shall now log on and check my notifications.