this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
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Getting tired of this smaller target narrative. On desktop, maybe. We don't know for sure since most Linux doesn't carry telemetry and one ISO download doesn't mean one install.
Also, Linux runs some insanely high percentage of the Internet (server, VM, container), IOT and mobile. For every individual who might own a hand full of computers there are 10's, or perhaps hundreds, of Linux servers out there doing tasks for them. Virus and malware don't only target desktops. There's literally no larger target.
I think when people say it is a smaller target for virii, they are talking about an actual virus such as ransomware, crypto miner, adware, trojans, etc. I have zero doubt these types of virii are more targeted on Windows platforms. Linux servers on the other hand are indeed going to be the largest target for exploits. The primary mechanism by which a Linux server is compromised is going to be via an exploit, not an actual virus. That's not to say they don't exist. I administer hundreds of Linux servers in several data centers. I don't believe I've ever come across an actual virus in the last decade or so, but do deal with exploit and brute force attempts nonstop. Perhaps this is a matter of semantics. I don't consider the tools and methods used to exploit systems as a virus.
Exactly. Server exploits tend to lead to leaked credentials, not viruses.