Bonum Certa Men Certa

Ars Technica, ZDNet and Bleeping Nonsense Still Misreporting to Blame 'Linux' for Malware One Can Merely Add to Linux (Distracting From Systems With Back Doors, Such as Windows)

"Doctor, it hurts me when I do this." Doctor: "so don't do this." Corporate media: "If you install malicious software or never patch, bad things can happen." Geek: "I patch my systems and don't install random stuff from dodgy Web sites."

FBI/NSA report



Summary: A revised (spun) 'report' that we alluded to last night is spreading to more sites today or overnight; but it's totally distorting the situation to make "Linux" seem a lot more dangerous than it really is

THE 'news' about "Linux" is always full of noise and FUD. Some of that comes from Microsoft front groups and Microsoft-connected publishers. That's nothing new; it has been going on for well over a decade.



So we took a quick look at the original report [PDF] some chronic (serial) liars now allude to, assuming it's that usual FUD where something one can add to Linux is portrayed as a problem with "Linux" itself (that's like calling a hole in Photoshop a "Windows" bug).

"We're omitting the links, but it definitely started with ZDNet, which also previously sought to associate Linux with terrorism, based on a distorted and cherry-picked government report that named "Gentoo" somewhere along the lines."So while FBI, NSA etc. are themselves putting back doors in all things Microsoft here they are warning about "Russia" because it is possible, on an already-compromised system, to sort of rootkit everything (as one can expect; that's a universal weakness and prevention framework exists, not only mitigation).

They suggest using a kernel not older than 3.7 (which is already very old).

The noise has already come from Microsoft Peter's (pedophile) Ars Technica, Bleeping Computer and Bleeping Computer's troll whom ZDNet hired. We're omitting the links, but it definitely started with ZDNet, which also previously sought to associate Linux with terrorism, based on a distorted and cherry-picked government report that named "Gentoo" somewhere along the lines.

"As for ZDNet, its hire from Bleeping Computer (choice of a notorious drama queen, even prior to the hire) said a lot about ZDNet's own agenda. The motivations are surface-deep."Trashy media isn't a new problem; the fact that Ars Technica had its "Open Source" section run solely by a Microsoft pedophile (until his arrest) speaks volumes, as does the fact that Mr. Goodin (Ars Technica) got sued for defamation for his inaccurate click-bait. As for ZDNet, its hire from Bleeping Computer (choice of a notorious drama queen, even prior to the hire) said a lot about ZDNet's own agenda. The motivations are surface-deep.

Bleeping Computer? Bleeping nonsense! To hell with so-called 'journalists' who instead of showing people the actual report (screenshot above) come up with headlines such as "NSA and FBI warn that new Linux malware threatens national security" (by Mr. Goodin).

"Ars Technica is owned by the same company that runs Reddit (where Microsoft critics are heavily censored), controls the site that caused Linus Torvalds to be temporarily 'ousted' from his own project, and repeatedly defamed Dr. Richard Stallman, egging on the online lynch mob."We'd rather focus on patent threats and European Patent Office corruption, but lately there has been a rise in FUD against GNU/Linux, which means that some wealthy and well-connected people are growingly afraid of it (IIS is dying). They weaponise the media. They pay that same media. The editor of Ars Technica UK admitted to me that Microsoft wasn't just the key advertiser but somewhat of a co-founder in the sponsorship sense. Ars Technica is owned by the same company that runs Reddit (where Microsoft critics are heavily censored), controls the site that caused Linus Torvalds to be temporarily 'ousted' from his own project, and repeatedly defamed Dr. Richard Stallman, egging on the online lynch mob.

Never forget what Microsoft did to Softpedia just months ago. It is another common vector of FUD, run single-handedly by a self-professed fan of Steve Ballmer. Microsoft, a very close ally of Donald Trump, plays dirty. We cannot just ignore all the FUD.

Update: Now it's all over the place with needlessly alarming headlines:

Russia/Linux

Recent Techrights' Posts

Amid Online Reports of XBox Sales Collapsing, Mass Layoffs in More Teams, and Windows Making Things Worse (Admission of Losses, Rumours About XBox Canceled as a Hardware Unit)...
Windows has loads of issues, also as a gaming platform
 
Consent & Debian's illegitimate constitution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
The Time Our Server Host Died in a Car Accident
If Debian has internal problems, then they need to be illuminated and then tackled, at the very least in order to ensure we do not end up with "Deadian"
China's New 'IT' Rules Are a Massive Headache for Microsoft
On the issue of China we're neutral except when it comes to human rights issues
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
WeMakeFedora.org: harassment decision, victory for volunteers and Fedora Foundations
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 27/03/2024: Terrorism Grows in Africa, Unemployment in Finland Rose Sharply in a Year, Chinese Aggression Escalates
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: Ericsson and Tencent Layoffs
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: BBC Resorts to CG Cruft, Akamai Blocking Blunders in Piracy Shield
Links for the day
Android Approaches 90% of the Operating Systems Market in Chad (Windows Down From 99.5% 15 Years Ago to Just 2.5% Right Now)
Windows is down to about 2% on the Web-connected client side as measured by statCounter
Sainsbury's: Let Them Eat Yoghurts (and Microsoft Downtimes When They Need Proper Food)
a social control media 'scandal' this week
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Windows/Client at Microsoft Falling Sharply (Well Over 10% Decline Every Quarter), So For His Next Trick the Ponzi in Chief Merges Units, Spices Everything Up With "AI"
Hiding the steep decline of Windows/Client at Microsoft?
Free technology in housing and construction
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
We Need Open Standards With Free Software Implementations, Not "Interoperability" Alone
Sadly we're confronting misguided managers and a bunch of clowns trying to herd us all - sometimes without consent - into "clown computing"
Microsoft's Collapse in the Web Server Space Continued This Month
Microsoft is the "2%", just like Windows in some countries
Links 26/03/2024: Inflation Problems, Strikes in Finland
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Losing Children, Carbon Tax Discussed
Links for the day
Mark Shuttleworth resigns from Debian: volunteer suicide and Albania questions unanswered, mass resignations continue
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 26/03/2024: 6,000 Layoffs at Dell, Microsoft “XBox is in Real Trouble as a Hardware Manufacturer”
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Microsofters Still Trying to 'Extend' Gemini Protocol
Links for the day
Look What IBM's Red Hat is Turning CentOS Into
For 17 years our site ran on CentOS. Thankfully we're done with that...
The Julian Paul Assange Verdict: The High Court Has Granted Assange Leave to Appeal Extradition to the United States, Decision Adjourned to May 20th Pending Assurances
The decision is out
The Microsoft and Apple Antitrust Issues Have Some But Not Many Commonalities
gist of the comparison to Microsoft
ZDNet, Sponsored by Microsoft for Paid-for Propaganda (in 'Article' Clothing), Has Added Pop-Up or Overlay to All Pages, Saying "813 Partners Will Store and Access Information on Your Device"
Avoiding ZDNet may become imperative given what it has turned into
Julian Assange Verdict 3 Hours Away
Their decision is due to be published at 1030 GMT
People Who Cover Suicide Aren't Suicidal
Assange didn't just "deteriorate". This deterioration was involuntary and very much imposed upon him.
Overworking Kills
The body usually (but not always) knows best
Former Red Hat Chief (CEO), Who Decided to Leave the Company Earlier This Month, Talks About "Cloud Company Red Hat" to CNBC
shows a lack of foresight and dependence on buzzwords
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 25, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 25, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Discord Does Not Make Money, It's Spying on People and Selling Data/Control (38% is Allegedly Controlled by the Communist Party of China)
a considerable share exists
In At Least Two Nations Windows is Now Measured at 2% "Market Share" (Microsoft Really Does Not Want People to Notice That)
Ignore the mindless "AI"-washing
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Still Has Hundreds of Thousands of Simultaneously-Online Unique Users
The scale of IRC