security status after install

nss · Guru Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 389

I was wondering how secure gentoo is after installing. I was reading today about a little experiment where a computer was put online after a fresh install and was attacked after just four minutes by malicious software. I'd give more details on the article (it was in a back issue of MIT's Technology Review) but I don't have it nearby right now. It went on to say how common Internet attacks are, etc. etc. The article brought about extra concern for my newly installed system. After installing gentoo, I did not do much (or anything) in the way of security. Instead, I went right to installing third party software through portage. I've since been using the Internet regularly (mostly these forums and gmail, but other sites also). How concerned should I be?

Is freenode safe to use? I saw that it had a severe nuisancebot attack. Does this mean insecurity for it's users?
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gentoo good to be true

bec · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:53 am Post subject:

If your machine is not a gateway you could simply follow:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=289163

For a more thorough approach look in:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-security.xml

I don't know about freenode security

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abe

DerCorny · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

Gentoo should be pretty safe after an install. Usually portage is synced during the install, meaning that all packages which will be installed are up-to-date and hopefully secure. (In contrast to that one OS hailing from redmond, usually installed by using a more than 3yrs old CD with no fixes at all)

Freenode is as safe as your IRC client - if you use a well known one, it's probably well audited and secure.
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There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge...

nss · Guru Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 389

What does the appearance of this nuisancebot mean for the users of freenode?
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gentoo good to be true

DerCorny · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:59 pm Post subject:

They aren't a security threat for clients of the network, just annoying. They join big chans and post URLs they want you to visit or spam you in a query. Freenode staff does a pretty good job to keep them out, but thats not always possible. I guess every big IRC network has similar problems.

Btw, i'm in like 15chans in freenode and never had any problems with those bots.
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There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible than a man in the depths of an ether binge...

groovin · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject:

sirtalon42 · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 79

docster · n00b Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

Hehe, well, once apon a time we installed Mandrake Corporate Server to play around with at the data center. It was late one night and we just installed from the cd and did'nt really have time to update it properly. The following morning it had a root kit on it with an irc bot running

groovin · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:25 am Post subject: